Dr. Nianli Sang

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Drexel University
College of Arts and Sciences
Biosciences & Biotechnology
Cell and Molecular Biology
Associate ProfessorAppointed: 2008
Thomas Jefferson University
Jefferson Medical College
Medicine
Hematology/Cardeza Foundation
Assistant ProfessorAppointed: 2006

Mailing Address

3141 Chestnut St
Stratton Hall 318
Drexel University
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104
United States

Contact Information

Phone: (215) 895-1888
Nianli.Sang@drexel.edu

Qualifications

Ph.D., Thomas Jefferson University, Genetics, 1997.
Master, Shanghai Medical University, Surgery, 1992.
M.B., Shanghai Medical University, Clinical Medicine, 1988.

Expertise and Research Interests

One of the most essential requirements for all cells, including tumor cells, to survive is sufficient supply and undisrupted utilization of oxygen and energy resource. Insufficient supply of oxygen (hypoxia) is a common pathological cause in human ischemic disorders including coronary disease and stroke, both are leading causes of death in developed countries. The maintenance of sufficient oxygen and nutrient supply in normal and tumor tissues largely depends on the proper development of vasculature that is primarily composed of endothelial cells and smooth muscles. Under certain conditions such as hypoxia, wound healing and tumor growth, the quiescent cells of vasculature could be stimulated to form new capillaries. The development of vasculature during embryogenesis and the formation of new capillaries in adult under physiological and pathological conditions require HIF, a family of heterodimeric transcriptional factors formed by the dimerization of HIF-alpha and HIF-beta.The function of HIF is controlled largely by the stability and activity of the alph-subunits. A general role of HIF is to regulate the hemastasis of oxygen and to coordinate the glucose metabolism. Particularly, HIF stimulates the production of VEGF and its receptor Flt1 that function in a cooperative manner to promote angiogenesis and neo-vascularization. Moreover, HIF enhances the expression of erythropoietin (EPO), a hormone that stimulates the production of red blood cells to increase the oxygen transportation capacity. Regulation of glucose metabolic pathways by HIF may be required for cells to adapt and tosurvive upon acute hypoxia.Because of the importance of HIF in hypoxia-stimulated angiogenesis, in coordinating the cellular adaptation to low oxygen, and in protecting cells from hypoxia-induced apoptosis, activation of HIF activity is a potential approach for prevention and treatment of coronary insufficiency and other ischemic disorders. On the other hand, blocking HIF activation could be a potential treatment for cancer.

Dr. Sang’s research focuses on better understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying the hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF)-mediated transactivation. Particularly, Dr. Sang is interested in the dissection of the signal transduction pathways thatactivate HIF and how these signals change HIF activity. His long-term goal is to design, develop and validate strategies based on the molecular mechanisms of HIF activation to modulate HIF activity in vivo, and eventually explore possible clinical applications of such strategies in cardiovascular diseases and tumors.

Other Expertise

Dr. Sang is also interested in the understanding of cell cycle regulation and gene therapy.

Industrial Relevance

Research in this laboratory is highly relevant to pharmaceutical industry. Findings from this laboratory can be used to identify potent targets for development of drugs to treat cancer and cardiovascular diseases.

Keywords

COS Keywords:

Angiogenesis, Cancer or Carcinogenesis, Cell Cycle, Gene Expression, Gene Therapy, Genetics, Hematology, Hypoxia, Ischemia, Oncology.

Additional Terms:

Angiogenesis, Cancer, Gene Expression, Gene Hypoxia.

Languages

(Reading, Writing, Speaking)

Chinese, Mandarin: (Fluent, Fluent, Fluent)
English: (Fluent, Fluent, Fluent)

Memberships

American Association for Cancer Research
American Society of Hematology
American Society of Microbiology

Previous Positions

2002-2008, Member, Thomas Jefferson University, Jefferson Medical College, Medicine, Hematology/Cardeza Foundation
2000-2002, Postdoctoral Fellow, Thomas Jefferson University, Jefferson Medical College, Medicine
1997-1999, Postdoctoral Researcher, University of Pennsylvania, School of Medicine, Institute for Human Gene Therapy

Funding Received

  • National Institutes of Health (NIH): National Research Service Award (NRSA, Training Grant), May 1, 2000 to Apr 30, 2002.
  • National Institutes of Health (NIH): Transactivation Activity of HIF-1a in Tumorigenesis. 8/1/2003-6/30/2008., Aug 1, 2003 to Jun 30, 2008.
  • The W. W. Smith Charitable Trust: Cancer Research Award, 2005 to 2007.

Publications

  • Kong, X., Lin, Z., Liang, D., Fath, D., Sang, N., and Caro, J. (2006) Histone-deacetylase inhibitors induce VHL and ubiquitin-independent proteasomal degradation of HIF-1alpha., Mol. Cell Biol., 26, 2019-2028
  • Fath, D.M., Kong, X., Liang, D., Lin, Z., Chou, A., Jiang, Y., Fang, J., Caro, J. and Sang, N. (2006) Histone deacetylase inhibitors repress the transactivation potential of hypoxia inducible factors independently of direct acetylation of HIF-1alpha, J. Biol. Chem., 281, 13612-13619
  • Severino A, Baldi A, Cottone G, Han M, Sang N, Giordano A, Mileo AM, Paggi MG, De Luca A (Apr 2004) RACK1 is a functional target of the E1A oncoprotein., Journal of Cellular Physiology, 199 (1), 134-9 Abstract
  • Sang N, Stiehl DP, Bohensky J, Leshchinsky I, Srinivas V, Caro J, MAPK signaling up-regulates the activity of hypoxia-inducible factors by its effects on p300, Journal of Biological Chemistry, 278(16), 14013-9, April 2003 Abstract
  • Sang N, Fang J, Srinivas V, Leshchinsky I, Caro J, Carboxyl-terminal transactivation activity of hypoxia-inducible factor 1 alpha is governed by a von Hippel-Lindau protein-independent, hydroxylation-regulated association with p300/CBP, Molecular and Cellular Biology, 22(9), 2984-92, May 2002 Abstract
  • Sang N, Caro J, Giordano A, Adenoviral E1A: everlasting tool, versatile applications, continuous contributions and new hypotheses, Frontiers in Bioscience [electronic Resource] : a Journal and Virtual Library., 7, d407-13, February 2002 Abstract
  • Minchenko A, Leshchinsky I, Opentanova I, Sang N, Srinivas V, Armstead V, Caro J, Hypoxia-inducible factor-1-mediated expression of the 6-phosphofructo-2-kinase/fructose-2,6-bisphosphatase-3 (PFKFB3) gene. Its possible role in the Warburg effect, Journal of Biological Chemistry, 277(8), 6183-7, February 2002 Abstract
  • Sang N, Severino A, Russo P, Baldi A, Giordano A, Mileo AM, Paggi MG, De Luca A, RACK1 interacts with E1A and rescues E1A-induced yeast growth inhibition and mammalian cell apoptosis, Journal of Biological Chemistry, 276(29), 27026-33, July 2001 Abstract
  • Srinivas V, Leshchinsky I, Sang N, King MP, Minchenko A, Caro J, Oxygen sensing and HIF-1 activation does not require an active mitochondrial respiratory chain electron-transfer pathway, Journal of Biological Chemistry, 276(25), 21995-8, June 2001 Abstract
  • Martelli AM, Sang N, Borgatti P, Capitani S, Neri LM, Multiple biological responses activated by nuclear protein kinase C, Journal of Cellular Biochemistry, 74(4), 499-521, 1999 Abstract
  • Bals R, Xiao W, Sang N, Weiner DJ, Meegalla RL, Wilson JM, Transduction of well-differentiated airway epithelium by recombinant adeno-associated virus is limited by vector entry, Journal of Virology, 73(7), 6085-8, July 1999 Abstract
  • MacLachlan TK, Sang N, De Luca A, Puri PL, Levrero M, Giordano A, Binding of CDK9 to TRAF2, Journal of Cellular Biochemistry, 71(4), 467-78, 1998 Abstract
  • Sang N, Claudio PP, Fu Y, Horikoshi N, Graeven U, Weinmann R, Giordano A, Transforming region of 243R E1A contains two overlapping but distinct transactivation domains, Dna and Cell Biology, 16(11), 1321-33, November 1997 Abstract
  • Sang N, Avantaggiati ML, Giordano A, Roles of p300, pocket proteins, and hTBP in E1A-mediated transcriptional regulation and inhibition of p53 transactivation activity, Journal of Cellular Biochemistry, 66(3), 277-85, 1997 Abstract
  • Sang N, Giordano A, Extreme N terminus of E1A oncoprotein specifically associates with a new set of cellular proteins, Journal of Cellular Physiology, 170(2), 182-91, February 1997 Abstract
  • Puri PL, Avantaggiati ML, Balsano C, Sang N, Graessmann A, Giordano A, Levrero M, p300 is required for MyoD-dependent cell cycle arrest and muscle-specific gene transcription, Embo Journal, 16(2), 369-83, 1997 Abstract
  • Sang N, Condorelli G, De Luca A, MacLachlan TK, Giordano A, Generation of site-directed mutagenesis by extralong, high-fidelity polymerase chain reaction, Analytical Biochemistry, 233(1), 142-4, 1996 Abstract
  • Bullrich F, MacLachlan TK, Sang N, Druck T, Veronese ML, Allen SL, Chiorazzi N, Koff A, Heubner K, Croce CM, Chromosomal mapping of members of the cdc2 family of protein kinases, cdk3, cdk6, PISSLRE, and PITALRE, and a cdk inhibitor, p27Kip1, to regions involved in human cancer, Cancer Research, 55(6), 1199-205, 1995 Abstract
  • MacLachlan TK, Sang N, Giordano A, Cyclins, cyclin-dependent kinases and cdk inhibitors: implications in cell cycle control and cancer, Critical Reviews in Eukaryotic Gene Expression, 5(2), 127-56, 1995 Abstract
  • Sang, N., Baldi, A., and Giordano, A., The roles of tumor supressors pRb and p53 in cell proliferation and cancer, Molecular and Cellular Differentiation, 3, 1-29., 1995
  • Grana X, Claudio PP, De Luca A, Sang N, Giordano A, PISSLRE, a human novel CDC2-related protein kinase, Oncogene, 9(7), 2097-103, July 1994 Abstract
  • Grana X, De Luca A, Sang N, Fu Y, Claudio PP, Rosenblatt J, Morgan DO, Giordano A, PITALRE, a nuclear CDC2-related protein kinase that phosphorylates the retinoblastoma protein in vitro, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (USA), 91(9), 3834-8, 1994 Abstract
  • Mayol X, Grana X, Baldi A, Sang N, Hu Q, Giordano A, Cloning of a new member of the retinoblastoma gene family (pRb2) which binds to the E1A transforming domain, Oncogene, 8(9), 2561-6, September 1993 Abstract
  • Miao T, Wang Z, Sang N, Xiong R, Cao S, Clinical significance of flow cytometric deoxyribonucleic acid measurements of deparaffinized specimens in bladder tumors, European Urology, 21(2), 98-102, 1992 Abstract
  • Miao TJ, Wang Z, Sang N, Correlation between the expression of the P21 ras oncogene product and the biological behavior of bladder tumors, European Urology, 20(4), 307-10, 1991 Abstract

Profile Details

Last Verified: 9/14/2008

COS Expertise ID #1024697
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