am a professor with tenure in the DIO, LSU-LCMC Cancer Center, School of Medicine, LSUHSC-NO, and program member of the LSU-LCMC Cancer Center and LCRC. My primary research interest is to identify novel molecular targets and develop effective drugs for the prevention and treatment of cancers. My research focuses on elucidating the mechanisms how normal mammary epithelial cells undergo malignant transform into cancer cells and how cancer cells metastasize to other organs. Currently, my lab investigates the role of transcription factors (STATs and AP-1), kinases, and apoptotic proteins in normal and cancer cells; and targeting of these molecules for preventing cancer development, blocking cancer
progression and metastasis, restoring sensitivity towards chemo-/radio-therapy, and overcoming therapeutic resistance. I have collaboratively developed several classes of small molecule inhibitors/activators and their protein degraders for targeting STATs, AP-1, Bax, and HIPK for blocking carcinogenesis and controlling metastasis. I have authored/co-authored >80 peer-reviewed publications and is an inventor/co-inventor of three international/US patents. I have trained >20 students and scholars since 2009. I serve as a regular and ad-hoc reviewer in the study sections of NIH/NCI, DOD, AACR, and other agencies, as a member of >10 editorial boards, and as a reviewer for >60 journals. I am also a faculty member in the Genetics Graduate Program of LSUHSC School of Graduate Studies. My research has been supported by NIH/NCI, DOD Breast Cancer Research Program, ACS, Prevent Cancer Foundation, and other funding agencies. My scientific and professional achievements have been recognized by awards and honors including the Breast Cancer SPORE Program’s Career Development Award, NIH/NCI K22 Transition Career Award, NIH/NCI R01 Awards, ACS Research Scholar Award, and DOD BCRP Breakthrough Award, etc.
Education: I received medical training and practiced as a physician surgeon before obtaining my Ph.D. in Cell Biology from the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston in 2001. I completed a postdoctoral fellowship at Baylor College of Medicine in 2006 and held Instructor positions at Baylor 2006-2009. I joined The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in 2009 as a tenure-track Assistant Professor and was promoted to Associate Professor with tenure in 2017. I joined LSUHSC-NO in 2019.
ORCID identifier: 0000-0002-1491-5434
MyNCBI Link: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/myncbi/1faZynIDfmokz/bibliography/public/
Google Scholar Link: https://scholar.google.com/citations?hl=en&user=96NMProAAAAJ
Selected Publications
1. Shen Q, Singh P. Identification of a novel SP3 binding site in the promoter of human IGFBP4 gene: role of SP3 and AP-1 in regulating promoter activity in CaCo2 cells. Oncogene. 2004; 23(14):2454-64. PMID:14767471
2. Shen Q, Zhang Y, Uray IP, Hill JL, Kim HT, Lu C, Young MR, Gunther EJ, Hilsenbeck SG, Chodosh LA, Colburn NH, Brown PH. The AP-1 transcription factor regulates postnatal mammary gland development. Dev Biol. 2006; 295(2):589-603. PMID:16678816
3. Shen Q, Uray IP, Li Y, Zhang Y, Hill J, Xu XC, Young MR, Gunther EJ, Hilsenbeck SG, Colburn NH, Chodosh LA, Brown PH. Targeting the activator protein 1 transcription factor for the prevention of estrogen receptor-negative mammary tumors. Cancer Prev Res (Phila Pa). 2008; 1(1):45-55. PMID:19138935, PMC:2577387
4. Chen H, Yang Z, Ding C, Chu L, Zhang Y, Terry K, Liu H, Shen Q, Zhou J. Discovery of O-Alkylamino Tethered Niclosamide Derivatives as Potent and Orally Bioavailable Anticancer Agents. ACS Med Chem Lett. 2013; 4(2):180-185. PMID:23459613, PMC:3583367
5. Li D, Wang H, Ding Y, Zhang Z, Zheng Z, Dong J, Kim H, Meng X, Zhou Q, Fang L, Zhou J, Shen Q. Targeting the NRF-2/RHOA/ROCK signaling pathway with a novel aziridonin, YD0514, to suppress breast cancer progression and lung metastasis. Can Letts. 2018, 424:97-108. PMID:29580806
6. Lu L, Li H, Wu X, Rao J, Zhou J, Fan S, Shen Q. HJC0152 suppresses human non-small cell lung cancer by inhibiting STAT3 and modulating metabolism. Cell Prolif. 2020 Feb 5:e12777. doi: 10.1111/cpr.12777. PMID: 32022328
7. Liu X, Xu J, Zhou J, and Shen Q. Oridonin and its derivatives for cancer treatment and overcoming therapeutic resistance. Genes Dis. 5;8(4):448-462. 2020. DOI: PMID: 34179309 PMCID: PMC8209342
8. Liu G, Kim H, Wang P, Fricke DR, Chen H, Wang T, Shen Q, Zhou J. Further Lead Optimization on Bax Activators: Design, Synthesis and Pharmacological Evaluation of 2-Fluoro-fluorene Derivatives for the Treatment of Breast Cancer. Eur J Med Chem. 2021 Jul 5;219:113427. Epub 2021 Apr 3. PMID: 33845235
9. Xu J, Kim H, Dong J, Chen H, Xu J, Ma R, Zhou M, Wang T, Shen Q, Zhou J. Structure-activity relationship studies on O-alkylamino-tethered salicylamide derivatives with various amino acid linkers as potent anticancer agents. EJMC. 234: 114229. April 15, 2022. PMID: 35334447, PMCID: PMC9040195
Patents: (1) J. Zhou, H. Chen, and Q. Shen, STAT3 Inhibitors. US 61/752,866, 01/15/2013. International Publication No. WO 2014/113467 A1. (2) J. Zhou, C. Ding, Q. Shen. Oridonin Analogs, Compositions, and Methods Related Thereto. US 61/808,753, 04/05/2013. PCT WO 2014/165841 A1. US Patent No.: US 10,072,022 B2. Date of Patent: 09/11/2018. (3) Q. Shen, G. Flynn. HIPK Inhibitors and Methods of Use Thereof. US Provisional Patent Application No. 62/807,594; filed 02/19/2019, recorded ref. UTSC.P1381US.P1 & MDA18-073.
Topics/Keywords: Cancer biology, carcinogenesis, breast cancer, cancer prevention, metastasis, cancer drug development, STAT3, AP-1, Bax, HIPK4, metabolism, apoptosis, drug resistance, targeted therapy, cancer models,.
Link to lab website: https://www.medschool.lsuhsc.edu/genetics/faculty_detail.aspx?name=Shen_Qiang
