蘑菇视频

Jianmin Zhang, Ph.D.

Professor
Jianmin.Zhang@utoledo.edu听

EDUCATION:

1986 1999 2004 2010

B.SC. M.Sc. Ph.D. Postdoc

Medical Laboratory Biochemistry Molecular Biology Cancer Biology

Tianjin Medical University Hebrew University of Jerusalem Hebrew University of Jerusalem MGH Cancer Center, Harvard Medical School

RESEARCH INTERESTS:

Breast cancer (BC) is a common and heterogeneous disease with several subtypes associated with different clinical behaviors. While the survival rates of patients diagnosed with BC have progressively increased over time because of improvements in early tumor detection and treatment, BC remains the leading cause of cancer-related death among women worldwide. BC arises through a multi-step, mutagenic process whereby mammary epithelial cells (MECs) acquire a common set of genetic alterations and properties, including unlimited proliferation potential, self-sufficiency in growth signals, resistance to apoptosis, and the ability to evade the immune system. Although these 鈥渉allmarks of cancer鈥� provide an organizational framework for understanding BC and other neoplastic diseases in terms of a common set of underlying cellular parameters, the causal driver genes responsible for the transformation of cell populations into malignant-like cells, tumor cells as well as metastatic tumor cells are often unknown. Therefore, a better understanding of the cellular and molecular mechanisms associated with the initiation and progression of BC is a prerequisite for developing new diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers, as well as targeted therapeutic strategies.

Dr. Zhang鈥檚 lab has a longstanding interest in genetic and epigenetic alterations in breast tumorigenesis and metastasis. Specifically, our research focuses on elucidating genetic alterations in the Hippo signaling pathway, as well as investigating the role of epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and cancer stem/progenitor cell self-renewal in breast cancer progression and metastasis.

Specific Research Goals/Projects

1. Understanding the molecular mechanisms of TAZ driven alterations of tumor microenvironment (TME) in breast cancer. We have recently found that TAZ, one of the key components in Hippo pathway, play an extrinsic role through recruitment of immune suppressive cells in TME thus regulate breast cancer formation and metastasis. One of the projects in Zhang lab is to understand how TAZ activation regulates immune compositions in the TME of breast cancer.
2. Determine the functional role of YAP/TAZ activation and the molecular mechanisms of BC bone metastasis (BoM). We have recently found that YAP/TAZ orchestrates a 鈥渕etabolic transition鈥� in BC-BoM. One of the projects in Zhang lab is to understand how YAP/TAZ activation regulates the metabolic adaptation of tumor cells in BoM of breast cancer. 听听
3. Understanding the mechanisms of TAZ driven 鈥渢ranscriptional addiction鈥� in BC. We have recently found TAZ activation not only drives BC tumorigenesis and metastasis, but also plays a critical role in tumor growth maintenance through 鈥渢ranscriptional addiction鈥�. One of the projects in Zhang lab is to understand how TAZ activation regulates transcriptional addition and epigenetic alterations in breast cancer.

FUNDING:

Ongoing Research Support

R03 CA286634-01 National Cancer Institute
TAZ-driven Regulation of Tumor Microenvironment in Triple-Negative Breast Cancer
01/01/2024-12/31/2025
Role: 听PI

R01 CA247362-01A1 National Cancer Institute
RB Tumor Suppressor as a Therapeutic Target in ER-Positive Breast Cancer
03/01/2020-02/28/2025
Zhang (Co-I)

U24 CA232979-01 National Cancer Institute
Immuno-Oncology Translation Network: Data Management and Resource-Sharing
Center at Roswell Park
09/30/2018 鈥� 06/30/2024
Zhang (Co-I)

Breast Cancer Alliance
Re-Sensitizing the refractory breast cancer bone metastasis to endocrine therapies
03/2023-02/2025
Zhang (Co-I)

Completed Research Support:

听R01CA207504-01A1 National Cancer Institute
The role of TAZ in breast cancer initiation and progression
07/01/2017-06/30/2023听
Zhang (PI)

RSG-14-214-01-TEB American Cancer Society (ACS)
PTPN14 and YAP tyrosine modification regulate the YAP oncogenic function
01/01/2015-12/31/2019
Zhang (PI)

R21 CA179693-01A1 National Cancer Institute
Hippo signaling pathway in breast cancer disparities: a translational approach
07/01/2014-06/30/2017
Zhang (PI)

ACS Institutional Research Grant American Cancer Society (ACS)
Dysfunction of TAZ in breast cancer tumorigenesis
01/01/2013-12/31/2015
Zhang (PI)

Publications:

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STUDENT OPENINGS:听听Currently accepting Ph.D., M.D./Ph.D., and M.S.M.D. students

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