Tianjin Cancer Institute>Research>Our Researchers>
Prof. Wenfeng Cao, M.D., Ph.D.
Department of Pathology

Education

1994.09~1999.07   Bachelor in medicine, Tianjin Medical University   

1999.09~2002.07   Master in pathology, Tianjin Medical University      

2002.09~2007.07   Ph.D in oncology, Tianjin Medical University   


Professional Experiences

2002.07~2006.05  Resident, Department of Pathology, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute＆Hospital

2005.02~2006.09  Visiting scholar/PhD candidate, State Key Laboratory of Molecular Oncology, Institute of Oncology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences

2006.06~2009.09 Attending physician, Department of Pathology, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute＆Hospital

2009.10~2014.12  Associate chief physician, Department of Pathology, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute＆Hospital

2010.05~2012.01  Visiting scholar/postdoctoral fellow, Department of pathology and microbiology, Nebraska medical center, Nebraska, USA

2011.04~present   Master tutor, Tianjin Medical University

2013.06~present   Class II PI, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute＆Hospital

2014.12~present  Chief physician, Department of Pathology, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute＆Hospital        

       

Research Focus

(1).Epithelial splicing regulatory protein 1 (ESRP1) is an RNA RBP.ESRP1 regulates epithelial-specific splicing of the IgIII of fibroblast growth factor receptor (FGFR) 2 and generates the FGFR IIIb or the FGFR IIIc isoforms. FGFR IIIb is down-regulated during EMT, whereas FGFR IIIc is up-regulated to confer sensitivity to FGF2, thus inducing even more aggressive phenotypes. In our study, we demonstrate that the downexpression of ESRP1 promotes the invasion and metastasis of lung ADC. ZEB1, a transcription factor, may regulate ESRP1 promoter transcriptional activity during EMT.

(2).Our study found that Nonsense-mediated mRNA decay (NMD)core factor UP-frameshift 1 tends to be expressed at lower levels in human ADC tissues than in normal lung tissues,  Our experiments showed that downregulating NMD can promote EMT. Moreover, EMT can be inhibited by upregulating NMD. We found that NMD influences EMT by targeting the TGF-ß signaling pathway in lung ADC cells.

(3).Used clinicopathological criteria and whole exome sequencing (WES) to distinguish between synchronous endometrial and ovarian cancer and metastatic single primary tumors. 

(4).To explore the specific role of ISG15 in lung adenocarcinoma and to clarify the specific mechanism of action of ESRP1 in regulating ISG15 expression and localization.


Selected Publications


(1)Huang Q#, Liu C, Tang R, Li J, Li W, Zhu L, Guo Y, Zhang L, Qu T, Yang L, Li L, Wang Y, Sun B, Meng B, Yan J, Xu W, Zhang H, Cao D, Cao W*.Multidisciplinary team for the diagnosis and treatment of 2 cases of primary intestinal yolk sac tumor.Cancer Biol Med. 2018 Nov;15(4):461-467.https://doi.org/10.20892/j.issn.2095-3941.2018.0054
(2)Li L#,Qi L,Qu T,Liu C,Cao L,Huang Q,Song W,Yang L,Qi H,Wang Y,Meng B,Sun B,Cao W*.Epithelial Splicing Regulatory 1 Inhibits the Invasion and Metastasis of Lung Adenocarcinoma. Am.J.Pathol. 2018Aug;188(8):1882-1894.https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0002944017310702?via%3Dihub
(3)Yang L#, Zhang L, Huang Q, Liu C, Qi L, Li L, Qu T, Wang Y, Liu S, Meng B, Sun B, Cao W*.Combination of Scoring Criteria and Whole Exome Sequencing Analysis of Synchronous Endometrial and Ovarian Carcinomas.Int.J.GynecolCancer.2018May;28(4):704-712.https://ijgc.bmj.com/content/28/4/704
(4)Cao L#,Qi L, Zhang L,Song W,Yu Y, Xu C, Li L, Guo Y, Yang L,Liu C, Huang Q,Wang Y,Sun B, Meng B,Zhang B*,Cao W*.Human nonsense-mediated RNA decay regulates EMT by targeting the TGF-ß signaling pathway in lung adenocarcinoma. Cancer Lett. 2017,10;403:246-259.https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0304383517304032?via%3Dihub
(5)Lingyi Yang#, Lin Zhang, Bin Meng, Lin Sun, Lingmei Li, Lisha Qi, Wangzhao Song, Lu Cao, Yalei Wang, Yanxue Liu, Suxiang Liu, Baocun Sun, Yixin Liu, Wenfeng Cao*.Uterine tumors resembling ovarian sex cord tumor (UTROSCT): 4 cases report and literature review.
(6)Qi L#. Song W. LiL. Cao L. Yu Y. Song C. Wang Y. Zhang F. Li Y. Zhang B*. Cao W*. FGF4 induces epithelial-mesenchymal transition by inducing store-operated calcium entry in lung adenocarcinoma. Oncotarget .2016,8;7(45):74015-74030.PMID:27677589. http://www.oncotarget.com/index.php?journal=oncotarget&page=article&op=view&path[]=12187&path[]=39648
(7)Li L#. Qi L#. Liang Z. Song W. Liu Y. Wang Y. Sun B. Zhang B*. Cao W*.Transforming growth factor-β1 induces EMT by the transactivation of epidermal growth factor signaling through HA/CD44 in lung and breast cancer cells. Int.J.Mol Med .201536(1):113-22.PMID:26005723. https://www.spandidos-publications.com/10.3892/ijmm.2015.2222
(8)Cao W#, Zhang B, Ding F, Zhang W, Sun B, Liu Z*.Expression of SLP-2 was associated with invasion of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma .PLoS One. 2013 May 8;8(5):e63890.PMID:23667687.https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0063890
(9)Cao W#, Zhang B, Li J, Liu Y, Liu Z, Sun B*. SLP-2 overexpression could serve as a prognostic factor in node positive and HER2 negative breast cancer.Pathology. 2011 Dec;43(7):713-8 PMID:22081131.https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0031302516329415?via%3Dihub
(10)Cao W#, Liu Y, Zhang H, Wang S, Zhang L, Zhang L, Sun B*.Expression of LMP-1 and Cyclin D1 protein is correlated with an unfavorable prognosis in nasal type NK/T cell lymphoma.Mol Med Rep. 2008 May-Jun;1(3):363-8.PMID:21479418. https://www.spandidos-publications.com/mmr/1/3/363