The Xiang lab is a part of Medical School of Nankai University. The lab was first established in Scripps Research Institute, U.S. and moved to Nankai University, China in the spring of 2007. Our major current research focus is driven by the central hypothesis that cancer stem cells can be forced out of dormancy and rendered sensitive to chemotherapy by small molecule or siRNA-mediated knockdown of transcription factor SOX-2 in the tumor microenvironment.
    Another one of our key research interests is to investigate novel molecular mechanisms governing cancer cell invasion and metastasis mediated by tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) in the tumor microenvironment (TME).
    An additional research objective is based on the working hypothesis that downregulation of the transcription factor will optimize the efficacy of breast cancer therapy with a naked-DNA vaccine targeting tumor cells and immune cells in the TME. The rationale for this approach is based on a large body of evidence indicating that transcription factors, such as SOX-2 and STAT3, inhibit the expression of mediators necessary for immune activation against tumor cells and propagational crosstalk between tumor cells and immune cells in the TME leading to marked tumor-induced immunosuppression.
    Overall, our research interests and activities are in cancer research whose findings can be readily translated to clinical application for the improved treatment of cancer. We welcome any cooperation and the interested students to join our group.