Title:
Professor

Institute:
University of British Columbia

Department:
Dermatology and Skin Science

Province:
British Columbia

Training:
Postdoctoral Fellow, Department of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia
PhD, Department of Zoology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC
MSc, Department of Zoology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC
BSc, Department of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China

Research interests:
melanoma, ING tumor suppressors, tumor angiogenesis

Recognitions:
1997-1998, Scientist Retention Award, Vancouver General Hospital
1998-2001, Scientist Award, Vancouver Hospital and Health Sciences Centre
2001-2002, Department Scholar Award, Department of Medicine, UBC
2001-2003, Scientist Award, Vancouver Hospital and Health Sciences Centre
2001-2007, Research Scientist Award, National Cancer Institute of Canada

Research Projects

Project title:
Mechanisms of anti-angiogenic role of ING4 in human melanoma

Funding period: 
2011-2013

Program:
Operating Grant (basic research)

Summary:
Malignant melanoma is a life-threatening skin cancer and its incidence in Caucasian populations has increased faster than any other malignancy during the last 20 years. Patients with melanoma which has spread to other organs can only survive for 6-8.5 months on average. However, the underlying molecular mechanisms that regulate the progression of melanoma are still poorly understood. We have recently found that the tumor suppressor ING4 (inhibition of growth 4) is reduced in human melanomas. We have also shown that ING4 inhibits the blood vessel formation of melanoma by inhibiting the cytokine interleukin-6 (IL-6) which helps in the recruitment of blood vessel cells to the tumor. In this proposal, we will investigate the molecular mechanism(s) through which ING4 suppresses IL-6 expression and blood vessel formation in melanoma, and thus inhibits tumor growth and spread to other organs. We will also restore ING4 in tumors to see if this will inhibit melanoma growth and tumor spread. Hence, this study will provide the essential information for designing novel therapeutic strategies for human melanoma.

CRS publications:

Wong RPC, Ng P, Dedhar S, Li G. The role of integrin-linked kinase in melanoma cell migration, invasion, and tumor growth. Mol. Cancer Ther. 6:1692-1700, 2007.

Li J, Martinka M, Li G. Role of ING4 in human melanoma cell migration, invasion, and patient survival. Carcinogenesis 29:1373-1379, 2008.

Karst AM, Gao K, Nelson CC, Li G. Nuclear factor kappaB subunit p50 promotes melanoma angiogenesis via upregulating interleukin-6 expression. Int. J. Cancer 124:494-501, 2009.

Li J, Wang Y, Wong RPC, Li G. The role of ING tumor suppressors in UV stress response and melanoma progression. Curr Drug Targets 10:455-464, 2009.

Chen G, Wang Y, Garate M, Zhou J, Li G. The tumor suppressor ING3 is degraded by the ubiquitin-proteosome system. Oncogene 29:1498-1508, 2010. 

Wani A, Jafarnejad SM, Zhou J, Li G. Integrin-linked kinase regulates melanoma angiogenesis by activating NF-κB/interleukin-6 signaling pathway. Oncogene 30:2778-2788, 2011.

Past CRS projects:

2007 Degradation of tumor suppressor ING3 promotes cell cycle progression

2006 Activation of nuclear factor kappaB p50 by integrin-linked kinase in melanoma cellular migration, invasion and tumor growth