Ge Gaoxiang

Biography

GE Gaoxiang is a Professor Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, China. Research Areas: microenvironment; extracellular matrix (ECM); cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs); malignant transformation; metastasis; metalloproteinase Research Interests: Microenvironments of cells, via cell-cell contact, cell-extracellular matrix (ECM) interaction and growth factors, retain the characteristics of cells, as well as their response to stimuli. The importance of microenvironment in pathogenesis is becoming much more recognized, from the role of ECM and matrix density in determining polarity and growth potential of tissues, to the extracellular metabolism of growth factors and matrix molecules during inflammation and cancer. The long-term objective of Ge laboratory is to understand the cross-talk between cells and microenvironment during morphogenesis and homeostasis. Much attention will be paid to pathological conditions, where disordered microenvironment and abnormal cell behavior have occurred. Cancer is the No. 2 killer worldwide. Despite much efforts, tumor progression and metastasis remain largely mysterious, which unfortunately retards the invention of effective therapeutic strategies and medicine. Accompanying growth of tumor cells, local microenvironment undergoes dynamic morphological and molecular changes, which further facilitate uncontrolled growth of tumor cells. The global and systematic impact of tumor cells is reflected by the fact that tumor cells induce the establishment of pre-metastatic niche in distant organs. The communication between tumor cells and foreign microenvironment in distant organs leads to ultimate organ-specific metastasis. Ge laboratory studies the interaction of tumor cells and microenvironment in breast cancer onset, progression and metastasis, by utilizing breast cancer model mice, as well as approaches of biochemistry, molecular biology and cell biology. The work in Ge laboratory focuses on 1) Dynamic remodeling of ECM during breast cancer progression; 2) Differential responses of cells to microenvironment with varied ECM protein composition and organization, as well as availability/ activity of growth factors; 3) Conversion of resting, normal fibroblasts to reactive, cancer- associated fibroblasts (CAFs); 4) Communication between breast cancer cells and CAFs; 5) Dynamic changes of microenvironment during metastasis and organ-specific metastasis.

Research Interest

Microenvironments of cells, via cell-cell contact, cell-extracellular matrix (ECM) interaction and growth factors, retain the characteristics of cells, as well as their response to stimuli. The importance of microenvironment in pathogenesis is becoming much more recognized, from the role of ECM and matrix density in determining polarity and growth potential of tissues, to the extracellular metabolism of growth factors and matrix molecules during inflammation and cancer. The long-term objective of Ge laboratory is to understand the cross-talk between cells and microenvironment during morphogenesis and homeostasis. Much attention will be paid to pathological conditions, where disordered microenvironment and abnormal cell behavior have occurred. Cancer is the No. 2 killer worldwide. Despite much efforts, tumor progression and metastasis remain largely mysterious, which unfortunately retards the invention of effective therapeutic strategies and medicine. Accompanying growth of tumor cells, local microenvironment undergoes dynamic morphological and molecular changes, which further facilitate uncontrolled growth of tumor cells. The global and systematic impact of tumor cells is reflected by the fact that tumor cells induce the establishment of pre-metastatic niche in distant organs. The communication between tumor cells and foreign microenvironment in distant organs leads to ultimate organ-specific metastasis. Ge laboratory studies the interaction of tumor cells and microenvironment in breast cancer onset, progression and metastasis, by utilizing breast cancer model mice, as well as approaches of biochemistry, molecular biology and cell biology. The work in Ge laboratory focuses on 1) Dynamic remodeling of ECM during breast cancer progression; 2) Differential responses of cells to microenvironment with varied ECM protein composition and organization, as well as availability/ activity of growth factors; 3) Conversion of resting, normal fibroblasts to reactive, cancer- associated fibroblasts (CAFs); 4) Communication between breast cancer cells and CAFs; 5) Dynamic changes of microenvironment during metastasis and organ-specific metastasis.