Tang, Dean G.

Tang, Dean G. Ph.D.

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Research Interests

Cancer stem cells, apoptosis, prostate cancer

Current Research

The current focus of our laboratory is on cancer stem cells (CSCs), rare stem-like cells in the tumors that are thought to be responsible for maintaining tumor homeostasis, driving tumor progression, and mediating tumor recurrence and metastasis. The laboratory has the following interconnected research projects.

  1. Identification and characterization of prostate cancer stem/progenitor cells
  2. Mechanisms of CSC self-renewal
  3. Mechanisms of cancer stem/progenitor cell division
  4. miRNA regulation of prostate CSCs and tumor development
  5. Involvement of CSCs in metastasis
  6. CSCs in resistance to therapeutics
  7. Normal human prostate (NHP) stem/progenitor cells and their involvement in tumor development

The ultimate goal of our research is to uncover the unique properties of CSCs and design specific therapeutic strategies to eradicate tumors.

Selected Publications

  1. Li H, Chen X, Calhoun-Davis T, Claypool K, Tang DG. PC3 human prostate carcinoma cell holoclones contain self-renewing tumor-initiating cells, Cancer Res, 68 (6), 1820-5, 2008
  2. Patrawala L, Calhoun-Davis T, Schneider-Broussard R, Tang DG. Hierarchical organization of prostate cancer cells in xenograft tumors: the CD44+alpha2beta1+ cell population is enriched in tumor-initiating cells, Cancer Res, 67 (14), 6796-805, 2007
  3. Tang DG, Patrawala L, Calhoun T, Bhatia B, Choy G, Schneider-Broussard R, Jeter C. Prostate cancer stem/progenitor cells: Identification, characterization, and implications, Mol Carcinog, 46 (1), 1-14, 2007
  4. Chandra D, Bratton SB, Person MD, Tian Y, Martin AG, Ayres M, Fearnhead HO, Gandhi V, Tang DG. Intracellular nucleotides act as critical prosurvival factors by binding to cytochrome C and inhibiting apoptosome, Cell, 125 (7), 1333-46, 2006
  5. Patrawala L, Calhoun T, Schneider-Broussard R, Li H, Bhatia B, Tang S, Reilly JG, Chandra D, Zhou J, Claypool K, Coghlan L, Tang DG. Highly purified CD44+ prostate cancer cells from xenograft human tumors are enriched in tumorigenic and metastatic progenitor cells, Oncogene, 25 (12), 1696-708, 2006
  6. Patrawala L, Calhoun T, Schneider-Broussard R, Zhou J, Claypool K, Tang DG. Side population is enriched in tumorigenic, stem-like cancer cells, whereas ABCG2+ and ABCG2- cancer cells are similarly tumorigenic, Cancer Res, 65 (14), 6207-19, 2005

Contact Information


Mailing Address: P.O. Box 389, Smithville, Texas 78957
Physical Address: 1808 Park Road 1C, Smithville, Texas 78957
Phone: (512) 237-9570