Rong Wu
Rong Wu
Research Assistant Professor
  • :734-615-1337

Department of Pathology
University of Michigan School of Medicine,
USA

Education

1991-1992 Advanced English Language Training Program, Shanghai Foreign Language College, Shanghai, P.R.China
1997-1998 Research Fellow, Department of Pathology, the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
1991-1992 Advanced English Language Training Program, Shanghai Foreign Language College, Shanghai, P.R.China

 

Biography

Dr. Wu received an M.D. in 1982 and M.S. in 1986 from Qingdao Medical College, China. She completed residency training at Qingdao Medical College from 1983-1988, and a Postdoctoral Fellowship in the Department of Pathology at Johns Hopkins University (1997-1998). She served as Assistant Professor from 1988-1992 and Associate Professor from 1993-1997 in the Department of Pathology in Qingdao Medical College. During the period 1992-1993, she was a Visiting Scientist in the Department of Pathology at the University of Cambridge (England).Dr. Wu joined University of Michigan as a Postdoctoral Fellow in 1998, was appointed Research Investigator in 2002 and Research Assistant Professor in 2009

Research Interest

Dr. Wu’s research has focusedon the biology and genetics of gynecological cancers, especially on ovarian cancer for two decades. She has worked on comprehensive molecular profiles of ovarian carcinomas, which has demonstrated distinct molecular profiles in ovarian cancer tumorigenesis. For nearly a decade, she has worked to develop murine models of ovarian cancer, especially the development and characterization of a novel mouse model of human ovarian endometrioid carcinoma based on conditional deletion of Apc and Pten. The murine models are being applied to study ovarian tumors and to investigate novel prevention, early detection and novel therapies for ovarian cancer.

Professional Activities:

Honors and Awards

  1. Sino-British Friendship Scholarship Award, sponsored by the Chinese government and British Council, Beijing, P.R.China and London, UK, 1991
  2. Outstanding Faculty Award, Qingdao Medical College, Qingdao, P.R.China, 1994 and 1995
  3. Scientific and Technologic Award, Education Committee, Shandong Province, Jinan, P.R.China, 1995 and 1996
  4. 100 Promising Young Investigators Award in Shandong Province, Education Committee, Shandong Province, Jinan, P.R.China, 1996
  5. Scholarship Award, China Scholarship Council, Beijing, P.R.China, 1996
  6. Fellowship/Travel Scholarship, the 6th Annual Workshop on the Pathology of Mouse Models for Human Disease. The Jackson Laboratory, Bar Harbor, ME, 2007

Academic and Clinical Appointments

2009-present Research Assistant Professor, Department of Pathology, University of
Michigan, School of Medicine, Ann Arbor MI, USA
2002-2009 Research Investigator, Department of Pathology, University of Michigan, School of Medicine, Ann Arbor MI, USA
2001-2002 Research Associate II, Department of Pathology, University of Michigan, School of Medicine, Ann Arbor MI, USA

 

Publications

  1. Zhao Yutian, Li Baolin, Ji Xiangrui, Wu R, and Tang Liou. Cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection in cases of infantile autopsies. Chinese Journal of Pathology (Chinese) 1986; 15(2):128-129
  2. Yang Meihuai and Wu R.  Mikulicz’s disease with tumor-like hyperplasia of lymphoid tissue. Acta Academiae Medicinae Qingdao (Chinese) 1986; 22(1):63-65
  3. Zhao Yutian, Wu R, and Ji Xiangrui. Cytomegalovirus infection in infantile autopsies. Chinese Medical Journal 1987; 100(9):753-755
  4. Wu R. The immunohistochemical study of carcinoembryonic antigen in uterine carcinoma. Journal of Clinical and Experimental Pathology (Chinese) 1987; 3(4):218-221
  5. Wu R, Jiang Jianche, and Shen Jie. The cyst formation in the duodenum after gastrectomy. Acta Academiae Medicinae Qingdao (Chinese) 1989;25(4):299
  6. Wu R, Zhang Min, and Sun Xianlu. The significance of CEA detection in serum and tissue of patients with gastrointestinal carcinoma. Acta Academiae Medicinae Qingdao (Chinese)  1990; 26(3):227-230
  7. Chen Bohua, Wu R, Zhou Yunwen, Chen Xiaoliang, Wu Shaoshuo, Wu Duochen, and Peng Qinghai. Experimental study of removal of sublaminar wires after spinal fixation. Chinese Journal of Surgery (Chinese) 1990; 28(7): 433-435
  8. Wu R.  A study of nucleolar organizer regions in cystadenomatous neoplasm of the ovary. Acta Academiae Medicinae Qingdao (Chinese) 1991; 27(1):50-52
  9. Wu R, Zhao Yutian, Ji Xiangrui, Guo Cheng, and Lin Aifeng. Chlamydia trachomatis detection in tissues of human spontaneous abortion. Journal of Clinical and Experimental Pathology (Chinese) 1992; 8(suppl):38-39
  10. Chen B, Hu Y, Zhou B, and Wu R. Melanoma in the spinal cords. Chinese Journal of Neurosurgery (Chinese) 1993; 9(2):65-67
  11. Wu R. The effect of tumor necrosis factor on the sensitivity of cervical carcinoma in cytotoxicity. Acta Academiae Medicinae Qingdao (Chinese) 1994; 30(3):185-188
  12. Wu R, Coleman N, and Stanley MA. The significance of IFN gamma in cytotoxicity mediated by lymphocytes to cervical keratinocytes. Chinese Journal of Microbiology and Immunology (Chinese) 1994; 14(4):253-256
  13. Wu R, Coleman N, and Stanley M. The expression of tumor necrosis factor in cervical cell lines and tissues by in situ hybridization. Chinese Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology (Chinese) 1995; 30(11):693-694
  14. Ji Xiangrui, Wu R, Zang Xiumei, Zhao Yutian, Guo Cheng, Lin Aifeng, and He Z. The detection and clinical analysis of Chlamydia trachomatis infection in female genital tract. Chinese Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology (Chinese). 1995; 30(9):561-562
  15. Wu R, Zhao Wencui, Zhang Min, Ding Shouyi, Jiang Yuzhen, and Xu Shuxian. Detection of human papillomavirus DNA by in situ hybridization. Acta Academiae Medicinae Qingdao (Chinese) 1996; 32(3):192-193
  16. Wu R, Coleman N, and Stanley M. Differential susceptibility of cervical keratinocytes containing human papillomavirus to cell-mediated cytotoxicity. Chinese Medical Journal. 1996;109(11):854-858
  17. Wu R, Stanley M, and Ding Shouyi. The study of cytotoxicity mediated by tumor necrosis factor to cervical carcinoma derived cell lines in vitro. Journal of QiLu oncology (Chinese) 1997; 4(3):170-172
  18. Tashiro H, Blazes MS, Wu R, Cho KR, Bose S, Wang SI, Li J, Parsons R, and Ellenson LH. Mutations in PTEN are frequent in endometrial carcinoma but rare in other common gynecological malignancies. Cancer Research 1997; 57(18):3935-3940
  19. Greenspan DL, Connolly DC, Wu R, Lei Y, Vogelstein JT, Kim YT, Mok JE, Munoz N, Bosch FX, Shah K, and Cho KR. Loss of FHIT expression in cervical carcinoma cell lines and primary tumors. Cancer Research 1997; 57(22):4692-4698
  20. Wu R, Ji Xiangrui, Ding Shouyi, Wei Zhimin, and Zhang Min.  Expression of tumor necrosis factor mRNA, protein and receptor protein products in cervical neoplasm. Chinese Medical Journal 1998; 111(11):1046-1047
  21. Szych C, Staebler A, Connolly DC, Wu R, Cho KR, and Ronnett B. Molecular genetic evidence supporting the clonality and appendiceal origin of pseudomyxoma peritonei in women. American Journal of Pathology 1999; 154(6):1849-1855
  22. Wu R, Connolly D, Ren X, Fearon ER, and Cho KR. Somatic mutations of the PPP2R1B candidate tumor suppressor gene at chromosome 11q23 are infrequent in ovarian cancers. Neoplasia 1999; 1(4):311-314
  23. Wu R, Connolly D, and Cho KR. Restored expression of Fragile Histidine Triad protein and tumorigenicity of cervical carcinoma cells. Journal of the National Cancer Institute  2000; 92(4):338-344
  24. Connolly D, Greenspan D, Wu R, Ren X, Dunn R, Shah K, Bosch F, Muñoz N and Cho KR.  Loss of Fhit protein expression in invasive cervical carcinoma and intraepithelial lesions associated with invasive disease. Clinical Cancer Research 2000; 6(9):3505-3510
  25. Wu R, Connolly D, Ngelangel C, Bosch FX, , Muñoz N and Cho KR. Somatic mutations of fibroblast growth factor receptor 3 (FGFR3) are uncommon in carcinomas of the uterine cervix. Oncogene 2000; 19(48):5543-5546
  26. Wu R, Zhai Y, Fearon ER, and Cho KR. Diverse mechanisms of beta-catenin deregulation in ovarian endometrioid adenocarcinomas. Cancer Research 2001; 61(22): 8247-8255
  27. Kolligs FT, Nieman MT, Winer I, Hu G, Van Mater D, Feng Y, Smith IM, Wu R, Zhai Y, Cho KR, and Fearon ER. ITF-2, a downstream target of the Wnt/TCF pathway, is activated in human cancers with -catenin defects and promotes neoplastic transformation. Cancer Cell 2002; 1(2):145-155
  28. Leung JY, Kolligs FT, Wu R, Zhai Y, Kuick R, Hanash S, Cho KR, and Fearon ER. Activation of AXIN2 expression by beta-catenin/TCF: A feedback repressor pathway regulating Wnt signaling. Journal of Biological Chemistry 2002; 277(24):21657-21665
  29. Schwartz DR, Kardia SL, Shedden KA, Kuick R, Michailidis G, Taylor JM, Misek DE, Wu R, Zhai Y, Darrah DM, Reed H, Ellenson LH, Giordano TJ, Fearon ER, Hanash SM, and Cho KR. Gene expression in ovarian cancer reflects both morphology and biological behavior, distinguishing clear cell from other poor-prognosis ovarian carcinomas. Cancer Research 2002; 62(16):4722-4729
  30. Lin L, Miller CT, Contreras JI, Prescott MS, Dagenais SL, Wu R, Yee J, Orringer MB, Misek DE, Hanash SM, Glover TW, and Beer DG. The hepatocyte nuclear factor 3 gene, HNF3 (FOXA1), on chromosome band 14q13 is amplified and overexpressed in esophageal and lung adenocarcinomas. Cancer Research 2002; 62(18):5273-5279
  31. Zhai  Y, Wu R, Schwartz DR, Darrah D, Kolligs FT, Nieman MT, Fearon ER and Cho KR. Role of beta-catenin/T-cell factor-regulated genes in ovarian endometrioid adenocarcinomas. American Journal of Pathology. 2002; 160(4):1229-1238 
  32. Schwartz DR, Wu R, Kardia SL, Levin AM, Huang CC, Shedden KA, Kuick R, Misek DE, Hanash SM, Taylor JM, Reed H, Hendrix N, Zhai Y, Fearon ER, and Cho KR. Novel candidate targets of beta-catenin/T-cell factor signaling identified by gene expression profiling of ovarian endometrioid adenocarcinomas. Cancer Research 2003; 63(11):2913-2922 
  33. Wu R, Lin L, Beer DG, Ellenson LH, Lamb BJ, Rouillard JM, Kuick R, Hanash S, Schwartz DR, Fearon ER, and Cho KR. Amplification and overexpression of the L-MYC proto-oncogene in ovarian carcinomas. American Journal of Pathology 2003; 162(5):1603-1610
  34. Shedden KA, Kshirsagar MP, Schwartz DR, Wu R, Yu H, Misek DE, Hanash S, Katabuchi H, Ellenson LH, Fearon ER, and Cho KR. Histologic type, organ of origin, and wnt pathway status: effect on gene expression in ovarian and uterine carcinomas. Clinical Cancer Research 2005; 11(6), 2123-2131
  35. Wang YF, Wu R, Cho KR, Shedden KA, Barder TJ, and Lubman DM. Classification of cancer cell lines using an automated 2-D liquid mapping method with hierarchical clustering techniques. Molecular and Cellular Proteomics 2006; 5(1):43-52
  36. Hendrix ND, Wu R, Kuick R, Schwartz DR, Fearon ER, and Cho KR. Fibroblast growth factor 9 has oncogenic activity and is a downstream target of Wnt signaling in ovarian endometrioid adenocarcinomas. Cancer Research 2006; 66(3):1354-1362
  37. Zhu Y, Wu R, Sangha N, Yoo C, Cho KR, Shedden KA, Katabuchi H, and Lubman DM. Classifications of ovarian cancer tissues by proteomic patterns. Proteomics 2006; 6(21):5846-5956
  38. Wu R, Hendrix-Lucas N, Kuick R, Zhai1 Y, Schwartz D, Akyol A, Hanash S, Misek D, Katabuchi H, Williams B, Fearon ER, and Cho KR. Mouse model of human ovarian endometrioid adenocarcinoma based on somatic defects in the Wnt/β-catenin and PI3K/Pten signaling pathways. Cancer Cell 2007; 11(4): 321-333
  39. Kim H, Wu R, Cho KR,  Thomas DG,  Gabrielle Gossner G, Liu GR,  Giordano TJ,  Shedden KA, , Misek DE, and Lubman DM. Comparative proteomic analysis of low stage and high stage endometrioid ovarian adenocarcinomas. Proteomics-Clinical Applications 2008; 2(4):571-584
  40. Sangha N, Wu R, Kuick R, Powers S, Mu D, Fiander D, Yuen K, Katabuchi H, Tashiro H, Fearon ER, Cho KR. Neurofibromin 1 (NF1) defects are common in human ovarian serous carcinomas and co-occur with TP53 mutations. Neoplasia. 2008 Dec;10(12):1362-72
  41. Wang Y, Wu R, Cho KR, Thomas DG, Gossner G, Liu JR, Giordano TJ, Shedden KA, Misek DE, Lubman DM. Differential protein mapping of ovarian serous adenocarcinomas: identification of potential markers for distinct tumor stage. J Proteome Res. 2009;(3):1452-63
  42. Bommer GT, Feng Y, Iura A, Giordano TJ, Kuick R, Kadikoy H, Sikorski D, Wu R, Cho KR, Fearon ER. IRS1 regulation by Wnt/beta-catenin signaling and varied contribution of IRS1 to the neoplastic phenotype. J Biol Chem. 2010;285(3):1928-38
  43. Zhai Y, Iura A, Yeasmin S, Wiese AB, Wu R, Feng Y, Fearon ER, Cho KR. MSX2 is an oncogenic downstream target of activated WNT signaling in ovarian endometrioid adenocarcinoma. Oncogene. 2011 Oct 6;30(40):4152-62
  44. Wu R, Hu TC, Rehemtulla A, Fearon ER, Cho KR. Preclinical testing of PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling inhibitors in a mouse model of ovarian endometrioid adenocarcinoma. Clin Cancer Res. 2011;17(23):7359-72
  45. Hu PJ, Knoepp SM, Wu R, Cho KR. Ovarian steroid cell tumor with biallelic adenomatous polyposis coli inactivation in a patient with familial adenomatous polyposis. Genes Chromosomes Cancer. 2012;51(3):283-9
  46. Bian C, Wu R, Cho K, Yu X. Loss of BRCA1-A complex function in RAP80 null tumor cells. PLoS One. 2012;7(7):e40406
  47. Wang H, Galbán S, Wu R, Bowman BM, Witte A, Vetter K, Galbán CJ, Ross BD, Cho KR, Rehemtulla A. Molecular imaging reveals a role for AKT in resistance to cisplatin for ovarian endometrioid adenocarcinoma. Clin Cancer Res. 2013;19(1):158-69
  48. Wu R, Baker SJ, Hu TC, Norman KM, Fearon ER, Cho KR. Type I to type II ovarian carcinoma progression: mutant Trp53 or Pik3ca confers a more aggressive tumor phenotype in a mouse model of ovarian cancer. Am J Pathol. 2013;182(4):1391-9
  49. Daniela B, Wu R, McLean K, Chen Y, Talpaz M, Yoon E, Cho KR, Buckanovich RJ. CD24+ ovarian cancer cells are enriched for cancer initiating cells and dependent on JAK2 signaling for growth and metastasis. Molecular Cancer Therapeutics 2015; Mol Cancer Ther. 2015;14(7):1717-27
  50. Zhai Y, Kuick R, Tipton C, Wu R, Wang Z, Baker SJ, Fearon ER, and Cho KR. Arid1a Inactivation in an Apc and Pten-defective Mouse Ovarian Cancer Model Enhances Epithelial Differentiation and Prolongs SurvivalJ Pathol  2015 Aug 17. doi: 10.1002/path.4599. [Epub ahead of print]

 

Autoimmune Journal Flyer