Research Profile: Fen Ma, PhD

About Fen Ma, PhD

Dr. Fen Ma Since 40-60% of patients with prostate cancer harbor TMPRSS2/ERG fusion, which put ERG expression under control of androgen, Dr. Ma's current efforts focus on studying the contribution of this translocation to prostate cancer development. By genome wide CHIP sequencing of ERG binding sites, it was found that in VCAP, a TMPRSS2/ERG fusion prostate cancer cell line, SOX9 expression was elevated by ERG binding to a SOX9 enhancer and SOX9 overexpression mimic phenotypes of ERG overexpression, which indicate SOX9 is a downstream effector of ERG. Therefore, she's actively identifying SOX9 target genes aiming to elucidate the function of TMPRSS2/ERG fusion in prostate cancer.

Awards

Publications

F. Ma, H. Ye, H. H. He, S. J. Gerrin, S. Chen, B. Tanenbaum, C. Cai,A. G. Sowalsky, L. He, H. Wang, S. P. Balk, and X. Yuan. SOX9 drives WNT pathway activation in prostate cancer. J Clin Invest. 2016;126(5):1745-1758. doi:10.1172/JCI78815. Epub 2016 Apr 4.
C. Cai, H. Wang, HH He, S. Chen, L. He, F. Ma, L. Mucci, Q. Wang, C. Fiore, A.G. Sowalsky, M. Loda, X.S. Liu, M. Brown, S.P. Balk, X. Yuan. ERG induces androgen receptor-mediated regulation of SOX9 in prostate cancer. J Clin Invest. 2013 Mar 1;123(3):1109-22. doi: 10.1172/JCI66666. Epub 2013 Feb 15.
H. Wang, L. He, F. Ma, M.M. Regan,S.P. Balk, A.L.Richardson, X.Yuan. SOX9 regulates low density lipoprotein receptor-related protein 6 (LRP6) and T-cell factor 4 (TCF4) expression and Wnt/β-catenin activation in breast cancer. J Biol Chem. 2013 Mar 1;288(9):6478-87. doi: 10.1074/jbc.M112.419184. Epub 2013 Jan 10.
M. Sun,* F. Ma,* X. Zeng, Q. Liu, XL. Zhao, FX. Wu, GP. Wu, ZF. Zhang, B. Gu, YF. Zhao, SH. Tian, B. Lin, XY. Kong, XL. Zhang, W. Yang, W. Lo, X. Zhang. Triphalangeal thumb-polysyndactyly syndrome and syndactyly type IV are caused by genomic duplications involving the long-range, limb-specific SHH enhancer. J Med Genet. 2008 Sep; 45(9):589-95.
F. Ma,* FX. Wu,* N. Li, Q. Liu, X. Zhang, M. Sun. Detection of a copy number mutation on chromosome 7q36 using the Affymetrix SNP Array 6.0. Chin J Med Genet. 2009 Jun; 26(3):336-339.
L. Wu, D. Liang, N. Niikawa, F. Ma, M. Sun, Q. Pan, Z. Long, Z. Zhou, K. Yoshiura, H. Wang, D. Sato, G. Nishimura, H. Dai, X. Zhang, J. Xia. A ZRS duplication causes syndactyly type IV with tibial hypoplasia. Am J Med Genet A. 2009 Feb 15;149A(4):816-8.
M. Sun, N. Li, W. Dong, Z Chen, Q. Liu, Y. Xu, G. He, Y. Shi, X. Li, J. Hao, Y. Luo, D. Shang, D. Lv, F. Ma, D. Zhang, R. Hua, C. Lu, Y. Wen, L. Cao, AD AD. Irvine, WH. McLean, Q. Dong, MR. Wang, J. Yu, L. He, WH. Lo, X. Zhang. Copy-number mutations on chromosome 17q24.2-q24.3 in congenital generalized hypertrichosis terminalis with or without gingival hyperplasia. Am J Hum Genet. 2009 Jun;84(6):807-13.
QJ. Liu, F. Ma, D. Li, XW. Wang, WY. Tian, Y. Chen, JB. Feng, X. Lu, DQ. Chen, XN. Chen, Y. Shen. Detection of chromosome aberrations in Chinese children with autism using G-banding and BAC FISH. Chin J Med Genet, 2005 Jun; 22(3):254-7.
YP. Wang, Q. Li, JJ. Xu, QJ. Liu, WQ. Wang, Y. Lin, F. Ma, TJ. Chen, SK. Li and Y. Shen. Mutation analysis of five candidate genes in Chinese patients with hypospadias. Eur J Hum Genet. 2004 Sep; 12(9):706-12.
QJ. Liu, JB. Feng, X. Lu, XW. Wang, AY. Liu, F. Ma, SY. Y, Y. Shen. Detection of number abnormity of sex chromosome in patients with hypogonadia by interphase FISH. Chi J Bir Hea Her. 2004; 12(1).
QJ. Liu, F. Ma, XN. Chen. Research developments of genetics on autism. For Med Sci (Section of Genetics). 2003; 26(6).

*Authors contributed equally to the work