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Huocong Huang, M.D.,  Ph.D.

Huocong Huang, M.D., Ph.D.

Assistant Professor

School
Medical School
Department
Surgery | Immunology
Graduate Programs
Cancer Biology
  • Biography

    Dr. Huocong Huang received his medical degree from Sun Yat-sen University and his Ph.D. in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology from University of Nebraska Medical Center. His graduate research was focused on the signaling transduction and protein interaction of collagen-induced cell plasticity. He then joined UT Southwestern Medical Center for postdoctoral training, studying the function of cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) and extracellular matrix in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma. His group was the first to report the origin and function of antigen-presenting CAFs (apCAFs). Dr. Huang’s current research is focused on understanding the origin, immune-regulating function and signaling of fibroblast in physiological or pathological conditions including cancer, immune-related diseases and aging.  

  • Education
    Graduate School
    Uni of Nebraska-Med Ctr (2016), Philosophy
  • Research Interest
    • Cancer-associated Fibroblast
    • Cell Biology
    • Fibrosis
    • Signal Transduction
    • Tumor Microenvironment
  • Publications

    Star Featured Publications

    Featured Featured Featured Featured Featured
    A molecular pathway for cancer cachexia-induced muscle atrophy revealed at single-nucleus resolution.
    Zhang Y, Dos Santos M, Huang H, Chen K, Iyengar P, Infante R, Polanco PM, Brekken RA, Cai C, Caijgas A, Cano Hernandez K, Xu L, Bassel-Duby R, Liu N, Olson EN, Cell Rep 2024 Aug 43 8 114587
    FOXP1 and KLF2 reciprocally regulate checkpoints of stem-like to effector transition in CAR T cells.
    Zhu Z, Lou G, Teng XL, Wang H, Luo Y, Shi W, Yihunie K, Hao S, DeGolier K, Liao C, Huang H, Zhang Q, Fry T, Wang T, Yao C, Wu T, Nat Immunol 2023 Nov
    TWIST2-mediated chromatin remodeling promotes fusion-negative rhabdomyosarcoma.
    Shah AM, Guo L, Morales MG, Jaichander P, Chen K, Huang H, Cano Hernandez K, Xu L, Bassel-Duby R, Olson EN, Liu N, Sci Adv 2023 Apr 9 17 eade8184
    Targeting TNF-a producing macrophages activate antitumor immunity in pancreatic cancer through IL33 signaling.
    Dixit A, Sarver AL, Zettervall J, Huang H, Zheng K, Brekken RA, Provenzano P, JCI Insight 2022 Oct
    Cell Competition Shapes Metastatic Latency and Relapse.
    Kim K, Huang H, Parida PK, He L, Marquez-Palencia M, Reese TC, Kapur P, Brugarolas J, Brekken RA, Malladi S, Cancer Discov 2022 Sep
  • Books

    Featured 

  • Honors & Awards
    • Henry C. Pitot Memorial Keynote Lecture Speaker, American Society for Matrix Biology
      (2022)
    • Center for Organogenesis Research and Trauma (CORT) Award, UTSW
      (2021)
    • K99/R00 Award, NIH/NCI
      (2021)
    • Best Presentation Award, Cancer Biology Program Retreat, UTSW
      (2019)
    • Best Poster Award, 8th International Meeting on Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition
      (2017)
  • Professional Associations/Affiliations
    • American Association for Cancer Research (2018)
    • American Society for Cell Biology (2014)
    • International Society for Stem Cell Research (2021)