Stephen H. Tsang

Biography

As a result of his groundbreaking metabolome reprogramming research, Dr. Tsang has earned a reputation as one of the world's foremost authority in therapeutics of neurodegenerative disoders. Dr Tsang's genome engineering laboratory is engaged in tackling neurodegenerative disorders by pursuing investigations in three areas, two of which include patient-specific mouse models: probing the role of phosphodiesterase (PDE) signaling in neurodegeneration, developing stem cell-based therapies for photoreceptor degeneration, and correlating the genotypes of various human retinal degenerations with the phenotypes revealed in live metabolic imaging (autofluorescence). We are also currently focused on genome engineering/CRISRP approaches to reprogamming metabolome in photoreceptor to promote cell survival, which may be broadly applicable to retinal degenerative diseases, regardless of the mutation. While light-adapted normal photoreceptors have a highly anabolic and aerobic (high lactate) metabolism similar to the Warburg effect observed in stem cells, dark-adapted photoreceptors have catabolism (low lactate), high-ATP metabolism similar to neurons. To translate this anabolic therapy to humans (who would rightly reject being maintained in darkness), our laboratory is developing “genetic sunglasses” to promote a constant dark-adapted metabolic state in photoreceptor neurons while maintaining a normal light-dark circadian environment. 

Research Interest

Calcium-mediated Neuronal Degeneration Mechanisms Light-induced Warburg Metabolism Genome Engineering in Patient-Specific Stem Cells Stem Cell and Gene Therapies Precision Genome Surgery