| Assoc Prof Feng Zhiwei
Associate Professor
Division of Molecular Genetics & Cell Biology
School of Biological Sciences
College of Science
Email: ZWFENG@ntu.edu.sg
Phone: (+65)65138270
Office: SBS-05n-22 |
| Education |
- PhD (Molecular Biology) University of Bern 1996
- MMed Tongji Medical University 1989
- Cert (Toxicology) Zhongsan Medical University 1985
- BM Henan Medical College 1983
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| Biography |
| Prof. Feng is currently in the School of Biological Sciences. He received his Bchelor and Master degrees in Medicine from Henan Medical University, China and Ph. D. degree from Berne University of Switzerland. |
| Research Interests |
My research interests started to clarify the molecular mechanisms of apoptosis, especially the transcription factor in regulation of mammary gland involution and neuronal cells. I have demonstrated that transcription factor AP-1 participate the progress of mammary epithelial cell apoptosis during involution, and effect of other factors on apoptosis, such as cell cycle related ones and milk accumulation, etc.
Later on, I studied the regulation of neuronal apoptosis induced by certain pathological factors and protection of apoptosis by growth factor. I found that NF-kB and JNK were involved in the activation of AP-1 which regulated neuronal apoptosis induced by nitric oxide, MPP+ and differentiation of neuroblastoma cells.
Recently, my group expands the research into the growth and differentiation of adult precursor cells and their application in the treatment of neuronal disorders. We studied the neuronal differentiation of bone marrow stromal cells, in which FGFR-1 and AP-1 were found required for bFGF induced neuronal differentiation. We also demonstrated that NCAM facilitates the recovery of mouse spinal cord injury via reducing neuronal apoptosis and promoting axon regeneration.
Currently, we continuously look into the effect of NCAM on the progression of mouse melanoma and migration of bone marrow stromal cells. We found that NCAM facilitates the growth and metastasis of melanoma, via the activation of cAMP, PI3K and association with -catenin pathways. We also successfully established and characterized rat glial precursor cells, NG2+ cells. We found that inhibition of EGF pathway could reprogramme gilal precursor cells into neurons and participate neuronal regeneration during spinal cord injury. |
| Research Grant |
- A*STAR Biomedical Research Council (-)
- A*STAR Biomedical Research Council (2006-)
- A*STAR Biomedical Research Council (2007-)
- National Medical Research Council (-)
- Start Up Grant (2008-2013)
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| Current Projects |
- Characterization and therapecutic evaluation of neuronal and myogenic progenitor-like cells cloned from bone marrow stromal cells in stroke and muscular dystrophy models
- Determination of the signalling molecules mediating neuronal differentiation of BMSCs induced by bFGF and therapeutic effect of neuronal differentiated BMSCs on spinal cord injury
- In vivo and in vitro characterization of adult neurogenesis in a model of mouse deficient for the activity of the neural stem cell factor CCG
- Study of the effect and mechanisms of neural cell adhesion molecules on spinal cord injury and treatment
- Study of the molecular mechanisms of bFGF induced neuronal transfifferentation of bone marrow stem cells and the therapeutic potential of spinal damage
- Study the mechanisms of ASK1 and NF-kB in MPP+ induced neuronal apoptosis and neuroprotection from IGF-1
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