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Fen Wang

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Fen Wang, Ph.D.

Fen Wang, Ph.D.

Professor
Director
Center for Cancer and Stem Cell Biology
Member of the GSBS Faculty

2121 W. Holcombe Blvd.
Houston, Texas 77030
Phone: 713-677-7520
Email: fwang@ibt.tamhsc.edu
Lab Webpage: http://www.ibt.tamhsc.edu/labs/ccscb/

Education and Post-Graduate Training

Fen Wang earned his B.S. degree in microbiology and M.S. degree in cell biology at Xiamen University in Fujian, China.  He received a Ph.D. degree in biochemistry in 1994 in a joint program between Clarkson University, Postdam, New York, and the W. Alton Jones Cell Science Center, Lake Placid, New York. He was a postdoctoral fellow (1994 to 1996) and Assistant Research Scientist from 1997-1999 and promoted to Assistant Professor in 2000 in the Center for Cancer and Stem Cell Biology, Institute of Biosciences and Technology, Texas A&M Health Science Center, in the Texas Medical Center, Houston, Texas. He was promoted to tenured Associate Professor in 2006 and full professor in 2010.  He holds a joint appointment in the Department of Molecular and Cellular Medicine, College of Medicine, Texas A&M Health Science Center.  In 2012 he assumed the directorship of the Center for Cancer and Stem Cell Biology.

Teaching Interests

Graduate and Specialized Research Training in Transmembrane Tyrosine Kinase Signaling in Stem Cell and Cancer Biology

Research Interests

The laboratory focuses on understanding the molecular basis of cell signaling, and how aberrant cell signaling leads to birth defects and causes cancers. Using in vitro cell culture systems and in vivo mouse models, we study how the fibroblast growth factor (FGF) activates its receptor (FGFR) tyrosine kinase, and how the activated FGFR transmits the signals to downstream targets and regulates proliferation, differentiation, homeostasis, and function of the cells, as well as in organogenesis and development, including prostate and cardiovascular system development. The laboratory also employs molecular biology, cell biology, and mouse genetic technologies to study how aberrant FGF signals promote tumor initiation, progression, and metastasis. In addition, how environmental factors contribute to tumorigenesis and congenital birth defects by modulating FGF signal intensity and specificity is also under the scope of our research interests.

Selected Publications

Five Most Significant Publications prior to 2010 

Jin, C., K. McKeehan, W. Guo, S. Jauma, M. l. Ittmann, B. Foster, N. Greenberg, W. L. McKeehan, and F. Wang (2003) Cooperation between ectopic FGFR1 and depression of FGFR2 signaling in induction of high-grade prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia in mouse prostate. Cancer Res. 63: 8784-8790.

Lin Y, G. Liu, Y. Zhang, Y-P. Hu, K. Yu, C. Lin, K. McKeehan, J. W. Xuan, D. Ornitz, M. M. Shen, N. Greenberg, W. L. McKeehan, and F. Wang. (2007). Fibroblast growth factor receptor 2 tyrosine kinase is required for prostatic morphogenesis and acquisition of strict androgen dependency for adult tissue homeostasis. Development 134: 723-734. (Feature of the Issue).

Zhang, Y., J. Zhang, Y. Lin, Y. Lan, C. Lin, J.W. Xuan, M.M. Shen, W.L. McKeehan, N.M. Greenberg, and F. Wang (2008).  Epithelial resident Fibroblast growth factor receptor substrate 2a-mediated signals in the prostate development, regeneration, and tumorigenesis. Development 135: 775-784 [Epub 2008 Jan 9].

Zhang J, Lin Y, Zhang Y, Lan Y, Lin C, Moon AM, Schwartz RJ, Martin JF, Wang F.  (2008) Frs2{alpha}-deficiency in cardiac progenitors disrupts a subset of FGF signals required for outflow tract morphogenesis.  Development. 135:3611-3622 [EPub 2008 Oct 2].

Lin, Y., Chen, L., Lin, C., Luo, Y., Tsai, R.YL., and Wang, F. (2009) Neuron-derived FGF9 is essential for scaffold formation of Bergmann radial fibers and migration of granule neurons in the cerebellum. Dev Biol. 329:44-54 [EPub 2009 Feb 20].

Publications 2010

Haling, J.R., F. Wang, and M. H. Ginsberg (2010)  Phosphoprotein enriched in astrocytes 15 kDa (PEA-15) reprograms growth factor signaling by inhibiting threonine phosphorylation of fibroblast receptor substrate 2alpha. Mol Biol Cell. 21: 664-673. [Epub 2009 Dec 23] PMID: 20032303

Shen, D.Y., Z.X. Fang, P. You, P.G. Liu, F. Wang, C.L. Huang, X.B. Yao, Z.X. Chen, Z.Y. Zhang (2010) Clinical significance and expression of Cks1 and Cks2 in hepatocellular carcinoma.  Liver International. 30: 119-125. PMID 19845855

Luo Y, Yang C, Lu W, Xie R, Jin C, Huang P, Wang F, McKeehan WL (2010) Metabolic regulator βklotho interacts with fibroblast growth factor receptor 4 (FGFR4) to induce apoptosis and inhibit tumor cell proliferation. J Biol Chem. 285:30069-78 [Epub 2010 July 23].

Zhang, L., B Zhang, J. M. Valdz, F. Wang, M. Ittmann, and L. Xin (2010) Dicer ablation impairs prostate stem cell activity and causes prostate atrophy. Stem Cell. 28:1260-1269.

Gao, S, H. Wu, F. Wang, and Z. Wang (2010) Altered differentiation and proliferation of prostate epithelium in mice lacking the androgen receptor cofactor p44/WDR77.  Endocrinology.  151:3941-3953.

Zhang, J., J. Y-F. Chang, Y. Huang, X. Lin, Y. Luo, R. J. Schwartz, J. F. Martin, and F. Wang (2010) The FGF-BMP signaling axis regulates outflow tract valve primordium formation by promoting cushion neural crest cell differentiation.  Circulation Res. 107:1209-1219. PMID: 20847311

Wang, J., S.G. Greene, M. Bonilla-Claudio, Y. Tao, Y. Bai, J. Zhang, Z. Huang, B. L. Black, F. Wang, and J. F. Martin (2010) Bmp signaling regulates myocardial differentiation from cardiac progenitors through a MicroRNA-mediated mechanism. Dev. Cell 19: 903012. PMID: 21145505

Zhou, G-D, M. Richardson, I.S. Fazili, J. Wang, K.C. Donnelly, F. Wang, B. Amendt, and B. Moorthy (2010) Role of retinoic acid in the modulation of benzo(a)pyrene-DNA adducts in human hepatoma cells: Implications for cancer prevention. Toxicol. Appl. Pharm.  249:224-230. PMID: 20888851 

Lin Y, Wang F (2010) FGF signalling in prostate development, tissue homoeostasis and tumorigenesis. Biosci Rep. 30(5):285-91. Review

Publications 2011

Xie, R, Nguyen, S, McKeehan, K, Wang, F, McKeehan, WL and Liu, L (2011) Microtubule-associated protein 1S (MAP1S) bridges autophagic components with microtubules and mitochondria to affect autophagosomal biogenesis and degradation.  J. Biol. Chem. 286:10367-77 [EPub 2011 Jan 24].

Sims-Lucas S, Cusack B, Eswarakumar VP, Zhang J, Wang F, Bates CM (2011) Independent roles of Fgfr2 and Frs2alpha in ureteric epithelium. Development [Epub 2011 Feb. 24] PMID 21350013.

Kobayashi, M, Huang, Y, Jin, C, Luo, Y, Okamoto, T, Wang, F and McKeehan, WL (2011) FGFR1 abrogates inhibitory effect of androgen receptor concurrent with induction of androgen-receptor variants in androgen receptor-negative prostate tumor epithelial cells. The Prostate doi: 10.1002/pros.21386. [Epub 2011 Mar 28]

Valiyeva F, Jiang F, Elmaadawi A, Moussa M, Yee SP, Raptis L, Izawa JI, Yang BB, Greenberg NM, Wang F, Xuan JW (2011) Characterization of the oncogenic activity of the novel TRIM59 gene in mouse cancer models. Mol Cancer Ther. 10(7):1229-40. [Epub 2011 May 18]

Jin, C, Yang, C, Wu, X, Wang, F and McKeehan, WL (2011) FGFR3-expressing smooth muscle-like stromal cells differentiate in response to FGFR2IIIb-expressing prostate tumor cells and delay tumor progression.  In Vitro Cell. Devel. Biol. 47:500-5 [Epub 2011 June 21]

Lin, X, Zhang, Y, Liu, L, McKeehan, WL, Shen, Y, Song, S and Wang, F (2011) FRS2a is essential for the fibroblast growth factor to regulate the mTOR pathway and autophagy in mouse embryonic fibroblasts. Int. J. Biol. Sci. 7(8):1114-21 [Epub 2011 Sep 15].

Yin Y, Wang F, Ornitz DM  (2011) Mesothelial- and epithelial-derived FGF9 have distinct functions in the regulation of lung development.  Development 138(15):3169-77.

Xie R, Wang F, McKeehan WL, Liu L (2011) Autophagy enhanced by microtubule and mitochondrion-associated MAP1S suppresses genome instability and hepatocarcinogenesis.  Cancer Res. 71:7537-46 [Epub 2011 Oct 28]

Wang F (2011) Modeling human prostate cancer in genetically engineered mice. Prog Mol Biol Transl Sci. 100:1-49. Review 

Publications 2012

Wang F, McKeehan WL, Shen MM, Abate-Shen C (2012) Genetically Engineered Mouse Models in Prostate Cancer Research. In: D J Tindall & PT Scardino, eds. Recent Advances in Prostate Cancer: Basic Science Discoveries and Clinical Advances, pp 219-282, World Scientific eBooks

Zhang J, Liu J, Huang Y, Chang JYF, Liu L, McKeehan WL, Martin JF, and Wang F (2012) FRS2a-mediated FGF signals suppress premature differentiation of cardiac stem cells through regulating autophagy activity. Circulation Research 110(4):e29-39 [Epub 2011 Dec 29]

Yang X, Li Q, Lin X, Ma Y, Yue X, Tao Z, Wang F, McKeehan WL, Wei L, Schwartz RJ, Chang J. (2012) Mechanism of fibrotic cardiomyopathy in mice expressing truncated Rho-associated coiled-coil protein kinase 1. FASEB J. [EPub 2012 Jan 25]

Liu L, McKeehan WL, Wang F and Xie R (2012) MAP1S enhances autophagy to suppress tumorigenesis. Autophagy 8(2) [Epub 2012 Feb 1]

Zhang J, Liu J, Liu L, McKeehan WL, Wang F (2012) The fibroblast growth factor signaling axis controls cardiac stem cell differentiation through regulating autophagy. Autophagy 8(4) [Epub 2012 Apr 1]

Yang C, Jin C, Wang F, McKeehan WL, Luo Y (2012) Differential specificity of endocrine FGF19 and FGF21 to FGFR1 and FGFR4 in complex with KLB. PLoS ONE 7(3):e33870 [EPub 2012 Mar 19]

Wang F, Luo Y, McKeehan WL  (2012) The FGF Signaling Axis in Prostate Tumorigenesis.  In:  E Gelmann, C Sawyers and F Rauscher, eds. Molecular Oncology: Causes of Cancer and Targets for Treatment.  Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK  (in press)