Research interests: Metastatic disease, protease expression and cell migration

A tumor cell does not exist in an open and free environment. Like other tissues, it is surrounded by proteins which form the extracellular matrix. The collagen and elastin touted in skin care products for making skin firmer and more elastic are part of the ECM, which gives the body shape and structure.

When a cancer begins to spread, it must cut through the ECM. Basically, the malignant cell "eats" its way out by secreting an enzyme, called protease, and then it moves, says Dr. Shuang Huang.

These initial steps are very important for metastatic disease and are the focus of his laboratory research. He and his research team are using cell lines and animal models to investigate protease expression and cell migration in breast and ovarian cancer. If they can identify the molecular mechanisms that lead to metastatic disease, they will have a candidate or candidates for a targeted therapy.

It is not the cancer that kills the patient, but the metastases, says Dr. Huang, who studied tumor cell invasion during the 1990s at the Scripps Research Institute in La Jolla, Calif. He came to the Medical College of Georgia in 2006 because he enjoys teaching and an academic environment.

He did his undergraduate work at Fudan University, Shanghai, China, earning a BSc in Neurobiology in 1983. He earned a PhD in 1994 at Baylor College of Medicine. At MCG he holds the title of associate professor in the School of Graduate Studies and in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. He has collaborated on several peer-reviewed articles.

[Back to Top]

Grants (selected)

• National Heart, Lung, & Blood Institute: "MAPK-Activated Protein Kinase 2 Regulation of Endothelial Cell Migration" 2008—2012, S. Huang, PI
• National Cancer Institute: "The Regulation of UPA and UPAR in Human Carcinoma Cells" 2001—2011, S. Huang, PI

Grant information is updated quarterly.

[Back to Top]

Publications (selected)

ad hoc reviewer:

• Journal of Biological Chemistry

• Oncogene
• Blood
• Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
• Molecular Biology of the Cell
• Molecular and Cellular Biology
• Molecular Cancer
• Biochimica et Biophysica Acta
• Trends in Biochemical Sciences
• BMC Cell Biology
• International Journal of Cancer
• Future Medicine

Jiang M, Wang CY, Huang S, Yang T, Dong Z. Cisplatin-induced apoptosis in p53-deficient renal cells via the intrinsic mitochondrial pathway. Am J Physiol Renal Physiol. 2009 May;296(5):F983-93.

Chen HM, Zhu G, Huang S. Erk regulates invasive breast cancer cell migration by maintaining its mesenchymal phenotype through Fra1-Slug signaling axis. Submitted to Cancer Res. 2009.

Bian D, Dong Z, Pan ZK, Huang S. MEKK1 regulates cell migration by facilitating Rac1 translocation to membrane. Submitted to J.Cell Biol. 2009.

Su S, Li Y, Luo Y, Sheng Y, Su Y, Huang S. Proteinase-activated receptor 2 expression in breast cancer and its role in breast cancer cell migration. Oncogene. 2009 Jun 22. [Epub ahead of print.]

McGough JM, Yang D, Huang S, Georgi D, Hewitt SM, Tanzer M, Rocken C, Tanzer M, Ebert MPA, Liu K. DNA methylation represses IFN-induced and signal transducer and activator of transcription 1-mediated IFN regulatory factor 8 activation in colon carcinoma cells. Mol.Cancer Res. 2008 Dec;6 (12):1841-51.

Chen H, Liang C, Zhang L, Huang S, Wu X. Clinical efficacy of modified preoperative neoadjuvant chemotherapy in the treatment of locally advanced (stage IB2 and IIB) cervical cancer: a randomized study. Genecol.Oncol. 2008;110:308-15.

Pabla N, Huang S, Mi Q-S, Daniel R, Dong Z. ATR-Chk2 signaling in p53 activation and DNA damage cisplatin-induced apoptosis. J.Biol.Chem. 2008 Mar 7;283(10):6572-83. Erratum in: J Biol Chem. 2008 May 30;283(22):15512.

Mahanivong C, Chen HM, Yee SW, Pan ZK, Dong Z, Huang S. Protein kinase Cα-CARMA3 signaling axis links Ras to NF-κB for lysophosphatidic acid-induced urokinase plasminogen activator expression in ovarian cancer cells. Oncogene. 2008 Feb 21;27(9):1273-80.

Mahanivong C, Yu J, Huang S. Elevated urokinase-specific surface receptor expression is maintained through its interaction with urokinase plasminogen activator. Mol.Carcinogenesis. 2007;46:165-75.

Publications are updated quarterly. For a complete listing, see Dr. Huang's work on PubMed.

[Back to Top]

Affiliations

• Associate Professor, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Graduate Studies, Medical College of Georgia

• Member, American Association of Cancer Research
• Member, American Society of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
  

[Back to Top]