Donghang Cheng, Ph.D.
Department of Pediatrics, Division of Pediatrics
Present Title & Affiliation
Primary Appointment
Assistant Professor, Department of Epigenetics and Molecular Carcinogenesis, Division of Science Park, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Smithville, TX
Research Interests
Studies indicate that arginine methylation is an important posttranslational modification that has been implicated in nuclear export, mRNA splicing, transcriptional control, and DNA repair. Recently, more evidence has linked this modification to carcinogenesis and metastasis. The focus of my research is to investigate the biological role of arginine methylation and develop specific protein arginine methyltransferase inhibitors as valuable tools for probing protein functions and therapeutic agents. Thus, my research is divided into three projects: 1) Functional analysis of PRMT6, 2) Characterizing the role of the transcriptional regulator PRMT6 in small cell lung cancer (SCLC), and medulloblastoma (MB), and 3) I am particularly excited to learn to perform pre-clinical studies and work towards clinical translation of my findings. My goal is to identify PRMT6 as a new target to develop its inhibitor for SCLC and MB treatment. Finally, I am putting efforts into developing imaging tools to monitor the fate of therapeutically administered immune cells. This project has allowed me to develop unique surgical methods for the implantation of tumor xenografts in the mouse lung and brain.
Education & Training
Degree-Granting Education
| 2001 | National Center for Drug Screening Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Shanghai, CHN, PHD, Pharmacology |
| 1997 | Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, CHN, MS, Pharmacology |
| 1990 | Liaoning University, Shenyang, CHN, BS, Biology |
Postgraduate Training
| 2001-2004 | Research Fellowship, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center Science Park-Research Division, Smithville, TX |
Selected Publications
Peer-Reviewed Articles
- Bae N, Viviano M, Su X, Lv J, Cheng D, Sagum C, Castellano S, Bai X, Johnson C, Khalil MI, Shen J, Chen K, Li H, Sbardella G, Bedford MT. Developing Spindlin 1 small-molecule inhibitors by using protein microarrays. Nat Chem Biol 13(7):750-756, 2017. e-Pub 2017. PMID: 28504676.
- Hu SB, Xiang JF, Li X, Xu Y, Xue W, Huang M, Wong CC, Sagum CA, Bedford MT, Yang L, Cheng D, Chen LL. Protein arginine methyltransferase CARM1 attenuates the paraspeckle-mediated nuclear retention of mRNAs containing IRAlus. Genes Dev 29(6):630-45, 2015. PMID: 25792598.
- Castellano S, Spannhoff A, Milite C, Dal Piaz F, Cheng D, Tosco A, Viviano M, Yamani A, Cianciulli A, Sala M, Cura V, Cavarelli J, Novellino E, Mai A, Bedford MT, Sbardella G. Identification of small-molecule enhancers of arginine methylation catalyzed by coactivator-associated arginine methyltransferase 1. J Med Chem 55(22):9875-90, 2012. e-Pub 2012. PMID: 23095008.
- Cheng D, Valente S, Castellano S, Sbardella G, Di Santo R, Costi R, Bedford MT, Mai A. Novel 3,5-Bis(bromohydroxybenzylidene)piperidin-4-ones as coactivator-associated arginine methyltransferase 1 inhibitors: Enzyme selectivity and cellular activity. J Med Chem 54(13):4928-32, 2011.
- Cheng D and Bedford MT. Xenoestrogens Regulate the activity of Arginine Methyltransferases. Chembiochem 12(2):323-9, 2011. PMID: 21243720.
- Castellano S, Milite C, Ragno R, Simeoni S, Mai A, Limongelli V, Novellino E, Bauer I, Brosch G, Spannhoff A, Cheng D, Bedford MT, Sbardella G. Design, synthesis and biological evaluation of carboxy analogues of arginine methyltransferase inhibitor 1 (AMI-1). ChemMedChem 5(3):398-414, 2010. PMID: 20091730.
- Kim D, Lee J, Cheng D, Li J, Carter C, Richie E, Bedford MT. Enzymatic activity is required for the in vivo functions of CARM1. J Biol Chem 285(2):1147-52, 2010. e-Pub 2009. PMID: 19897492.
- Mai A, Cheng D, Bedford MT, Valente S, Nebbioso A, Perrone A, Brosch G, Sbardella G, De Bellis F, Miceli M, Altucci L. epigenetic multiple ligands: mixed histone/protein methyltransferase, acetyltransferase, and class III deacetylase (sirtuin) inhibitors. J Med Chem 51(7):2279-90, 2008. e-Pub 2008. PMID: 18348515.
- Yadav N, Cheng D, Richard S, Morel M, Iyer VR, Aldaz CM, Bedford MT. CARM1 promotes adipocyte differentiation by coactivating PPARgamma. EMBO Rep 9(2):193-8, 2008. e-Pub 2008. PMID: 18188184.
- Iberg AN, Espejo A, Cheng D, Kim D, Michaud-Levesque J, Richard S, Bedford MT. Arginine methylation of the histone H3 tail impedes effector binding. J Biol Chem 283(6):3006-10, 2008. e-Pub 2007. PMID: 18077460.
- Sayegh J, Webb K, Cheng D, Bedford MT, Clarke SG. Regulation of protein arginine methyltransferase 8 (PRMT8) activity by its N-terminal domain. J Biol Chem 282(50):36444-53, 2007. e-Pub 2007. PMID: 17925405.
- Mai A, Valente S, Cheng D, Perrone A, Ragno R, Simeoni S, Sbardella G, Brosch G, Nebbioso A, Conte M, Altucci L, Bedford MT. Synthesis and biological validation of novel synthetic histone/protein methyltransferase inhibitors. ChemMedChem 2(7):987-91, 2007. PMID: 17458842.
- Swiercz R, Cheng D, Kim D, Bedford MT. Ribosomal protein rpS2 is hypomethylated in PRMT3-deficient mice. J Biol Chem 282(23):16917-23, 2007. e-Pub 2007. PMID: 17439947.
- Cheng D, Cote J, Shaaban S, Bedford MT. The arginine methyltransferase CARM1 regulates the coupling of transcription and mRNA processing. Mol Cell 25(1):71-83, 2007. PMID: 17218272.
- Naeem H, Cheng D, Zhao Q, Underhill C, Tini M, Bedford MT, Torchia J. The activity and stability of the transcriptional coactivator p/CIP/SRC-3 are regulated by CARM1-dependent methylation. Mol Cell Biol 27(1):120-34, 2007. e-Pub 2006. PMID: 17043108.
- El Messaoudi S, Fabbrizio E, Rodriguez C, Chuchana P, Fauquier L, Cheng D, Theillet C, Vandel L, Bedford MT, Sardet C. Coactivator-associated arginine methyltransferase 1 (CARM1) is a positive regulator of the Cyclin E1 gene. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 103(36):13351-6, 2006. e-Pub 2006. PMID: 16938873.
- Cheng D, Yadav N, King RW, Swanson MS, Weinstein EJ, Bedford MT. Small molecule regulators of protein arginine methyltransferases. J Biol Chem 279(23):23892-9, 2004. e-Pub 2004. PMID: 15056663.
Book Chapters
- Cheng D, Vemulapalli V, Bedford MT. Methods applied to the study of protein arginine methylation. In: Methods Enzymol, 71-92, 2012.
- Lee J, Cheng D, Bedford MT. Techniques in protein methylation. In: Methods Mol Biol, 195-208, 2004.
Grant & Contract Support
| Date: | 2023 - 2028 |
| Title: | Priming preclinical magnetic particle Imaging (MPI) for brain Tumor NK Cell tracking in Humans (PITCH) |
| Funding Source: | NIH/NCI |
| Role: | Collaborator |
| ID: | 1R01CA281832-01 |
| Date: | 2022 - 2026 |
| Title: | HDO Imaging is a Quantitative Marker of Cerebral Glucose Oxidation |
| Funding Source: | NIH/NCI |
| Role: | Collaborator |
| ID: | 1R01EB032376-01A1 |
| Date: | 2022 - 2024 |
| Title: | Repurposing migraine medication for DIPG therapy |
| Funding Source: | Uncle Kory Foundation |
| Role: | Co-Investigator |
| Date: | 2022 - 2022 |
| Title: | Study of PRMT6 in Small Cell Lung Cancer |
| Funding Source: | DRP-Lung SPORE grant |
| Role: | Principal Investigator |
| Date: | 2021 - 2023 |
| Title: | Study of ONC201 as an Immuno-sensitizer for DIPGs |
| Funding Source: | Chance For Hope Foundation |
| Role: | Co-Principal Investigator |
| Date: | 2021 - 2023 |
| Title: | Study of ING2 in Medulloblastoma |
| Funding Source: | MD Anderson Cancer Center |
| Role: | Principal Investigator |
| Date: | 2020 - 2024 |
| Title: | High sensitivity 19F MRI for clinically translatable imaging of adoptive NK cell brain tumor therapy |
| Funding Source: | Cancer Prevention & Research Institute of Texas (CPRIT) |
| Role: | Co-Investigator |
| ID: | RP20223 |
| Date: | 2018 - 2024 |
| Title: | Pediatric Solid Tumors Comprehensive Data Resource Core |
| Funding Source: | Cancer Prevention & Research Institute of Texas (CPRIT) |
| Role: | Collaborator |
| Date: | 2011 - 2013 |
| Title: | Arginine methyltransferase CARM1:Potential therapeutic target for prostate cancer |
| Funding Source: | NIH/NCI |
| Role: | Principal Investigator |
| ID: | 1R21CA165216-01 |
| Title: | Alternative transcript synthesis in medulloblastoma |
| Funding Source: | NIH/NCI |
| Role: | Co-Investigator |
| Title: | REST-SETDB1 in DIPG |
| Funding Source: | Cancer Prevention & Research Institute of Texas (CPRIT) |
| Role: | Co-Investigator |
| Title: | Study of PRMT6 in Small Cell Lung Cancer |
| Funding Source: | NIH/NCI |
| Role: | Principal Investigator |
| Title: | Study of ING2 Chromatin Remodeler in Pediatric Brain Tumor |
| Funding Source: | MD Anderson Cancer Center |
| Role: | Principal Investigator |
| ID: | UTMDACC Institutional Research Grant |
| Title: | Arginine methyltransferase CARM1 is a Potential therapeutic target for prostate cancer |
| Funding Source: | Sidney Kimmel Foundation |
| Role: | Principal Investigator |
Patient Reviews
CV information above last modified December 14, 2023