PhD-student
Jin Ma
Research:
My research is focused on endothelial to mesenchymal transition (EndMT). EndMT, which is known can be mediated by TGF-β family proteins, plays pivotal roles in both embryogenesis and some serious disorders in clinical. We firstly report that BMP9 serves as neither a EndMT driver or inhibitor. Mechanistically, we have revealed that the transcription factors, including Snail, Slug and IDs, strongly engaged in regulating TGF-β family protein mediated EndMT. Our study demonstrates that Snail is required for TGF-β2-induced EndMT in two murine endothelial cell lines MS-1 and 2H11. In contrast, IDs, belonging to basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH) family transcriptional regulatory proteins, are function as EndMT suppressor and critical in maintaining cell endothelial characteristics. As IDs can be upregulated by BMP9, this may provide explanation for BMP9 induces Snail and Slug but fails to trigger EndMT. Thus, exhibited EndMT state and cell phenotype after circumstance ligands stimulation are the results of the competition between opposite function of Snail/ Slug and IDs.
We also collaborated with Oncodesign company to design and identify novel macrocyclic inhibitors targeting BMP signalling. We are trying to apply these inhibitors in inhibiting endothelial cells function and in realising anti-angiogenesis in vivo.
Curriculum Vitae:
I completed my master in Pharmacy at Sichuan University in 2017. From October 2017, I started my PhD in Prof. Peter ten Dijke’s group to investigate TGF-β signal pathway related diseases.
Publications
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"TGF-β-Induced Endothelial to Mesenchymal Transition Is Determined by a Balance Between SNAIL and ID Factors."
Ma, Jin, Gerard van der Zon, Manuel AFV Gonçalves, Maarten van Dinther, Midory Thorikay, Gonzalo Sanchez-Duffhues, and Peter ten Dijke.
Frontiers in Cell and Developmental Biology 9 (2021): 182.
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TGF-β-mediated Endothelial to Mesenchymal Transition (EndMT) and the Functional Assessment of EndMT Effectors using CRISPR/Cas9 Gene Editing.
Ma, J., van der Zon, G., Sanchez-Duffhues, G., ten Dijke, P.
J. Vis. Exp. (168), e62198, doi:10.3791/62198 (2021).
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"Tgf-β-induced endothelial to mesenchymal transition in disease and tissue engineering."
Ma, Jin, Gonzalo Sanchez-Duffhues, Marie-José Goumans, and Peter Ten Dijke.
Frontiers in cell and developmental biology 8 (2020).
Groups:
