Part of UT Health San Antonio

Part of UT Health San Antonio

You are here

Mingjiang_xu

Contact

210-450-8982

xum1@uthscsa.edu

Departments & Divisions

Institutes & Centers

Currently seeking M.S. & Ph.D. students

Mingjiang Xu, Ph.D.

Professor

CTRC Council Distinguished Chair in Oncology

My research aims to define whether and how specific changes in the epigenetic landscape are capable of influencing the initiation and progression of blood cancers and to identify the biochemical mediators involved in these processes. Our studies are expected to provide insights into cancer transcription regulation via DNA/RNA hydroxymethylation and long non-coding RNA (lncRNA)-mediated long-range chromosome interaction.  

  • Professional Background

    Education

    • 2001 - Ph.D. - Developmental and Cell Biology - University of Tokyo
    • 1994 - M.D. - Clinical Medicine - Shandong Univ. School of Medicine

    Training

    • 2003 - Postdoctoral Fellow - Molecular biology - Vanderbilt University

    Appointments

    • 2019- - Professor, Department of Molecular Medicine - The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio
    • 2019- - San Antonio Cancer Council Distinguished Chair in Oncology, Mays Cancer Center - The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio
    • 2015-2019 - Associate Professor, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center - University of Miami Miller School of Medicine
    • 2011-2015 - Associate Professor, Departments of Pediatrics, Herman B Wells Center for Pediatric Research - Indiana University School of Medicine
    • 2007-2011 - Assistant Professor, Division of Hematology/Oncology, Department of Medicine, Tisch Cancer Institute - Mount Sinai School of Medicine
    • 2004-2007 - Research Assistant Professor, Section of Hematology/Oncology, Department of Medicine - University of Illinois at Chicago

  • Research & Grants

    Grants

    1.  1R01 CA260729   Multi-PIs: Xu and Huang (Penn State)                   12/01/21 - 11/30/26         Role of lncRNA mediated R-loops in CTCF boundary function and AML genome organization

    2.  1R01HL145883   Multi-PIs: Xu (contact) and Yang                             01/15/19 - 12/31/22         Roles of TET2-dependent DNA demethylation intermediates in hematological malignancies

    3.  1R01HL141950   Multi-PIs: Xu (contact) and Huang (Penn State)      01/15/19 - 12/31/22        Role of Hox gene associated lincRNA in HSC function and leukemogenesis   

    4. 2R01CA172408   Multi-PIs: XU and Yang (contact).                              01/01/14 - 12/31/24       Role of ASXL1 in Normal Hematopoiesis and the Development of Myeloid Malignancies

    5. 1R01HL146664   Multi-PIs: XU (contact) and Wang (Columbia Univ.)   05/01/19 - 03/31/23      TET2-mediated transcriptional and epigenetic control of normal and malignant hematopoiesis

    6. CPRIT RP200242.      PI: Xu                                         9/01/20 - 08/31/23                                  Role of HOTTIP lncRNA in leukemogenesis     

  • Service

    National

    2022.3         Ad Hoc reviewer, NIH/NHLBI K38 StARRTS review panel 

    2022.2         Ad Hoc reviewer, NIH/NCI SPORE review panel

    2021.11       Ad Hoc reviewer, the Florida Department of Health Biomedical Research Programs - Bankhead-Coley Panel 

    2021.6         Ad Hoc reviewer, NCI P01 Review study section

    2020-2021   Ad Hoc reviewer, ZOH1 NXT 52, WTC Research Review study section

    2020.12       Ad Hoc reviewer, NIH Director’s Early Independence Awards (DP5)

    2016-2020   Ad Hoc reviewer, NIH Oncological Science Fellowship F09B study section

    2018.9         Ad Hoc reviewer, DOD Peer Reviewed Medical Research Program-NF1 program

    2018.6         Ad Hoc reviewer, NIH Vascular Hematology Study Section

    2016.2         Ad Hoc reviewer, NIH Molecular & Cellular Hematology Study Section

    2015.2         Ad Hoc reviewer, NIH Cancer Genetics Study Section

  • Publications

      1. Luo H, Zhu G, Eshelman M, Hung TK, Lai Q, Wang F, Zeisig BB, Lesperance J, Ma X, Chen S, Cesari N, Cogle C, Chen B, Xu B, Yang F-C, So E, Qiu Y, Xu M, Huang S. HOTTIP dependent R-loop formation regulates CTCF boundary activity and TAD integrity in leukemia. Molecular Cell, 2022 Feb 17;82(4):833-851.e11. doi: 10.1016/j.molcel.2022.01.014
      2. Zhu G, Luo H, Yang P, Guryanova O, Xu J, Chen S, Lai Q, Xu B, Zhao Z, Ni H, Claxton D, Guo Y, Qiu Y, Yang F-C, Li W, Nimer SD, Huang S, Xu M. NPM1 mutation mediated HOXBLINC lncRNA activation promotes AML leukemogenesis. Nature Communications 2021; Mar 29;12(1):1956. 
      3. Luo H, Zhu G, Xu J, Lai Q, Yan B, Guo Y, Fung TK, Cui Y, Zha J, Cogle C, Wang F, Xu B, Yang F-C, Li W, So E, Qiu Y, Xu M¶, Huang S¶. HOTTIP lncRNA promotes hematopoietic stem cell self-renewal leading to AML-like disease in mice. Cancer Cell 2019; Dec 9. 36:645–659 (Cover story).
      4. Luo H, Wang F, Zha J, Li H, Yan B, Du Q, Yang F-C, Sobh A, Vulpe C, Drusbosky L, Cogle C, Chepelev I, Xu B, Nimer SD, Litch J, Qiu Yi, Chen B, Xu M, and Huang S. CTCF boundary remodels chromatin domain and drives aberrant HOX gene transcription in acute myeloid leukemia. Blood 2018; 132:837-848.  
      5. Zhang P, He F, Bai J, Yamamoto S, Chen S, Zhang L, Sheng M, Zhang L, Guo Y, Man N, Yang H, Wang S, Cheng T, Nimer S.D., Zhou Y, Xu M, Wang Q-F, and Yang F-C. Chromatin regulator Asxl1 loss and Nf1 haploinsufficiency cooperate to accelerate myeloid malignancy. J Clinical Investigation 2018; 128:5383-5398.
      6. Chu Y, Zhao Z, Wayne Sant D, Zhu G, Greenblatt SM, Liu L, Wang J, Cao Z, Cheng Tho J, Chen S, Liu X, Zhang P, Maciejewski JP, Nimer S, Wang G, Yuan W, Yang F-C, Xu M¶. Tet2 Regulates Osteoclast Differentiation by Interacting with Runx1 and Maintaining Genomic 5-Hydroxymethylcytosine (5hmC). Genomics, Proteomics & Bioinformatics 2018; 16:172-186.
      7. Guallar D, Bi X, Huang X, Saenz-Ausejo C, Ding J, Faiola F, Li D, Sanchez-Priego C, Saunders A, Pan F, Kelley K, Xu M, Fidalgo M, Shen X, and Wang J. RNA-dependent chromatin targeting of Tet2 for endogenous retrovirus control in mammalian cells. Nature Genetics 2018, 50:443-451. 
      8. Yang H, Kurtenbach S, Guo Y, Lohse I, Durante M, Li J, Li Z, Al-Ali H, Li L, Chen Z, Field M, Zhang P, Chen S, Yamamoto S, Li Z, Zhou Y, Nimer S, Harbour JW, Wahlestedt C, Xu M, Yang F-C. Gain-of-function of ASXL1 truncating mutation in the pathogenesis of myeloid malignancies. Blood 2018; 131:328-341.
      9. Cimmino L, Dolgalev I, Wang Y, Yoshimi A, Martin GH, Wang J, Ng V, Xia B, Witkowski MT, Mitchell-Flack M, Grillo I, Bakogianni S, Ndiaye-Lobry D, Martín MT, Guillamot M, Banh RS, Xu M, Figueroa ME, Dickins RA, Abdel-Wahab O, Park CY, Tsirigos A, Neel BG, Aifantis I. Restoration of TET2 Function Blocks Aberrant Self-Renewal and Leukemia Progression. Cell 2017; 170:1079-1095.
      10. Li J, He F, Zhang P, Chen S, Shi H, Sun Y, Guo Y, Xu Z, Ban Y, Yang H, Man N, Greenblatt S, Li Z, Zhou Y, Wang L, Williams S, Chen S, Wang Q-T, Yu P, Nimer S, Wang Q, Xu M¶, Yang F-C¶. Loss of Asxl2 leads to myeloid malignancies in mice. Nature Communications 2017; 8:15456. 
      11. Pan F, Wingo S.T, Zhao Z, Gao R, Makishima H, Qu G, Yu M, Ortega JR, Nazha A, Chen S, Weeks O, Ni H, Phillips BL, Huang S, Wang J, He C, Radivoyevitch T, Li G-M, Aifantis I, Maciejewski JP, Yang F-C, Jin P¶, Xu M¶. Tet2 loss leads to hypermutagenicity in hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells. Nature Communications 2017; 8:15102. 
      12. Li Z, Zhang P, Guo Y, Li J, Chen S, Yang H, He Y, Li J, Guo Y, Zhang W, Hajiramezanali E, Fajardo E, Ruan Y, Nimer S, Yu P, Xu M¶, and Yang F-­­­­­­­­C¶. ­­­­­­ASXL1 interacts with the cohesin complex to maintain chromatid separation and gene expression for normal hematopoiesis. Science Advances 2017; 3:e1601602.
      13. Zhao Z, Chen S, Zhu X, Pan F, Li R, Zhou Y, Yuan W, Ni H, Yang F-C, Xu M¶. The catalytic activity of TET2 is essential for its myeloid malignancy-suppressive function in hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells. Leukemia 2016; 30:1784-8.
      14. Zhao Z, Chen L, Dawlaty M, Pan F, Weeks O, Zhou Y, Shi H, Wang J, Li L,  Chen S, Yuan W, Qin Z, Ni H, Nimer SD, Yang F-C, Jaenisch R¶, Jin P¶, Xu M¶. Combined loss of Tet1 and Tet2 promotes B-cell, but not myeloid malignancies in mice. Cell Reports 2015; 13:1692–1704.  
      15. Wang J, Li Z, He Y,  Pan F, Chen S, Rhodes SD, Nguyen L, Yuan J, Yang X, Weeks O, Liu Z, Zhou J, Ni H, Cai C-L, Xu M¶, Yang F-C¶. Loss of Asxl1 leads to myelodysplastic syndrome-like disease in mice. Blood 2014; 123:541-553.
      16. Costa Y, Ding J, Theunissen T, Faiola F, Hore T, Shliaha P, Fidalgo M, Saunders A, Lawrence M, Dietmann S, Das S, Levasseur D, Li Z, Xu M, Reik W, Silva JCR, Wang J. Nanog-dependent function of Tet1 and Tet2 in establishment of pluripotency. Nature 2013; 495:370-4. 
      17. Dawlaty M, Breiling A, Le T, Raddatz G, Barrasa MI, Cheng A, Gao Q, Powell B, Li Z, Xu M, Faull KF, Lyko F, and Jaenisch R. Combined deficiency of Tet1 and Tet2 causes epigenetic abnormalities but is compatible with postnatal development. Developmental Cell 2013; 24:310-323.
      18. Li Z, Cai X, Cai C, Zhang W, Wang J, Petersen B, Yang F-C, and Xu M¶. Deletion of Tet2 in mice leads to dysregulated hematopoietic stem cells and subsequent development of myeloid malignancies. Blood (Plenary Paper) 2011; 118:4509-18. 

Related media