Fenghuang Zhan, PhD, MD

Research Program: Cancer Biology Faculty Rank: Professor of Medicine Campus: University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences College: College of Medicine Department: Internal Medicine

Cancer Research Interest

• Type of Research: Basic
• Research Interest Statement: I am the Director of myeloma research and my research focuses on myeloma drug resistance and disease progression. My research interests include: 1) Understanding how the genetic alterations in cancer cells contribute to tumor progression, alter treatment response, and create vulnerabilities that may be targeted therapeutically and 2) Develop new therapeutic strategies to overcome chemo and immune therapy resistance.

Contact Information

• Email Address: FZHAN@UAMS.EDU
• Profiles Research Networking Software: View Profile

Active Grants

• NIH/Nat. Cancer Institute – 1R01CA236814
  “Novel NEK2 signaling pathways in myeloma progression ”
  Principal Investigator
  06/01/20 – 05/31/25
• US Department of Defense – W81XWH1910500
  “CD24 Tumor-Initiating Cell as a Novel Therapeutic Target in Myeloma ”
  Principal Investigator
  04/15/20 – 11/14/23

Publications

• Fahmawi S, Schinke C, Thanendrarajan S, [et al., including Zhan F]. Under-representation of black patients with multiple myeloma in studies supporting International Myeloma Working Group guidelines. Journal of cancer policy. 2023 37:100433. PMID: 37468042.
• Caviness PC, Gai D, Lazarenko OP, [et al., including Zhan F]. Decreased bone resorption in Ezh2 myeloid cell conditional knockout mouse model. FASEB journal : official publication of the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology. 2023 37(7):e23019. PMID: 37272906.
• Sun F, Cheng Y, Ying J, [et al., including Zhan F]. A gene signature can predict risk of MGUS progressing to multiple myeloma. Journal of hematology & oncology. 2023 16(1):70. PMID: 37386588. PMCID: PMC10308756.
• Mohan M, Gong Z, Ashby TC, [et al., including Zhan F]. Concomitant deletion of the short arm (del(1p13.3)) and amplification or gain (1q21) of chromosome 1 by fluorescence in situ hybridization are associated with a poor clinical outcome in multiple myeloma. Cancer. 2023. PMID: 37282609.
• Abu Za'nouneh FJ, Ababneh O, Schinke C, [et al., including Zhan F]. Variability of definition of high-risk multiple myeloma across phase III clinical trials. EJHaem. 2023 4(2):454-458. PMID: 37206288. PMCID: PMC10188470.
• Mazahreh F, Mazahreh L, Schinke C, [et al., including Zhan F]. Risk of infections associated with the use of bispecific antibodies in multiple myeloma: a pooled analysis. Blood advances. 2023. PMID: 36857755. PMCID: PMC10331406.
• Choudhury S, Byrum SD, Alkam D, [et al., including Zhan F]. Expression of integrin β-7 is epigenetically enhanced in multiple myeloma subgroups with high-risk cytogenetics. Clinical epigenetics. 2023 15(1):18. PMID: 36737807. PMCID: PMC9898982.
• Bloedjes TA, de Wilde G, Khan GH, [et al., including Zhan F]. AKT supports the metabolic fitness of multiple myeloma cells by restricting FOXO activity. Blood advances. 2022. PMID: 36322819. PMCID: PMC10182179.
• Eliason S, Hong L, Sweat Y, [et al., including Zhan F]. Extracellular vesicle expansion of PMIS-miR-210 expression inhibits colorectal tumour growth via apoptosis and an XIST/NME1 regulatory mechanism. Clinical and translational medicine. 2022 12(9):e1037. PMID: 36116139. PMCID: PMC9482803.
• Alqazaqi R, Schinke C, Thanendrarajan S, [et al., including Zhan F]. Geographic and Racial Disparities in Access to Chimeric Antigen Receptor-T Cells and Bispecific Antibodies Trials for Multiple Myeloma. JAMA network open. 2022 5(8):e2228877. PMID: 36018590. PMCID: PMC9419017.
• Gai D, Chen JR, Stewart JP, [et al., including Zhan F]. CST6 suppresses osteolytic bone disease in multiple myeloma by blocking osteoclast differentiation. The Journal of clinical investigation. 2022. PMID: 35881476. PMCID: PMC9479617.
• Cheng Y, Sun F, Thornton K, [et al., including Zhan F]. FOXM1 regulates glycolysis and energy production in multiple myeloma. Oncogene. 2022. PMID: 35794249. PMCID: PMC9355869.
• Lin J, Huang D, Xu H, [et al., including Zhan F]. Macrophages: A communication network linking Porphyromonas gingivalis infection and associated systemic diseases. Frontiers in immunology. 2022 13:952040. PMID: 35967399. PMCID: PMC9363567.
• Roy Choudhury S, Ashby C, Zhan F, van Rhee F. Epigenetic Deregulation of Telomere-Related Genes in Newly Diagnosed Multiple Myeloma Patients. Cancers. 2021 13(24). PMID: 34944968. PMCID: PMC8699806.
• Sun F, Cheng Y, Riordan JD, [et al., including Zhan F]. WDR26 and MTF2 are therapeutic targets in multiple myeloma. Journal of hematology & oncology. 2021 14(1):203. PMID: 34876184. PMCID: PMC8650373.
• Gu C, Wang W, Tang X, [et al., including Zhan F]. CHEK1 and circCHEK1_246aa evoke chromosomal instability and induce bone lesion formation in multiple myeloma. Molecular cancer. 2021 20(1):84. PMID: 34090465. PMCID: PMC8178856.
• Li C, Xia J, Franqui Machin R, [et al., including Zhan F]. TRIP13 modulates protein deubiquitination and accelerates tumor development and progression of B cell malignancies. The Journal of clinical investigation. 2021. PMID: 34061780. PMCID: PMC8279583.
• Schinke CD, Boerma M, Bird JT, [et al., including Zhan F]. PHF19 inhibition as a therapeutic target in multiple myeloma. Current research in translational medicine. 2021 69(3):103290. PMID: 33894670. PMCID: PMC8316274.
• Jiang F, Tang X, Tang C, [et al., including Zhan F]. HNRNPA2B1 promotes multiple myeloma progression by increasing AKT3 expression via m6A-dependent stabilization of ILF3 mRNA. Journal of hematology & oncology. 2021 14(1):54. PMID: 33794982. PMCID: PMC8017865.
• Wendlandt EB, Darbro B, Xu H, [et al., including Zhan F]. Genetic Analysis of Multiple Myeloma Identifies Cytogenetic Alterations Implicated in Disease Complexity and Progression. Cancers. 2021 13(3). PMID: 33572851. PMCID: PMC7866300.
• Boyle EM, Deshpande S, Tytarenko R, [et al., including Zhan F]. The molecular make up of smoldering myeloma highlights the evolutionary pathways leading to multiple myeloma. Nature communications. 2021 12(1):293. PMID: 33436579. PMCID: PMC7804406.
• Chen JR, Zhao H, Wankhade UD, [et al., including Zhan F]. GPR109A mediates the effects of hippuric acid on regulating osteoclastogenesis and bone resorption in mice. Communications biology. 2021 4(1):53. PMID: 33420329. PMCID: PMC7794563.
• Pisano M, Cheng Y, Sun F, [et al., including Zhan F]. Laboratory Mice - A Driving Force in Immunopathology and Immunotherapy Studies of Human Multiple Myeloma. Frontiers in immunology. 2021 12:667054. PMID: 34149703. PMCID: PMC8206561.
• Li Z, Liu L, Du C, [et al., including Zhan F]. Therapeutic effects of oligo-single-stranded DNA mimicking of hsa-miR-15a-5p on multiple myeloma. Cancer gene therapy. 2020 27(12):869-877. PMID: 31988477.
• Deshpande S, Tytarenko RG, Wang Y, [et al., including Zhan F]. Monitoring treatment response and disease progression in myeloma with circulating cell-free DNA. European journal of haematology. 2020. PMID: 33107092.
• Gu C, Lu T, Wang W, [et al., including Zhan F]. RFWD2 induces cellular proliferation and selective proteasome inhibitor resistance by mediating P27 ubiquitination in multiple myeloma. Leukemia. 2020. PMID: 32901100.
• Mao XH, Zhuang JL, Zhao DD, [et al., including Zhan FH]. IgH translocation with undefined partners is associated with superior outcome in multiple myeloma patients. European journal of haematology. 2020 105(3):326-334. PMID: 32421883.
• Yu T, Du C, Ma X, [et al., including Zhan F]. Polycomb-like Protein 3 Induces Proliferation and Drug Resistance in Multiple Myeloma and Is Regulated by miRNA-15a. Molecular cancer research : MCR. 2020 18(7):1063-1073. PMID: 32312841.
• Xu J, Tan HB, Zhang YJ, [et al., including Zhan F]. Catalyst-Free One-Pot Synthesis of Densely Substituted Pyrazole-Pyrazines as Anti-Colorectal Cancer Agents. Scientific reports. 2020 10(1):9281. PMID: 32518332. PMCID: PMC7283261.
• Tong J, Xu X, Zhang Z, [et al., including Zhan F]. Hypoxia-induced long non-coding RNA DARS-AS1 regulates RBM39 stability to promote myeloma malignancy. Haematologica. 2020 105(6):1630-1640. PMID: 31289203. PMCID: PMC7271587.
• Gao M, Bai H, Jethava Y, [et al., including Zhan F]. Identification and Characterization of Tumor-Initiating Cells in Multiple Myeloma. Journal of the National Cancer Institute. 2020 112(5):507-515. PMID: 31406992. PMCID: PMC7225664.
• Xia J, He Y, Meng B, [et al., including Zhan F]. NEK2 induces autophagy-mediated bortezomib resistance by stabilizing Beclin-1 in multiple myeloma. Molecular oncology. 2020 14(4):763-778. PMID: 31955515. PMCID: PMC7138399.
• Sun F, Cheng Y, Walsh SA, [et al., including Zhan F]. Osteolytic disease in IL-6 and Myc dependent mouse model of human myeloma. Haematologica. 2020 105(3):e111-e115. PMID: 31221780. PMCID: PMC7049347.
• Wang Y, Huang J, Li B, [et al., including Zhan F]. A Small-Molecule Inhibitor Targeting TRIP13 Suppresses Multiple Myeloma Progression. Cancer research. 2020 80(3):536-548. PMID: 31732653.
• Brandt KE, Falls KC, Schoenfeld JD, [et al., including Zhan F]. Corrigendum to: Augmentation of intracellular iron using iron sucrose enhances the toxicity of pharmacological ascorbate in colon cancer cells [Redox Biol. (2018) 82-87]. Redox biology. 2020 28:100935. PMID: 29891355. PMCID: PMC6920117.
• Gu C, Jing X, Holman C, [et al., including Zhan F]. Correction to: Upregulation of FOXM1 leads to diminished drug sensitivity in myeloma. BMC cancer. 2019 19(1):1238. PMID: 31862002. PMCID: PMC6923850.
• Wu C, Zhang L, Brockman QR, [et al., including Zhan F]. Chimeric antigen receptor T cell therapies for multiple myeloma. Journal of hematology & oncology. 2019 12(1):120. PMID: 31752943. PMCID: PMC6873434.
• Yan Y, Mao X, Fan H, [et al., including Zhan F]. The impact of response kinetics for multiple myeloma in the era of novel agents. Blood advances. 2019 3(19):2895-2904. PMID: 31594763. PMCID: PMC6784522.
• Kong Y, Hu L, Lu K, [et al., including Zhan F]. Ferroportin downregulation promotes cell proliferation by modulating the Nrf2-miR-17-5p axis in multiple myeloma. Cell death & disease. 2019 10(9):624. PMID: 31423010. PMCID: PMC6698482.
• Ali M, Kowkuntla S, Delloro DJ, [et al., including Zhan F]. Chronic intermittent hypoxia enhances disease progression in myeloma-resistant mice. American journal of physiology. Regulatory, integrative and comparative physiology. 2019 316(5):R678-R686. PMID: 30892915. PMCID: PMC6589607.
• Umesalma S, Kaemmer CA, Kohlmeyer JL, [et al., including Zhan F]. RABL6A inhibits tumor-suppressive PP2A/AKT signaling to drive pancreatic neuroendocrine tumor growth. The Journal of clinical investigation. 2019 129(4):1641-1653. PMID: 30721156. PMCID: PMC6436899.
• Hao M, Barlogie B, Tricot G, [et al., including Zhan F]. Gene Expression Profiling Reveals Aberrant T-cell Marker Expression on Tumor Cells of Waldenström's Macroglobulinemia. Clinical cancer research : an official journal of the American Association for Cancer Research. 2019 25(1):201-209. PMID: 30279229. PMCID: PMC6320275.
• Janz S, Zhan F, Sun F, [et al.]. Germline Risk Contribution to Genomic Instability in Multiple Myeloma. Frontiers in genetics. 2019 10:424. PMID: 31139207. PMCID: PMC6518313.
• Gao M, Bai H, Jethava Y, [et al., including Zhan F]. CD24 Is a Phenotypic Marker and a Potential Therapeutic Target for Multiple Myeloma Tumor-Initiating Cells. Journal of the National Cancer Institute. 2019 112(5):507-515.
• Hao M, Barlogie B, Tricot G, [et al., including Zhan F]. Gene Expression Profiling Reveals Aberrant T-cell Marker Expression on Tumor Cells of Waldenstrom?s Macroglobulinemia. Clinical Cancer Research. 2019 25(1):201-209.
• Guo A, Wang Y, Chen B, [et al., including Zhan F]. E-C coupling structural protein junctophilin-2 encodes a stress-adaptive transcription regulator. Science (New York, N.Y.). 2018 362(6421). PMID: 30409805. PMCID: PMC6336677.
• Gu C, Jing X, Holman C, [et al., including Zhan F]. Upregulation of FOXM1 leads to diminished drug sensitivity in myeloma. BMC cancer. 2018 18(1):1152. PMID: 30463534. PMCID: PMC6249818.
• Tomasson MH, Ali M, De Oliveira V, [et al., including Zhan F]. Prevention Is the Best Treatment: The Case for Understanding the Transition from Monoclonal Gammopathy of Undetermined Significance to Myeloma. International journal of molecular sciences. 2018 19(11). PMID: 30453544. PMCID: PMC6274834.
• Franqui-Machin R, Hao M, Bai H, [et al., including Zhan F]. Destabilizing NEK2 overcomes resistance to proteasome inhibition in multiple myeloma. The Journal of clinical investigation. 2018 128(7):2877-2893. PMID: 29863498. PMCID: PMC6026005.
• Brandt KE, Falls KC, Schoenfeld JD, [et al., including Zhan F]. Augmentation of intracellular iron using iron sucrose enhances the toxicity of pharmacological ascorbate in colon cancer cells. Redox biology. 2018 14:82-87. PMID: 28886484. PMCID: PMC5591450.
• Cheng Q, Li X, Wang Y, [et al., including Zhan FH]. The ceramide pathway is involved in the survival, apoptosis and exosome functions of human multiple myeloma cells in vitro. Acta pharmacologica Sinica. 2018 39(4):561-568. PMID: 28858294. PMCID: PMC5888679.
• Gu C, Holman C, Sompallae R, [et al., including Zhan F]. Upregulation of FOXM1 in a subset of relapsed myeloma results in poor outcome. Blood cancer journal. 2018 8(2):22. PMID: 29449574. PMCID: PMC5814454.
• Guo A, Wang Y, Chen B, [et al., including Zhan F]. The E-C coupling structure protein junctophilin-2 encodes a stress-adaptive transcription regulator. Science. 2018 362(6421):1375-1384.
• Zhan X, Yu W, Franqui-Machin R, [et al., including Zhan F]. Alteration of mitochondrial biogenesis promotes disease progression in multiple myeloma. Oncotarget. 2017 8(67):111213-111224. PMID: 29340048. PMCID: PMC5762316.
• Hao M, Franqui-Machin R, Xu H, [et al., including Zhan F]. NEK2 induces osteoclast differentiation and bone destruction via heparanase in multiple myeloma. Leukemia. 2017 31(7):1648-1650. PMID: 28400617. PMCID: PMC5508075.
• Tao Y, Yang G, Yang H, [et al., including Zhan F]. TRIP13 impairs mitotic checkpoint surveillance and is associated with poor prognosis in multiple myeloma. Oncotarget. 2017 8(16):26718-26731. PMID: 28157697. PMCID: PMC5432292.
• Xia J, Xu H, Zhang X, [et al., including Zhan F]. Multiple Myeloma Tumor Cells are Selectively Killed by Pharmacologically-dosed Ascorbic Acid. EBioMedicine. 2017 18:41-49. PMID: 28229908. PMCID: PMC5405162.
• Gu Z, Xia J, Xu H, [et al., including Zhan F]. NEK2 Promotes Aerobic Glycolysis in Multiple Myeloma Through Regulating Splicing of Pyruvate Kinase. Journal of hematology & oncology. 2017 10(1):17. PMID: 28086949. PMCID: PMC5237262.
• Nadiminti K, Singh Abbi KK, Mott SL, [et al., including Zhan F]. VTD-melphalan is well tolerated and results in very high rates of stringent CR and MRD-negative status in multiple myeloma. OncoTargets and therapy. 2017 10:217-226. PMID: 28123303. PMCID: PMC5229169.