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Biao He, Ph.D.
Assistant Adjunct Professor of Surgery
Contact Information
University Of California, San Francisco
San Francisco, CA 94115-0128
(415) 502-0555 Voice
(415) 502-3179 Fax
bhe@cc.ucsf.edu
Education
- 1988-93, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China B.Sc. Biochemistry
- 1993-95, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China M.S. Biochemistry
- 1995-01, University of Virginia Ph.D. Molecular Genetics
Fellowships
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1998-2000, Predoctoral Research Fellowship, Department of Defense, Breast Cancer Research Program
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2006, Sandler Foundation Postdoctoral Research Fellowship
Postdoctoral Training
- 2001-02, Postdoctoral Researcher, UCSF Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center,
- 2002-04, Assistant Research Molecular Biologist, UCSF Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center
Program Affiliations
- Thoracic Oncology Program
- Thoracic Oncology Laboratory
- UCSF Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center
- UCSF Department of Surgery
Research Interests
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Epigenetics
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Stem cell biology, cancer stem cells
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Isolation of lung cancer stem cells
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Novel targeted therapies for lung & colon cancer, mesothelioma
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Small molecule inhibitors
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Wnt and Hedgehog signaling
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Microarrays and high throughput scanning
Biography
Dr. Biao He is a molecular geneticist and senior scientist in the Thoracic Oncology Laboratory at the UCSF Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center. Dr. He graduated from the prestigious Tsinghua University in Beijing, China with a B.S. and M.S. in Biochemistry. He later received a Ph.D. from the University of Virginia in molecular genetics. Dr. He was recruited to the Thoracic Oncology Laboratory based on his extensive knowledge of the Wnt signaling pathway and RNA interference (RNAi). He began as a postdoctoral fellow and soon advanced to the position of Assistant Research Molecular Biologist. In 2004, Dr. He joined the UCSF faculty as an Adjunct Assistant Professor in the Department of Surgery. Since 2001, Dr. He has been the author of numerous peer-reviewed papers. His current research is focused on the molecular mechanisms of non-small cell lung cancer and mesothelioma. He is also developing targeted therapies against these diseases.
Dr. He has also been the recipient of numerous awards including the Hua Luogeng Memorial Fellowship, Eileen Ludwig Award for Thoracic Oncology Research, and Barbara Isackson Award for Thoracic Oncology Research.
Research Summary
- Molecular biology of non-small cell lung cancer and mesothelioma with emphasis on identification and validation of novel markers and potential therapeutic targets
- Isolation of lung cancer stems cells.
- Development and characterization of therapeutic monoclonal antibodies for in vitro pharmacology and in vivo preclinical studies
- Role of epigenetic alterations in certain promoters in carcinogenesis and use of methylation as an early marker for detection of lung cancer and mesothelioma
- Elucidation of novel molecular mechanisms involving Wnt and hedgehog signal pathways in lung cancer and mesothelioma
- Screening for small molecule inhibitors of these pathways to identify potential leads for future targeted therapies.
Selected Publications
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He B, Lee AY, Dadfarmay S, You L, Xu Z, Reguart N, Mazieres J, Mikami I, McCormick F, Jablons DM. Secreted frizzled-related protein 4 is silenced by hypermethylation and induces apoptosis in beta-catenin-deficient human mesothelioma cells. Cancer Res. 65: 743-8, Feb/1/2005.
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He B, Reguart N, You L, Mazieres J, Xu Z, Lee AY, Mikami I, McCormick F, Jablons DM. Blockade of Wnt-1 signaling induces apoptosis in human colorectal cancer cells containing downstream mutations. Oncogene. 24: 3054-8, Apr/21/2005.
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Zhou BB, Peyton M, He B, Liu C, Girard L, Caudler E, Lo Y, Baribaud F, Mikami I, Reguart N, Yang G, Li Y, Yao W, Vaddi K, Gazdar AF, Friedman SM, Jablons DM, Newton RC, Fridman JS, Minna JD, Scherle PA. Targeting ADAM-mediated ligand cleavage to inhibit HER3 and EGFR pathways in non-small cell lung cancer. Cancer Cell. 10: 39-50, Jul/2006.
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Fujii N, You L, Xu Z, Uematsu K, Shan J, He B, Mikami I, Edmondson LR, Neale G, Zheng J, Guy RK, Jablons DM. An antagonist of dishevelled protein-protein interaction suppresses beta-catenin-dependent tumor cell growth. Cancer Res. 67: 573-9, Jan/15/2007.
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Shi Y, He B, Kuchenbecker KM, You L, Xu Z, Mikami I, Yagui-Beltran A, Clement G, Lin YC, Okamoto J, Bravo DT, Jablons DM. Inhibition of Wnt-2 and galectin-3 synergistically destabilizes beta-catenin and induces apoptosis in human colorectal cancer cells. Int J Cancer. 121: 1175-1181, May/29/2007.
In the News
Biao He Awarded R01 Funding to Study Small Molecule Inhibitors in NSCLC
UCSF Department of Surgery - Feb 04, 2009Biao He, Ph.D., an Assistant Professor of Surgery and molecular geneticist in the Thoracic Oncology Laboratory, was awarded an NIH R01 grant to study small molecule inhibitors of Wnt-2 transcription in NSCLC. The goal of the research is to develop novel Wnt-based therapies to treat lung cancer.
Biao He Awarded Lung Cancer Research Grant by Joan’s Legacy
Joan's Legacy, New York, NY - Oct 31, 2006Biao He, PhD was awarded a $100,000 grant from the Joan Scarangello Foundation to Conquer Lung Cancer, also known as Joan's Legacy to study Bronchioalveolar Carcinoma (BAC): Identification of Novel Wnt Signaling-Related Therapeutic Targets Against Bronchioalveolar Carcinoma.
UCSF Researchers Fingerprint Lung Tumors, Test New Drug Candidate
UCSF Today, CA - Jul 27, 2006Adding their own contributions to a rapidly advancing field, UCSF researchers - along with colleagues from Incyte Corporation and the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center - have described new targets in lung cancer and evaluated a promising new drug candidate that halts growth signals in tumor cells grown in the lab. Their report is featured in the July issue of the scientific journal Cancer Cell.
