Zhen Fan, M.D.
Department of Experimental Therapeutics, Division of Cancer Medicine
Present Title & Affiliation
Primary Appointment
Professor, Department of Experimental Therapeutics, Division of Cancer Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX
Full Member, Graduate Faculty, The Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences (GSBS) (Joint appointment), The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX
Dual/Joint/Adjunct Appointment
Professor, Department of Experimental Therapeutics, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX
Full Member, Graduate Faculty, The Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences (GSBS), The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX
Research Interests
My laboratory has a track record in investigating the mechanism of action by which trastuzumab (a HER2-targeting antibody) and cetuximab (an EGFR-targeting antibody), 2 FDA-approved therapeutic antibodies, inhibit cancer metabolism (i.e., Warburg effect), tumor angiogenesis, cancer cell stemness, and cancer cell interaction with tumor stroma in the treatment of metastatic breast cancer, colorectal cancer, or head and neck cancer. Through our published work, we also made significant contributions toward our understanding on how aberrations in cancer cell signaling molecules (e.g. Akt, MAPK, MEK, mTOR, PI3K, PTEN, AMPK, Brk, LKB1, HIF-1α, STATs) and signal pathways downstream to HER2 and EGFR render cancer cell resistance to the therapeutic antibodies.
Our current research focuses on 2 directions leveraging existing resources in the laboratory and our expertise in cancer biology, tumor immunology, and antibody engineering & therapies. One direction is to improve antitumor activity of therapeutic antibodies by developing novel bispecific antibody (BsAbs). We design novel platforms of BsAbs for gaining of new mechanism of action, through which BsAbs will exhibit new therapeutic activities that do not exist in simple mixture of 2 parental antibodies. We are currently developing several BsAbs and testing their therapeutic activities in syngeneic mouse tumor models and in PDXs hosted in humanized mice. Our goal is to develop second-generation antibody-based drugs that have multiple therapeutic activities and thus are expected to be more effective than first-generation antibody drugs currently approved to treat cancer patients, such as trastuzumab and cetuximab, especially for treatment of cancer metastasis. Another direction is to redirect preexisting immunity acquired through vaccination or infection of infectious viruses for treating cancer metastasis. Our strategy is to develop an antibody targeting-based therapeutic approach to trick host immune system to perceive cancer cells as infectious virus-infected cells and thereby launch immune responses to attack the cancer cells using powerful preexisting immunity acquired via vaccination or infection of an infectious virus. We have successfully validated this novel strategy in preclinical mouse tumor models.
Education & Training
Degree-Granting Education
| 1988 | Shanghai Medical University, School of Graduate Studies (now Fudan University Graduate School), Shanghai, CN, M.S. in Histology/Embryology |
| 1985 | Shanghai Medical University (SMU), School of Medicine (now Fudan University Shanghai Medical College), Shanghai, CN, MD |
Postgraduate Training
| 1991-1994 | Research Fellowship, Postdoctoral fellow in Program of Molecular Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Sloan-Kettering Institute, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York |
| 1988-1991 | Clinical Residency, Zhongshan Hospital (SMU Hospital), Shanghai |
| 1984-1985 | Clinical Internship, Huashan Hospital (SMU Hospital), Shanghai |
Experience & Service
Other Professional Positions
Committee Chair, Experimental Therapeutics Department Seminar Series, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, 2013 - 2022
Committee Member, Experimental Therapeutics Department Mentorship Committee, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, 2013 - 2022
Committee Member, Experimental Therapeutics Department Seminar Series, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, 2007 - 2013
Editorial Activities
Editorial Board Member, American J Cancer Res, 2010 - Present
Editorial Board Member, BioScience Trends, 2007 - Present
Honors & Awards
| 2010 | "Wall of Science" for scientific achievements published in high impact Journal, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center |
| 2010 | Potu N. Rao Award for Excellence in Basic Science, Division of Cancer Medicine Faculty Recognition & Award Program, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center |
| 1999 - 2025 | Awardee, Breast Cancer Research Foundation, New York, NY |
| 1999 | Physician Referral Service Executive Council Award, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center |
| 1999 | Ovarian Cancer Research Program Development Award, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center |
| 1996 | Project Completion Certificate, State Commission of Science and Technology of China |
| 1996 | First Place Award for Achievements in Science and Technology, City Commission of Science and Technology of Shanghai, China |
| 1990 | Third Place Award for Achievements in Science and Technology, City Commission of Science and Technology of Shanghai, China |
| 1985 | Honor exemption from the nationwide admission examination to the Graduate School of Shanghai Medical University, Shanghai, China |
| 1980 | Honor Student, Shanghai First Medical College, Shanghai, China |
Selected Publications
Peer-Reviewed Articles
- Cunningham MP, Thomas H, Fan Z, Modjtahedi H. Responses of human colorectal tumor cells to treatment with the anti-epidermal growth factor receptor monoclonal antibody ICR62 used alone and in combination with the EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitor gefitinib. Cancer Res 66:7708-7715, 2006. e-Pub 2006. PMID: 16885373.
Book Chapters
- Milas L, Fan Z, Mason KA, Ang KK. Role of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and its inhibition in radiotherapy. In: Modification of Radiation Response. Springer-Verlag, 189-204, 2003.
- Mendelsohn J, Baird A, Fan Z, Markowitz S. Growth factors and their receptors in epithelial malignancies. In: Molecular Basis of Cancer. 2nd edition. WB Saunders, 137-161, 2001.
- Fan Z, Mendelsohn J. Breast cancer therapy with antibodies to EGF receptor and HER-2/neu. In: Contemporary Cancer Research Series: Breast Cancer. Humana Press, 419-436, 1999.
- Mendelsohn J, Baselga J, Wu X, Peng D, Brown C, Chou JL, Masui H, Fan Z. EGF receptor inhibition by antibody as anticancer therapy. In: EGF receptor in tumor growth and progression. Ernst Schering Research Foundation Workshop 19, Springer-Verlag, 234-251, 1997.
- Mendelsohn J, Fan Z, Baselga J. Combination therapy with cisplatinum and EGF receptor blockade. In: Platinum and other metal coordination compounds in cancer chemotherapy-2. Plenum Press, 155-163, 1996.
- Tang Z, Yu Y, Zhou X, Ma Z, Yang B, Lin Z, Lu J, Liu K, Fan Z, Zeng Z. B1.An analysis of 55 patients with cytoreduction and sequential resection for surgically verified unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma. In: Progress on catheterization and stage-resection in hepatoma. Jiangxi Science & Technology Publishing House, 140-148, [Chinese], 1994.
Patents
- Fan Z, Lu Y, Qiu S. BI-SPECIFIC ANTIBODIES AND USE THEREOF, 2025. Patent Number: US 2025/0074992 A1.
- Fan Z, Lu Y, Qiu S. VHS FORMAT BI-SPECIFIC ANTIBODIES SPECIFIC FOR HERZ AND VEGF AND USE THEREOF. Patent Number: US 12,168,691 B2.
Patient Reviews
CV information above last modified June 04, 2026