Lin Zhang, M.D.
Lin Zhang, M.D.
Research Associate Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology
Department: Obstetrics and Gynecology
Contact information
Translational Research Center
3400 Civic Center Blvd, Bldg 421
Office: TRC 8-101; Lab: TCR 8-194~196
Philadelphia, PA 19104
3400 Civic Center Blvd, Bldg 421
Office: TRC 8-101; Lab: TCR 8-194~196
Philadelphia, PA 19104
Office: 215-573-4780
Fax: 215-573-7627
Fax: 215-573-7627
Email:
linzhang@mail.med.upenn.edu
linzhang@mail.med.upenn.edu
Publications
Permanent link
Description of Research Expertise
Description of ResearchCancer is a genetic disease involving multi-step changes in the genome. However, studies so far have focused mostly on the role of protein-coding genes in cancer, although non-coding sequences constitute up to 98% of the human genome and have been implicated in tumorigenesis. To date, the precise role of functional, non-coding sequences such as microRNAs (miRNAs) in cancer remains largely unknown. miRNAs are evolutionarily conserved small non-coding RNAs which regulate protein-coding gene expression in a sequence-specific manner. The potential regulatory circuitry afforded by miRNA is enormous. Rapidly accumulating evidence indicates that miRNAs are involved in the initiation and progression of cancer. First, miRNAs act as key regulators of various fundamental biological processes such as development, differentiation, apoptosis and cell proliferation, in which common pathways are shared with cancer. Second, increasing evidence shows that the expression of miRNAs is remarkably deregulated in cancer due to multiple epigenetic and genomic alterations. Third, several miRNAs have been demonstrated to serve as tumor suppressor genes or oncogenes in cancer. Therefore, investigation of miRNA function in cancer will provide novel strategies for both diagnosis and treatment of cancer patients.
Research Interests
OncoGenome and EpiGenome in ovarian and breast cancers
microRNAs/long non-coding RNAs in cancer
microRNA-based therapeutic and diagnostic strategies in cancer
microRNAs in cancer stem cells and embryonic stem cells
Zhang Lab Members
One technician (Lab manager)
Four postdoc researchers
Four students
Selected Publications
Li N, Zhong X, Lin X, Guo J, Zou L, Tanyi JL, Shao Z, Liang S, Wang LP, Hwang WT, Katsaros D, Montone K, Zhao X, Zhang L.: lin-28 homologue A (LIN28A) promotes cell cycle progression via the regulation of cyclin-dependent kinase 2 (CDK2),cyclin D1 (CCND1), and cell division cycle 25 homolog A (CDC25A) expression in cancer. J Biol Chem. 2012.Li N, Kaur S, Greshock J, Lassus H, Zhong X, Wang Y, Leminen A, Shao Z, Hu X, Liang S, Katsaros D, Huang Q, Bützow R, Weber BL, Coukos G, Zhang L. : A combined array-based comparative genomic hybridization (aCGH) and functional library screening approach identifies mir-30d as an oncomir in cancer. Cancer Res. Nov 4. [Epub ahead of print], 2011.
Facciabene A, Peng X, Hagemann IS, Balint K, Barchetti A, Wang LP, Gimotty PA, Gilks CB, Lal P, Zhang L, Coukos G.: Tumour hypoxia promotes tolerance and angiogenesis via CCL28 and T(reg) cells. Nature 13;475(7355):226-30, 2011.
Yang X, Lin X, Zhong X, Kaur S, Li N, Liang S, Lassus H, Wang L, Katsaros D, Montone K, Zhao X, Zhang Y, Bützow R, Coukos G, Zhang L: Double negative feedback loop between reprogramming factor LIN28 and microRNA let-7 regulates aldehyde dehydrogenase 1-positive cancer stem cells. Cancer Res 15:70(22):9463-72, 2010.
Zhong X, Li N, Liang S, Huang Q, Coukos G, Zhang L: Identification of microRNAs regulating reprogramming factor LIN28 in embryonic stem cells and cancer cells. J Biol Chem 31:285(53):41961-71, 2010.
Gumireddy K, Li A, Gimotty PA, Klein-Szanto AJ, Showe LC, Katsaros D, Coukos G, Zhang L, Huang Q: KLF17 is a negative regulator of epithelial-mesenchymal transition and metastasis in breast cancer. Nat Cell Biol 11(11):1297-304, Nov 2009.
Yang N, Kaur S, Volinia S, Greshock J, Lassus H, Hasegawa K, Liang S, Leminen A, Deng S, Smith L, Johnstone CN, Chen XM, Liu CG, Huang Q, Katsaros D, Calin GA, Weber BL, Bützow R, Croce CM, Coukos G, Zhang L: MicroRNA microarray identifies Let-7i as a novel biomarker and therapeutic target in human epithelial ovarian cancer. Cancer Research 68(24):10307-14, Dec 2008.
Zhang L, Volinia S, Bonome T, Calin GA, Greshock J, Yang N, Liu CG, Giannakakis A, Alexiou P, Hasegawa K, Johnstone CN, Megraw MS, Adams S, Lassus H, Huang J, Kaur S, Liang S, Sethupathy P, Leminen A, Simossis VA, Sandaltzopoulos R, Naomoto Y, Katsaros D, Gimotty PA, DeMichele A, Huang Q, Bützow R, Rustgi AK, Weber BL, Birrer MJ, Hatzigeorgiou AG, Croce CM, Coukos G: Genomic and epigenetic alterations deregulate microRNA expression in human epithelial ovarian cancer. Proceed Nat Acad Sciences of USA 105(19):7004-09, May 2008.
Zhang L, Huang J, Yang N, Greshock J, Megraw MS, Giannakakis A, Liang S, Naylor TL, Barchetti A, Ward MR, Yao G, Medina A, O'Brien-Jenkins A, Katsaros D, Hatzigeorgiou A, Gimotty PA, Weber BL, Coukos G: microRNAs exhibit high frequency genomic alterations in human cancer. Proceed Natl Acad Sciences of USA 103(24):9136-41, Jun 2006.
Zhang L, Conejo-Garcia JR, Katsaros D, Gimotty PA, Massobrio M, Regnani G, Makrigiannakis A, Gray H, Schlienger K, Liebman MN, Rubin SC, Coukos G: Intratumoral T cells, recurrence, and survival in epithelial ovarian cancer. New Engl J Med 348(3):203-13, Jan 2003.