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Department
Pharmacology and Oncology
Laboratory Web Site
Research Description
The Shen lab is interested in understanding the interplay between tumor microenvironment (TME) remodeling and cancer treatment resistance. Therapeutic resistance that is frequently observed in metastatic cancers is one of the biggest hurdles in cancer treatment. Effective drugs that could achieve complete curative therapies are urgently needed. A growing body of evidence suggests that TME plays pivotal roles in cancer treatment responses. Our long-term research goal is to provide insights into the following questions: 1) How does TME contribute to cancer treatment resistance? and 2) How could we remodel TME to enhance therapeutic responses? To this end, we are currently focusing on the following: a) investigating the role of extracellular matrix protein Tinagl1 in TME remodeling and evaluate its therapeutic potential; b) identifying novel candidates that are involved in TME modeling and the consequent treatment responses with high-throughput screening platforms we have established; and c) developing new TME remodeling strategies to enhance cancer treatment responses, focusing on targeting protein-protein interactions, delivering antisense oligonucleotides, and using an adeno-associated virus-mediated CRISPR/Cas9 system.
Recent Publications
Shen M., Wei Y., Kim H., Wan L., Jiang Y., Hang X., Raba M., Remiszewski S., Rowicki M., Zhang L., Lu X., Yuan M., Smith H., Zheng A., Lin H., Bertino J., Jin J., Xing Y., Shao Z., Kang Y. (2021) Small-molecule inhibitors that disrupt the MTDH–SND1 complex suppress breast cancer progression and metastasis. Nat. Cancer. https://doi.org/10.1038/s43018-021-00279-5
Shen M., Smith H., Wei Y., Jiang Y., Zhao S., Wang N., Rowicki M., Tang Y., Hang X., Wan L., Shao Z., Kang Y. (2021) Pharmacological disruption of the MTDH–SND1 complex enhances tumor antigen presentation and synergizes with anti-PD-1 therapy in metastatic breast cancer. Nat. Cancer. https://doi.org/10.1038/s43018-021-00280-y
Shen M., Xie S., Rowicki M., Michel S., Wei Y., Hang X., Wan L., Lu X., Yuan M., Jin JF., Jaschinski F., Zhou T., Klar R., Kang Y. Therapeutic Targeting of Metadherin Suppresses Colorectal and Lung Cancer Progression and Metastasis. Cancer Res. 2021;81:1014-25.
Shen M., Kang Y. Stresses in the metastatic cascade: molecular mechanisms and therapeutic opportunities. Genes Dev. 2020;34:1577-98.
Shen M., Jiang YZ., Wei Y., Ell B., Sheng X., Esposito M., Kang J., Hang X., Zheng H., Rowicki M., Zhang L., Shih WJ., Celia-Terrassa T., Liu Y., Shao ZM., Crestea I., Kang Y. Tinagl1 Suppresses Triple-Negative Breast Cancer Progression and Metastasis by Simultaneously Inhibiting Integrin/FAK and EGFR Signaling. Cancer Cell. 2019;35:64-80.
Shen M., Kang Y. Role Reversal: A Pro-metastatic Function of E-Cadherin. Dev Cell 2019;51:417-9.
Shen M., Kang, Y. pSTAT3+ Reactive Astrocytes Promote Brain Metastasis. Trends Mol Med. 2018;24:733-5.
Shen M., Kang, Y. The Complex Interplay between the Tumor Microenvironment and Cancer Therapy. Front Med. 2018;12:426-39.
Feng S*., Song Y*., Shen M*., Xie S*., Li W., Yang Y., Zhou J., Wang F., Ou G., Yan X., Liang X., Lu Y., Zhou T. Microtubule-binding protein FOR20 promotes microtubule depolymerization and cell migration. Cell Discov. 2017;3:17032. (*co-first author)
Education/Training
B.S. 2008 Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
Ph.D. 2013 Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
Postdoc 2014-2021 Princeton University, Princeton, NJ