Dr. Gang Wang earned his bachelor's degree from Lanzhou University in 2010 and his Ph.D. from Peking University in 2015. He then conducted postdoctoral research at Columbia University and Weill Cornell Medicine from 2015 to 2023, before serving as an Instructor at Weill Cornell Medicine. In July 2024, Dr. Wang joined the School of Life Sciences at Peking University and the Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences as an Assistant Professor. His research focuses on the mechanisms underlying cancer-induced systemic disorders affecting multiple organs. He has made significant contributions to understanding tumor-induced liver metabolic dysfunction and cancer cachexia, with multiple papers published in prestigious journals such as Nature, Nature Medicine, Nature Cell Biology, and Cancer Cell.

09/2010-07/2015 Ph.D. in Cell Biology, Peking University, Beijing, China
09/2006-07/2010 B.S. in Biological Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China

07/2024-present Assistant Professor, Peking University, Beijing, China
10/2023-06/2024 Instructor, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA
10/2017-10/2023 Postdoctoral Associate, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA
10/2015-10/2017 Postdoctoral Research Scientist, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA

The understanding of cancer pathogenesis has evolved beyond cell-intrinsic regulation to include cell-extrinsic factors, leading to the recognition of cancer as a systemic disease. Primary tumors can disrupt the homeostasis of host tissues and organs by growing within them, metastasizing to them, or by releasing soluble factors—such as proteins, metabolites, hormones, and extracellular vesicles and particles (EVPs)—into the bloodstream. This broader perspective emphasizes the importance of considering not only the tumor cells themselves but also the complex interplay between cancer cells and their local and distant environments during cancer progression.

Our laboratory focuses on 1) decoding the tumor-induced systemic dysregulation of the host metabolic homeostasis; 2) exploring the systemic reprogramming of immune landscape and its impact on anticancer immunity; 3) developing effective therapies targeting metastasis and mitigating the broader cancer-associated syndromes, such as cachexia.
The overarching objective of our laboratory is to achieve a comprehensive understanding of the multifaceted effects of cancer. We aim to identify therapeutic targets and develop strategies capable of countering the systemic influence of cancer on the host, ultimately improving patient survival.

1. Gang Wang, Jianlong Li, Linda Bojmar, Haiyan Chen, Zhong Li, Gabriel C. Tobias, Mengying Hu, Edwin A. Homan, Serena Lucotti, Fengbo Zhao, Valentina Posada, Peter R. Oxley, Michele Cioffi, Han Sang Kim, Huajuan Wang, Pernille Lauritzen, Nancy Boudreau, Zhanjun Shi, Christin E. Burd, Jonathan H. Zippin, James C. Lo, Geoffrey S. Pitt, Jonathan Hernandez, Constantinos P. Zambirinis, Michael A. Hollingsworth, Paul M. Grandgenett, Maneesh Jain, Surinder K. Batra, Dominick J. DiMaio, Jean L. Grem, Kelsey A. Klute, Tanya M. Trippett, Mikala Egeblad, Doru Paul, Jacqueline Bromberg, David Kelsen, Vinagolu K. Rajasekhar, John H. Healey, Irina R. Matei, William R. Jarnagin, Robert E. Schwartz, Haiying Zhang, David Lyden. Tumour extracellular vesicles and particles induce liver metabolic dysfunction. Nature 2023 June 8; 618, 374–382.
• Highlighted in Nature Reviews Cancer 23, 510 (2023)
• Highlighted in Cancer Discovery (2023) https://doi.org/10.1158/2159-8290.CD-RW2023-086

2. Gang Wang, Candia M. Kenific, Grace Lieberman, Haiying Zhang, David Lyden. Systemic Regulation of Metastatic Disease by Extracellular Vesicles and Particles. In: Acharyya, S. (eds) The Systemic Effects of Advanced Cancer. Springer, Cham. (2022) https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-09518-4_2.

3. Gang Wang, Haiying Zhang, David Lyden. Tumour-regulated anorexia preceding cachexia. Nature Cell Biology 2021 Feb; 23, 111-113.

4. Candia M.Kenific*, Gang Wang*, David Lyden. Tumor extracellular vesicles impede interferon alert responses. Cancer Cell 2019 Jan 14; 35 (1), 3-5. (* Co-First authors)

5. Gang Wang, Anup K. Biswas, Wanchao Ma, Manoj Kandpal, Courtney Coker, Paul M. Grandgenett, Rinku Jain, Kurenai Tanji, Sara Lόpez-Pintado, Alain Borczuk, Doreen Hebert, Supak Jenkitkasemwong, Shintaro Hojyo, Ramana V. Davuluri, Mitchell D. Knutson, Toshiyuki Fukada, Swarnali Acharyya. Metastatic cancers promote cachexia through ZIP14 upregulation in skeletal muscle. Nature Medicine 2018 Jun; 24 (6), 770-781.
• Highlighted in Nature Reviews Cancer 18, 467 (2018)

6. Shruthy Suresh Aggarwal, Cristina Andreani, Zihou Deng, Julia Frede, Polina Kameneva, Marta Kovatcheva, Goran Micevic, Fay Nicolson, Jens Puschhof, Morgan Roberts, Gang Wang#, Dionysios C. Watson. The 2024 generation. Nature Cancer 2024 Dec; 5, 1774–1778. (Invited Viewpoint, # Co-Corresponding author)

7. Gang Wang, Qing Jiang, Chuanmao Zhang. The role of mitotic kinases in coupling the centrosome cycle with the assembly of the mitotic spindle. Journal of Cell Science 2014 Oct 1; 127 (19), 4111-4122.

8. Gang Wang, Qiang Chen, Xiaoyan Zhang, Boyan Zhang, Xiaolong Zhuo, Junjun Liu, Qing Jiang, Chuanmao Zhang. PCM1 recruits Plk1 to the pericentriolar matrix to promote primary cilia disassembly before mitotic entry. Journal of Cell Science 2013 Mar 15; 126 (6), 1355-1365.
• A featured article in Journal of Cell Science 126 (6): e0605 (2013)
• Highlighted in Nature Reviews Molecular Cell Biology 14, 131 (2013).

9. Wangfei Chi, Gang Wang, Guangwei Xin, Qing Jiang, Chuanmao Zhang. PLK4-phosphorylated NEDD1 facilitates cartwheel assembly and centriole biogenesis initiations. Journal of Cell Biology 2021 Jan 4; 220 (1): e202002151.

10. Tingting Zhang, Guangwei Xin, Mingkang Jia, Tenghan Zhuang, Shicong Zhu, Boyan Zhang, Gang Wang, Qing Jiang, Chuanmao Zhang. Plk1 kinase negatively regulates the Hedgehog signaling pathway by phosphorylating Gli1. Journal of Cell Science 2019 Jan 22; 132, jcs220384. doi:10.1242/jcs.220384.

11. Boyan Zhang, Tenghan Zhuang, Qiaoyu Lin, Biying Yang, Xiaowei Xu, Guangwei Xin, Shicong Zhu, Gang Wang, Bin Yu, Tingting Zhang, Qing Jiang, Chuanmao Zhang. Patched1-ArhGAP36-PKA-Inversin axis determines the ciliary translocation of Smoothened for Sonic Hedgehog pathway activation. PNAS 2019 Jan 15; 116 (3), 874-879.

12. Huabo Chen, Xiaowei Xu, Guopeng Wang, Boyan Zhang, Gang Wang, Guangwei Xin, Junjun Liu, Qing Jiang, Hongyin Zhang, Chuanmao Zhang. CDK4 protein is degraded by anaphase-promoting complex/cyclosome in mitosis and reaccumulates in early G1 phase to initiate a new cell cycle in HeLa cells. Journal of Biological Chemistry 2017 Jun 16; 292(24):10131-10141.

13. Xiaowei Xu, Shijiao Huang, Boyan Zhang, Fan Huang, Wangfei Chi, Jingyan Fu, Gang Wang, Si Li, Qing Jiang, Chuanmao Zhang. DNA replication licensing factor Cdc6 and Plk4 kinase antagonistically regulate centrosome duplication via Sas-6. Nature Communications 2017 Apr 27; 8:15164.

14. Boyan Zhang, Gang Wang, Xiaowei Xu, Sisi Yang, Tenghan Zhuang, Guopeng Wang, He Ren, Steven Y. Cheng, Qing Jiang, Chuanmao Zhang. DAZ-interacting protein 1 (Dzip1) phosphorylation by Polo-like kinase 1 (Plk1) regulates the centriolar satellites localization of the BBSome during the cell cycle. Journal of Biological Chemistry 2017 Jan 27; 292(4):1351-1360.

15. Ran Qi, Nan Xu, Gang Wang, He Ren, Si Li, Jun Lei, Qiaoyu Lin, Lihao Wang, Xin Gu, Hongyin Zhang, Qing Jiang, Chuanmao Zhang. Lamin-A/C/LAP2α/BAF1 protein complex regulates the mitotic spindle assembly and positioning. Journal of Cell Science 2015 Aug 1; 128(15):2830-41.

16. Si Li, Zhaoxuan Deng, Jingyan Fu, Caiyue Xu, Guangwei Xin, Zhige Wu, Jia Luo, Gang Wang, Shuli Zhang, Boyan Zhang, Fangdong Zou, Qing Jiang, Chuanmao Zhang. Spatial compartmentalization specializes function of Aurora-A and Aurora-B. Journal of Biological Chemistry 2015 Jul 10; 290(28):17546-58.

17. Boyan Zhang, Tingting Zhang, Guopeng Wang, Gang Wang, Wangfei Chi, Qing Jiang, Chuanmao Zhang. GSK3β-Dzip1-Rab8 cascade regulates ciliogenesis after mitosis. PloS Biology 2015 Apr; 13(4): e1002129.

18. Wenxiang Fu, Hao Chen, Gang Wang, Jia Luo, Zhaoxuan Deng, Guangwei Xin, Nan Xu, Xiao Guo, Jun Lei, Qing Jiang, Chuanmao Zhang. Self-assembly and sorting of acentrosomal microtubules by TACC3 facilitate kinetochore capture during the mitotic spindle assembly. PNAS 2013 Sep 17; 110 (38), 15295-15300.

Laboratory Introduction