Rong Wang, PhD

Rong Wang, PhD

Mildred V. Strouss Endowed Chair in Vascular Surgery, UCSF

Professor, Department of Surgery, UCSF; Director, Laboratory for Accelerated Vascular Research

Cancer Center Program Membership

Affiliate Member

[email protected]

Phone: (415) 476-6855

Box 0222, 513 Parnassus Ave, 1618
San Francisco, CA 94143

UCSF Profiles

Research Summary

Angiogenesis, or new blood vessel formation, plays a principal role in health and cancer. Research in my lab aims to advance the fundamental understanding of the cellular, molecular, and hemodynamic mechanisms underlying arterial venous programming in normal and tumor angiogenesis. We are well equipped to perform state-of-the-art research at the organismic, cellular, and molecular levels. Sophisticated mouse genetics allow us to delete or express genes in endothelial cells that line the vessel lumen in a lineage-specific and temporally controllable fashion. These mouse tools are enhanced with cutting-edge imaging capabilities, including 5D two-photon microscopy (3D + blood flow over time). These innovations provide us exceptional access to in vivo cell biology and gene function in both physiological and pathological angiogenesis in living animals. This basic approach is complemented by preclinical studies with our elegant mouse models of disease, offering outstanding opportunities for early translational research. With these approaches, we are investigating the molecular programming in the development of arteries in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), which is characterized by highly arterialized tumor masses.

We hypothesize that genes important in normal arterial programming are likely to play a role in HCC artery formation, and we intend to ultimately study the Notch pathway as a molecular regulator of HCC arterial formation. Our goal is to inhibit HCC arterial growth, block tumor blood supply, and starve cancer cells. Our investigation of the molecular regulators that govern arterial-venous programming may ultimately help identify novel drug targets and inform rational design of new therapeutics to treat major human diseases, including HCC. I have many years of experience studying HCC in mouse models, beginning with my postdoctoral research. I pioneered the liver-specific tetracycline-regulatable Met transgenic mouse model of HCC and contributed to the development of the hydrodynamic injection HCC mouse model, both currently in wide use. The combination of my expertise in HCC and my broad experience in arterial-venous programming prepare us well to investigate the effects of targeting the arterial supply of HCC.

Research Funding

  • February 1, 2020 - January 31, 2025 - Molecular Pathogenesis of Hereditary Hemorrhagic Telangiectasia , Principal Investigator . Sponsor: NINDS, Sponsor Award ID: R01NS113429
  • February 1, 2020 - January 31, 2025 - Molecular Pathogenesis of Hereditary Hemorrhagic Telangiectasia , Principal Investigator . Sponsor: NIH, Sponsor Award ID: R01NS113429
  • July 1, 2019 - June 30, 2022 - Identifying Molecular Regulators of Hereditary Hemorrhagic Telangiectasia In a Novel Mouse Model , Principal Investigator . Sponsor: American Heart Association, Sponsor Award ID: 19TPA34910134
  • July 1, 2018 - June 30, 2021 - Molecular Pathogenesis and Therapy for Critical Lim Ischemia , Principal Investigator . Sponsor: Tobacco Related Disease Research Program, Sponsor Award ID: High Impact Research Project Award
  • September 30, 2016 - September 30, 2020 - RBPJ and EphrinB2 as Molecular Targets to Treat Brain Arteriovenous Malformation in Notch4-Induced Mouse Models , Principal Investigator . Sponsor: Department of the Army, Sponsor Award ID: W81XWH-15-PRMRP-IIRA
  • August 1, 2010 - March 31, 2020 - Molecular Pathogenesis of Brain Arteriovenous Malformation , Principal Investigator . Sponsor: NIH, Sponsor Award ID: R01NS067420
  • December 1, 2003 - February 28, 2017 - Notch Signaling in Arterial-Venous Specification , Principal Investigator . Sponsor: NIH, Sponsor Award ID: R01HL075033

Education

Sichuan University, Chendu, China, B.Sc., 1980-84, Biology
Graduate School of Chinese Science and Technology University, Institute of Genetics, Academia Sinica, Beijing, China, M.Sc. candidate, 1984-88, Genetics
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Ph.D., 1988-93, Biology (Angiogenesis)
University of California, San Francisco, Postdoctoral Fellow, 1994-2001, Cancer Biology

Honors & Awards

  • 1994-97
    Leukemia Society of America, Postdoctoral Fellowship
  • 1997-99
    American Heart Association, Postdoctoral Fellowship
  • 2003-2005
    Pfizer Atorvastatin Research Award

Selected Publications

  1. Mittal S, Wang RE, Ros R, Ondrus AE, Singharoy A. Molecular dynamics model of mechanophore sensors for biological force measurement. Heliyon. 2025 Jan 15; 11(1):e41178.  View on PubMed
  2. Zhao Y, Lyu Z, Prather B, Lewis TR, Kang J, Wang RE. Metabolic Probing of Sialylated Glycoconjugates with Fluorine-Selenol Displacement Reaction (FSeDR). ACS Bio Med Chem Au. 2025 Feb 19; 5(1):119-130.  View on PubMed
  3. Maloney R, Junod SL, Hagen KM, Lewis T, Cheng C, Shajan FJ, Zhao M, Moore TW, Truong TH, Yang W, Wang RE. Flexible fluorine-thiol displacement stapled peptides with enhanced membrane penetration for the estrogen receptor/coactivator interaction. J Biol Chem. 2024 Dec; 300(12):107991.  View on PubMed
  4. Lightle HE, Kafley P, Lewis TR, Wang RE. Site-specific protein conjugates incorporating Para-Azido-L-Phenylalanine for cellular and in vivo imaging. Methods. 2023 11; 219:95-101.  View on PubMed
  5. Syphers JL, Xue L, Yi X, Wang RE, Haubrich BA. Meeting Proceedings from ICBS 2022 - Uncovering Solutions for Diseases. ACS Chem Biol. 2023 07 21; 18(7):1447-1459.  View on PubMed
  6. Huang L, Cheng F, Zhang X, Zielonka J, Nystoriak MA, Xiang W, Raygor K, Wang S, Lakshmanan A, Jiang W, Yuan S, Hou KS, Zhang J, Wang X, Syed AU, Juric M, Takahashi T, Navedo MF, Wang RA. Nitric oxide synthase and reduced arterial tone contribute to arteriovenous malformation. Sci Adv. 2023 05 26; 9(21):eade7280.  View on PubMed
  7. Zhang S, Zhao H, Liu Z, Liu K, Zhu H, Pu W, He L, Wang RA, Zhou B. Monitoring of cell-cell communication and contact history in mammals. Science. 2022 12 02; 378(6623):eabo5503.  View on PubMed
  8. Nielsen CM, Zhang X, Raygor K, Wang S, Bollen AW, Wang RA. Endothelial Rbpj deletion normalizes Notch4-induced brain arteriovenous malformation in mice. J Exp Med. 2023 02 06; 220(2).  View on PubMed
  9. Hilscher MB, Sehrawat T, Arab JP, Zeng Z, Gao J, Liu M, Kostallari E, Gao Y, Simonetto DA, Yaqoob U, Cao S, Revzin A, Beyder A, Wang RA, Kamath PS, Kubes P, Shah VH. Mechanical Stretch Increases Expression of CXCL1 in Liver Sinusoidal Endothelial Cells to Recruit Neutrophils, Generate Sinusoidal Microthombi, and Promote Portal Hypertension. Gastroenterology. 2019 07; 157(1):193-209.e9.  View on PubMed
  10. Hwa JJ, Beckouche N, Huang L, Kram Y, Lindskog H, Wang RA. Abnormal arterial-venous fusions and fate specification in mouse embryos lacking blood flow. Sci Rep. 2017 09 20; 7(1):11965.  View on PubMed
  11. Cuervo H, Nielsen CM, Simonetto DA, Ferrell L, Shah VH, Wang RA. Endothelial notch signaling is essential to prevent hepatic vascular malformations in mice. Hepatology. 2016 10; 64(4):1302-1316.  View on PubMed
  12. Nielsen CM, Huang L, Murphy PA, Lawton MT, Wang RA. Mouse Models of Cerebral Arteriovenous Malformation. Stroke. 2016 Jan; 47(1):293-300.  View on PubMed
  13. Murphy PA, Kim TN, Huang L, Nielsen CM, Lawton MT, Adams RH, Schaffer CB, Wang RA. Constitutively active Notch4 receptor elicits brain arteriovenous malformations through enlargement of capillary-like vessels. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2014 Dec 16; 111(50):18007-12.  View on PubMed
  14. Lin Y, Jiang W, Ng J, Jina A, Wang RA. Endothelial ephrin-B2 is essential for arterial vasodilation in mice. Microcirculation. 2014 Oct; 21(7):578-86.  View on PubMed
  15. Nielsen CM, Cuervo H, Ding VW, Kong Y, Huang EJ, Wang RA. Deletion of Rbpj from postnatal endothelium leads to abnormal arteriovenous shunting in mice. Development. 2014 Oct; 141(19):3782-92.  View on PubMed
  16. Lindskog H, Kim YH, Jelin EB, Kong Y, Guevara-Gallardo S, Kim TN, Wang RA. Molecular identification of venous progenitors in the dorsal aorta reveals an aortic origin for the cardinal vein in mammals. Development. 2014 Mar; 141(5):1120-8.  View on PubMed
  17. Costa MJ, Wu X, Cuervo H, Srinivasan R, Bechis SK, Cheang E, Marjanovic O, Gridley T, Cvetic CA, Wang RA. Notch4 is required for tumor onset and perfusion. Vasc Cell. 2013 Apr 20; 5(1):7.  View on PubMed
  18. Kim TN, Goodwill PW, Chen Y, Conolly SM, Schaffer CB, Liepmann D, Wang RA. Line-scanning particle image velocimetry: an optical approach for quantifying a wide range of blood flow speeds in live animals. PLoS One. 2012; 7(6):e38590.  View on PubMed
  19. Murphy PA, Kim TN, Lu G, Bollen AW, Schaffer CB, Wang RA. Notch4 normalization reduces blood vessel size in arteriovenous malformations. Sci Transl Med. 2012 Jan 18; 4(117):117ra8.  View on PubMed
  20. Clever JL, Sakai Y, Wang RA, Schneider DB. Inefficient skeletal muscle repair in inhibitor of differentiation knockout mice suggests a crucial role for BMP signaling during adult muscle regeneration. Am J Physiol Cell Physiol. 2010 May; 298(5):C1087-99.  View on PubMed

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