Nan Tang, Ph.D.

Associate Investigator, NIBS, Beijing，China

Phone：86-10-80726688

Fax： 86-10-80726689

E-mail：tangnan@nibs.ac.cn

Education

2005 Ph. D., University of California, San Diego, CA, USA

1993 M.D., Xi’An JiaoTong University, Xi’An, P. R. China

Professional Experience

2019- Associate Investigator, National Institute of Biological Sciences, Beijing, China   

2012-2019 Assistant Investigator, National Institute of Biological Sciences, Beijing, China

2006-2012 Postdoctoral Fellow, Dept. of Anatomy and Program in Developmental Biology, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA

2000-2005 Graduate Research Assistant in Molecular Pathology, Universityof California, San Diego, CA, USA

1998-2000 Postdoctoral Researcher, Cell and Developmental Biology, Division of BiologicalSciences, University of California, San Diego, CA, USA

Research Description

Pulmonary alveoli are essential for the vital gas exchange function of the lungs. The pulmonary alveolar epithelium is composed of alveolar type I (AT1) and alveolar type II (AT2) epithelial cells. The research goal of our laboratory is to understand the cellular and molecular basis of alveolar development and regeneration.

During the late embryonic development stage, the distal airways begin to expand and form thin wall terminal sacs. By employing a convergence of mouse genetics, cell biology, and three-dimensional time-lapse imaging, we are investigating the genetic and cellular mechanisms that underlie the complex orchestration of alveolar morphogenesis and alveolar epithelial cell fate specification.

The lungs are constantly exposed to environmental agents. The alveolar epithelium serves as an important epithelial barrier to protect our body from the outside world. We are interested in understanding the mechanisms that regulate post-injury alveolar epithelial cell regeneration.  We are also interested in understanding how alveolar epithelial cells perform their distinct functions in lung homeostasis and diseases. Knowledge obtained from our studies should significantly advance our understanding of respiratory disorders and congenital defects in human neonates, and provide insight into adult lung regeneration after the lung injury. Furthermore, our studies will provide information that is fundamental for future bioengineering efforts aimed at generating a functional respiratory organ.

Publications

1. Wang YX, Bin EN, Yuan J, Huang M, Chen JY, Tang N*. (2023) Aberrant differentiation of epithelial progenitors is accompanied by a hypoxic microenvironment in the paraquat-injured human lung. Cell Discov. Accepted

2. Wang Z, Wei DD, Bin EN, Li J, Jiang KW, Lv TT, Mao XX, Wang FC, Dai HP, Tang N*. (2023) Enhanced glycolysis-mediated energy production in alveolar stem cells is required for alveolar regeneration. Cell Stem Cell. 30(8):1028-1042.e7.

3. Fu SL, Wang YX, Bin EN, Huang HW, Wang FC, Tang N*. (2023) c-JUN-mediated transcriptional responses in lymphatic endothelial cells are required for lung fluid clearance at birth. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 120(2): e2215449120.

4. Li J, Tang N*. (2023) Empowering human lung development. Cell Stem Cell. 30(1): 5-6.

5. Shen HY, Huang X, Zhao YH, Wu DM, Xue KL, Yao JF, Wang YS, Tang N, Qiu YF (2022) The Hippo pathway links adipocyte plasticity to adipose tissue fibrosis. Nat Commun. 13(1): 6030.

6. Wang YX, Tang N*. (2021) The diversity of adult lung epithelial stem cells and their niche in homeostasis and regeneration. Sci China Life Sci. 64(12):2045-2059.

7. Li J, Tang N*. (2021) Alveolar stem cell in lung development and regrowth. ERS Monograph on Lung Stem Cells in Development, Health and Disease. 91:17-30.

8. Wu HJ, Tang N*. (2021) Stem cells in pulmonary alveolar regeneration. Development. 148(2): Dev193458.

9. Li H, Liu L, Zhang DY, Xu JY, Dai HP, Tang N, Su X, Cao B. (2020) SARS-CoV-2 and viral sepsis: observations and hypotheses. Lancet. 395(10235): 1517-1520.

10. Chen JY, Wu HJ, Yu YY, Tang N*. (2020) Pulmonary alveolar regeneration in adult COVID-19 patients. Cell Res. 30:708-710.

11. Wu HJ, Yu YY, Huang HW, Hu YC, Fu SL, Wang Z, Shi MT, Zhao X, Yuan J, Li J, Yang XY, Bin EN, Wei D, Zhang HB, Zhang J, Yang C, Cai T, Dai HP, Chen JY, Tang N*. (2020) Progressive pulmonary fibrosis is caused by sustained elevated mechanical tension on alveolar stem cells. Cell. 180(1):107-121. e17.

12. Chu QQ, Yao CF, Qi XB, Stripp BR, Tang N*. (2019) STK11 is required for the normal program of ciliated cell differentiation in airways. Cell Discov. 5:36.

13. Van Soldt BJ, Qian J, Li J, Tang N, Lu J, Cardoso WV. (2019) Yap and its subcellular localization have distinct compartment-specific roles in the developing lung. Development. 146(9).

14. Li J, Tang N*. (2018) May the force be with you. Dev Cell. 47(6):673-674.

15. Jiang K, Tang Z, Li J, Wang F, Tang N*. (2018) Anxa4 mediated airway progenitor cell migration promotes distal epithelial cell fate specification. Sci Rep. 8(1):14344.

16. Liu L, Lu J, Li X, Wu A, Wu Q, Zhao M, Tang N, Song H. (2018) The LIS1/NDE1 complex is essential for FGF signaling by regulating FGF receptor intracellular trafficking. Cell Rep. 22(12):3277-3291.

17. Lin R, Feng Q, Li P, Zhou P, Wang R, Liu Z, Wang Z, Qi XB, Tang N, Shao F, Luo MM. (2018) A hybridization-chain-reaction-based method for amplifying immunosignals. Nat Methods. 15(4):275-278.

18. Wang Y, Tang Z, Huang H, Li J, Wang Z, Yu Y, Zhang C, Li J, Dai H, Wang F, Cai T, Tang N*. (2018) Pulmonary alveolar type I cell population consists of two distinct subtypes that differ in cell fate. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA. 115(10):2407-2412.

19. Li J, Wang Z, Chu QQ, Jiang KW, Li J, Tang N*. (2018) The strength of mechanical forces determines the differentiation of alveolar epithelial cells. Dev Cell. 44(3):297-312.

20. Tang Z, Hu YC, Wang Z, Jiang KW, Zhan C, Marshall WF, Tang N*. (2018) Mechanical forces program the orientation of cell division during airway tube morphogenesis. Dev Cell. 44(3):313-325.

21. Wang Z, Tang N*. (2017) The LUNGe to model alveolar lung diseases in a dish. Cell Stem Cell. 21(4): 413-414.

22. Liu Z, Fu SL, Tang N*. (2017) A standardized method for measuring internal lung surface area via mouse pneumonectomy and prosthesis implantation. J Vis Exp. (125):56114.

23. Liu Z, Wu HJ, Jiang KW, Wang YJ, Zhang WJ, Chu QQ, Li J, Huang HW, Cai T, Ji HB, Yang C, Tang N*. (2016) MAPK-mediated YAP activation controls mechanical-tension-induced pulmonary alveolar regeneration. Cell Rep. 16(7):1810-9.

24. Tang N, and Marshall WF. (2013) Computational analysis of the spatial distribution of mitotic spindle angles in mouse developing airway. Proc. SPIE. 8593.

25. Tang N, and Marshall WF. (2012) Centrosome positioning in vertebrate development. J Cell Sci. 125:4951-4961.

26. Tang N, Marshall WF, McMahon M, Metzger RJ, Martin GR. (2011) Control of mitotic spindle angle by the RAS-regulated ERK1/2 Pathway determines lung tube shape. Science. 333:342-5.

27. Zheng B, Tang T, Tang N, Kudlicka K, Ohtsubo K, Ma P, Marth JD, Farquhar MG, Lehtonen E. (2006) Essential role of RGF-PX1/sorting nexin 13 in mouse development and regulation of endocytosis dynamics. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA. 103(45):16776-81.

28. Tang N, Mack F, Haase VH, Simon MC and Johnson RS. (2006) pVHL function is essential for endothelial extracellular matrix deposition. Mol Cell Biol. 26(7):2519-30.

29. Mendoza MC, Du F, Iranfar N, Tang N, Ma H, Loomis WF, Firtel RA. (2005) Loss of SMEK, a novel, conserved protein, suppresses mek1 null cell polarity, chemotaxis and gene expression defects. Mol Cell Biol. 25(17):7839-53.

30. Tang N, Wang LC, Esko J, Giodano F, Huang Y, Gerber HP, Ferrara N and Johnson RS. (2004) Loss of HIF-1alpha in endothelial cells disrupts a hypoxia-driven VEGF autocrine loop necessary for tumorigenesis. Cancer Cell. 6(5):485-95.