Prof. Zhongshu Tang received his Master degree in Neuroscience from the former Institute of Physiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, and his PhD degree in Biochemistry from the Max-Planck-Institute for Brain Research in Germany. He subsequently joined National Eye Institute/NIH for his postdoctoral training. In 2012, he joined the “100 Talent Program” of the Sun Yat-sen University and returned to China to join the SKLO/ZOC as a Professor and Principal Investigator. Dr. Tang has published nearly 30 peer-reviewed papers. His major research interests covers: 1. Functions of the VEGF/PDGF families in angiogenesis and neuroprotection. 2. Mechanism of neurodegenerative diseases, including glaucoma and AMD. 3. Functions and mechanisms of post-translational modifications such as ubiquitination and sumoylation. 4. Induction and transplantation of ocular stem cells.

Publications

1. He C, Zhao C, Kumar A, Lee C, Chen M, Huang L, Wang J, Ren X, Jiang Y, Chen W, Wang B, Gao Z, Zhong Z, Huang Z, Zhang F, Huang B, Ding H, Ju R, Tang Z, Liu Y, Cao Y, Li X, Liu X. Vasoprotective effect of PDGF-CC mediated by HMOX1 rescues retinal degeneration. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 2014;111:14806-14811

2. Huang Y, Hoffman C, Rajappa P, Kim JH, Hu W, Huse J, Tang Z, Li X, Weksler B, Bromberg J, Lyden DC, Greenfield JP. Oligodendrocyte progenitor cells promote neovascularization in glioma by disrupting the blood-brain barrier. Cancer Res 2014;74:1011-1021

3. Wang Y, Abu-Asab MS, Yu CR, Tang Z, Shen D, Tuo J, Li X, Chan CC. Platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF-C) inhibits neuroretinal apoptosis in a murine model of focal retinal degeneration. Lab Invest 94:674-682

4. Lee C, Zhang F, Tang Z, Liu Y, Li X. PDGF-C: a new performer in the neurovascular interplay. Trends Mol Med 2013;19:474-486

5. Hou X, Hu D, Wang Y, Tang Z, Zhang F, Chavakis T, Li Y, Li X. Targeting of junctional adhesion molecule-C inhibits experimental choroidal neovascularization. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 2012;53:1584-1591

6. Li X, Kumar A, Zhang F, Lee C, Tang Z. Complicated life, complicated VEGF-B. Trends Mol Med 2012;18:119-127

7. Zhang F, Li Y, Tang Z, Kumar A, Lee C, Zhang L, Zhu C, Klotzsche-von Ameln A, Wang B, Gao Z, Zhang S, Langer HF, Hou X, Jensen L, Ma W, Wong W, Chavakis T, Liu Y, Cao Y, Li X. Proliferative and survival effects of PUMA promote angiogenesis. Cell Reports 2012;2:1272-1285

8. Tang Z, Zhang F, Li Y, Arjunan P, Kumar A, Lee C, Li X. A mouse model of the cornea pocket assay for angiogenesis study. J Vis Exp. 2011;(54). pii:3077

9. Tang Z, Zhang S, Lee C, Kumar A, Arjunan P, Li Y, Zhang F, Li X. An optic nerve crush injury murine model to study retinal ganglion cell survival. J Vis Exp. 2011;(50). pii: 2685

10. Li X, Kumar A, Lee C, Tang Z, Li Y, Arjunan P, Hou X, Zhang F. Can VEGF-B be used to treat neurodegenerative diseases? Neurodegenerative Diseases Book vol.1 (In Tech-Open Access Publisher, book chapter, 2011)

11. Li X, Kumar A, Zhang F, Lee C, Li Y, Tang Z, Arjunan P. VEGF-independent angiogenic pathways induced by PDGF-C. Oncotarget. 2010;1(4):309-314

12. Hou X, Kumar A, Lee C, Wang B, Arjunan P, Dong L, Maminishkis A, Tang Z, Li Y, Zhang F, Zhang SZ, Wardega P, Chakrabarty S, Liu B, Wu Z, Colosi P, Fariss RN, Lennartsson J, Nussenblatt R, Gutkind JS, Cao Y, Li X. PDGF-CC blockade inhibits pathological angiogenesis by acting on multiple cellular and molecular targets. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA. 2010;107(27):12216-21

13. Kumar A, Hou X, Lee C, Li Y, Maminishkis A, Tang Z, Zhang F, Langer HF, Arjunan P, Dong L, Wu Z, Zhu LY, Wang L, Min W, Colosi P, Chavakis T, Li X. Platelet-derived growth factor-DD targeting arrests pathological angiogenesis by modulating glycogen synthase kinase-3beta phosphorylation. J Biol Chem. 2010;285(20):15500-10

14. Tang Z, Arjunan P, Lee C, Li Y, Kumar A, Hou X, Wang B, Wardega P, Zhang F, Dong L, Zhang Y, Zhang SZ, Ding H, Fariss RN, Becker KG, Lennartsson J, Nagai N, Cao Y, Li X. Survival effect of PDGF-CC rescues neurons from apoptosis in both brain and retina by regulating GSK3beta phosphorylation. J Exp Med. 2010;207(4):867-80

15. Li X, Lee C, Tang Z, Zhang F, Arjunan P, Li Y, Hou X, Kumar A, Dong L. VEGF-B: a survival, or an angiogenic factor? Cell Adh Migr. 2009;3(4):322-7

16. Zhang F, Tang Z, Hou X, Lennartsson J, Li Y, Koch AW, Scotney P, Lee C, Arjunan P, Dong L, Kumar A, Rissanen TT, Wang B, Nagai N, Fons P, Fariss R, Zhang Y, Wawrousek E, Tansey G, Raber J, Fong GH, Ding H, Greenberg DA, Becker KG, Herbert JM, Nash A, Yla-Herttuala S, Cao Y, Watts RJ, Li X. VEGF-B is dispensable for blood vessel growth but critical for their survival, and VEGF-B targeting inhibits pathological angiogenesis. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA. 2009;106(15):6152-7Scheschonka A, Tang Z, Betz H. Sumoylation in neurons: nuclear and synaptic roles? Trends Neurosci 2007;30:85-91

17. Tang Z, El Far O, Betz H, Scheschonka A. Pias1 interaction and sumoylation of metabotropic glutamate receptor 8. J Biol Chem 2005;280:38153-38159

18. Xu L, Sheng J, Tang Z, Wu X, Yu Y, Guo H, Shen Y, Zhou C, Paraoan L, Zhou J. Cystatin C prevents degeneration of rat nigral dopaminergic neurons: in vitro and in vivo studies. Neurobiol Dis 2005;18:152-165

19. Guo H, Tang Z, Yu Y, Xu L, Jin G, Zhou J. Apomorphine induces trophic factors that support fetal rat mesencephalic dopaminergic neurons in cultures. Eur J Neurosci 2002;16:1861-1870

20. Shen Y, Yu Y, Guo H, Tang Z, Yu FS, Zhou J. Identification and comparative analysis of differentially expressed proteins in rat striatum following 6-hydroxydopamine lesions of the nigrostriatal pathway: up-regulation of amyloid precursor-like protein 2 expression. Eur J Neurosci 2002;16:896-906

21. Tang Z, Yu Y, Guo H, Zhou J. Induction of tyrosine hydroxylase expression in rat fetal striatal precursor cells following transplantation. Neurosci Lett 2002;324:13-16

22. Xu H, Tang Z, Zhou C. Schwann cells promote the survival and growth of cholinergic neurons both in co-culture and co-graft. Chinese Journal of Neuroanatomy 2001;17:1-5

23. Zhou J, Yu Y, Tang Z, Shen Y, Xu L. Differential expression of mRNAs of GDNF family in the striatum following 6-OHDA-induced lesion. Neuroreport 2000;11:3289-3293

24. Zhou J, Shen Y, Tang Z, Xu L, Bradford HF, Yu Y. Striatal extracts promote the survival and phenotypic expression of rat fetal dopaminergic neurons in vitro. Neurosci Lett 2000;292:5-8

25. Tang Z, Xu H, Zhou C. Neurotrophic Effects of Primarily Cultured Schwann Cells Is Regulated By Their Interactions with Neural Cells. Chinese Journal of Neuroscience 2000;16:228-231