Hao Huang, PhD
Research Associate Professor, Obstetrics and Gynecology
Research Program
- Translational Research in Malignancy (TRIM)
Cancer-Focused Research
The goal of Dr. Huang's research is to understand how RNA methylation, particularly N6-methyladenosine (m6A), regulates gene expression and contributes to platinum (Pt) resistance in ovarian cancer. My work focuses on how m6A-modifying enzymes—such as the methyltransferase METTL3 and demethylase FTO—affect the survival and stemness of cancer stem cells (CSCs), which play a key role in drug resistance and tumor recurrence. I discovered that FTO expression is suppressed in ovarian tumors and CSCs, and that restoring FTO reduces CSC self-renewal and increases Pt sensitivity. My current research builds on this by identifying m6A-modified transcripts linked to the DNA damage response, RNA stability, and chromatin state in Pt-sensitive and Pt-resistant models. Using approaches like MERIP-seq, RNA-seq, and ribosome profiling, I aim to define how these RNA marks shape tumor behavior. In parallel, I am using genome editing and epigenomic profiling (ATAC-seq and ChIP-seq) to study how m6A affects chromatin structure in resistant cells. The long-term goal is to uncover new therapeutic targets and biomarkers by understanding how epitranscriptomic and chromatin-level changes drive resistance, ultimately improving treatment strategies for ovarian cancer.