Dr Ning Wang
BSc, MSc, MRes, PhD, FHEA
Clinical Medicine, School of Medicine and Population Health
Principal Investigator


+44 114 215 9216
Full contact details
Clinical Medicine, School of Medicine and Population Health
DU30, D Floor
The Medical School
Beech Hill Road
Sheffield
S10 2RX
- Profile
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For enquiries, please contact - iicd-om-operational@sheffield.ac.uk
I undertook my undergraduate (BSc) and postgraduate (MRes) training in biology at Ocean University of China. After moving to the UK in 2004, I studied the trend of Biotech-industry development at Loughborough University and gained my MSc in Management the following year.
I then joined Professor Alison Gartland’s group in Sheffield and was awarded my PhD in 2010 after completing my PhD project in investigating the roles of purinergic signalling in osteoporosis. I was subsequently appointed as a Post-doctoral Research Associate in Dr Colby Eaton’s lab and developed the models used in the identification of dormant metastasis initiating tumour cells in a Cancer Research UK programme grant.
I was then employed as a Senior Post-doctoral Research Associate in Professor Tim Skerry’s group within the Department of Oncology & Metabolism and worked on the Wellcome Trust sponsored programme in development of novel agents for the treatment of pancreatic cancer.
I am currently a Principal Investigator in the Cancer theme in the Department of Oncology & Metabolism.
- Research interests
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My research interests are focused on discovery research in musculoskeletal diseases such as cancer induced bone disease, osteoporosis and osteoarthritis. Currently, multiple on-going projects are focused on characterizing metastasis initiating cancer cells, investigating interactions between these cells and the bone microenvironment, and exploring novel approaches (e.g. physical exercise, targeting purinergic signalling and glycosylation) to mitigate cancer aggressiveness and bone metastasis.
Current research projects
- Targeting GALNT7 to develop new drugs for the personalised treatment of prostate cancer (Prostate Cancer UK Research Innovation Award)
- Using glycan targeting drugs to block prostate cancer bone metastasis (Prostate Cancer Research Project Grant)
Previous research projects
- Determining the impact of mechanical loading induced bone remodelling on the initiation and progression of prostate cancer skeletal metastasis (Prostate Cancer UK Research Innovation Award)
- Determining the impact of exercise on the initiation of breast cancer skeletal metastasis using pre-clinical models (Weston Park Cancer Charity Large Grant)
- Defining the role of P2X7 receptor in the prostate cancer metastasizing into the skeleton (The Royal Society International Exchange Scheme)
- Publications
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Show: Featured publications All publications
Featured publications
Journal articles
- PGE2 activates EP4 in subchondral bone osteoclasts to regulate osteoarthritis. Bone Research, 10(1). View this article in WRRO
- RSPO2 and RANKL signal through LGR4 to regulate osteoclastic premetastatic niche formation and bone metastasis. Journal of Clinical Investigation, 132(2). View this article in WRRO
- Inhibiting the P2X4 receptor suppresses prostate cancer growth in vitro and in vivo, suggesting a potential clinical target. Cells, 9(11). View this article in WRRO
- Cross-species RNA-seq study comparing transcriptomes of enriched osteocyte populations in the tibia and skull. Frontiers in Endocrinology, 11. View this article in WRRO
- The frequency of osteolytic bone metastasis is determined by conditions of the soil, not the number of seeds; evidence from in vivo models of breast and prostate cancer. Journal of Experimental and Clinical Cancer Research, 34(1), 124-124. View this article in WRRO
- Mitotic quiescence, but not unique “stemness,” marks the phenotype of bone metastasis-initiating cells in prostate cancer. The FASEB Journal, 29(8), 3141-3150. View this article in WRRO
- Prostate cancer cells preferentially home to osteoblast-rich areas in the early stages of bone metastasis: evidence from in vivo models.. J Bone Miner Res, 29(12), 2688-2696. View this article in WRRO
- Castration-induced bone loss triggers growth of disseminated prostate cancer cells in bone. Endocrine Related Cancer, 21(5), 769-781.
- Zoledronic acid has differential antitumor activity in the pre- and postmenopausal bone microenvironment in vivo.. Clin Cancer Res, 20(11), 2922-2932. View this article in WRRO
- The P2Y13 receptor regulates phosphate metabolism and FGF-23 secretion with effects on skeletal development.. FASEB J, 28(5), 2249-2259. View this article in WRRO
- The P2Y13 receptor regulates extracellular ATP metabolism and the osteogenic response to mechanical loading.. J Bone Miner Res, 28(6), 1446-1456. View this article in WRRO
- Reduced bone turnover in mice lacking the P2Y13 receptor of ADP.. Mol Endocrinol, 26(1), 142-152. View this article in WRRO
All publications
Journal articles
- ST6GAL1-mediated aberrant sialylation promotes prostate cancer progression.. J Pathol.
- Upregulation of GALNT7 in prostate cancer modifies O-glycosylation and promotes tumour growth. Oncogene, 42, 926-937.
- Absence of P2Y2 receptor does not prevent bone destruction in a murine model of muscle paralysis-induced bone loss. Frontiers in Endocrinology, 13. View this article in WRRO
- Defining the role of P2X4 receptor in the prostate cancer bone metastasis. Bone Reports, 16, 101209-101209.
- PGE2 activates EP4 in subchondral bone osteoclasts to regulate osteoarthritis. Bone Research, 10(1). View this article in WRRO
- A novel prostaglandin E receptor 4 (EP4) small molecule antagonist induces articular cartilage regeneration. Cell Discovery, 8(1). View this article in WRRO
- The proton-activated G protein-coupled receptor GPR4 regulates the development of osteoarthritis via modulating CXCL12/CXCR7 signaling. Cell Death & Disease, 13(2).
- G protein-coupled receptors in osteoarthritis. Frontiers in Endocrinology, 12. View this article in WRRO
- RSPO2 and RANKL signal through LGR4 to regulate osteoclastic premetastatic niche formation and bone metastasis. Journal of Clinical Investigation, 132(2). View this article in WRRO
- Accelerated development with increased bone mass and skeletal response to loading suggest receptor activity modifying protein-3 as a bone anabolic target. Frontiers in Endocrinology, 12. View this article in WRRO
- P2Y receptors in bone - anabolic, catabolic, or both?. Frontiers in Endocrinology, 12.
- Discovery of a first-in-class small molecule antagonist against the adrenomedullin-2 receptor: structure–activity relationships and optimization. Journal of Medicinal Chemistry. View this article in WRRO
- Inhibiting the P2X4 receptor suppresses prostate cancer growth in vitro and in vivo, suggesting a potential clinical target. Cells, 9(11). View this article in WRRO
- Different prostate cancer bone metastasis models respond differently to treadmill exercise. Bone Reports, 13, 100309-100309.
- Combined administration of a small-molecule inhibitor of TRAF6 and Docetaxel reduces breast cancer skeletal metastasis and osteolysis. Cancer Letters, 488, 27-39.
- Cross-species RNA-seq study comparing transcriptomes of enriched osteocyte populations in the tibia and skull. Frontiers in Endocrinology, 11. View this article in WRRO
- Discovery of a first-in-class potent small molecule antagonist against the adrenomedullin-2 receptor. ACS Pharmacology & Translational Science. View this article in WRRO
- PTH(1–34) treatment and/or mechanical loading have different osteogenic effects on the trabecular and cortical bone in the ovariectomized C57BL/6 mouse. Scientific Reports, 10(1). View this article in WRRO
- The longitudinal effects of ovariectomy on the morphometric, densitometric and mechanical properties in the murine tibia : a comparison between two mouse strains. Bone, 127, 260-270. View this article in WRRO
- The bone metastasis niche in breast cancer–potential overlap with the haematopoietic stem cell niche in vivo. Journal of Bone Oncology, 17. View this article in WRRO
- Pharmacological inhibition of the IKKε/TBK-1 axis potentiates the anti-tumour and anti-metastatic effects of Docetaxel in mouse models of breast cancer. Cancer Letters, 450, 76-87. View this article in WRRO
- Parathyroid Hormone (PTH) Increases Skeletal Tumour Growth and Alters Tumour Distribution in an In Vivo Model of Breast Cancer.. International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 19(10). View this article in WRRO
- P2X7 receptor regulates osteoclast function and bone loss in a mouse model of osteoporosis. Scientific Reports, 8(1). View this article in WRRO
- The Role of the Calcitonin Peptide Family in Prostate Cancer and Bone Metastasis. Current Molecular Biology Reports, 3(3), 197-203. View this article in WRRO
- Bone turnover is altered in transgenic rats overexpressing the P2Y2 purinergic receptor. Purinergic Signalling.
- Confocal/two-photon microscopy in studying colonisation of cancer cells in bone using xenograft mouse models. BoneKEy Reports, 5, 851-851. View this article in WRRO
- Mouse models for studying prostate cancer bone metastasis. BoneKEy Reports, 5. View this article in WRRO
- The frequency of osteolytic bone metastasis is determined by conditions of the soil, not the number of seeds; evidence from in vivo models of breast and prostate cancer. Journal of Experimental and Clinical Cancer Research, 34(1), 124-124. View this article in WRRO
- OPG-Fc inhibits ovariectomy-induced growth of disseminated breast cancer cells in bone. International Journal of Cancer, 137(4), 968-977. View this article in WRRO
- Mitotic quiescence, but not unique “stemness,” marks the phenotype of bone metastasis-initiating cells in prostate cancer. The FASEB Journal, 29(8), 3141-3150. View this article in WRRO
- Prostate cancer cells preferentially home to osteoblast-rich areas in the early stages of bone metastasis: evidence from in vivo models.. J Bone Miner Res, 29(12), 2688-2696. View this article in WRRO
- Castration-induced bone loss triggers growth of disseminated prostate cancer cells in bone. Endocrine Related Cancer, 21(5), 769-781.
- Targeting P2 receptors--current progress in treating musculoskeletal diseases.. Curr Opin Pharmacol, 16, 122-126. View this article in WRRO
- Zoledronic acid has differential antitumor activity in the pre- and postmenopausal bone microenvironment in vivo.. Clin Cancer Res, 20(11), 2922-2932. View this article in WRRO
- The P2Y13 receptor regulates phosphate metabolism and FGF-23 secretion with effects on skeletal development.. FASEB J, 28(5), 2249-2259. View this article in WRRO
- Role of the P2Y
13 receptor in the differentiation of bone marrow stromal cells into osteoblasts and adipocytes. Stem Cells, 31(12), 2747-2758. View this article in WRRO - Role of the P2X7 receptor in the osteogenic differentiation of mesenchymal cells and in osteoclast fusion: Presented by: Maria P. Abbracchio. Purinergic Signalling, 9(3), 281-284. View this article in WRRO
- The P2Y13 receptor regulates extracellular ATP metabolism and the osteogenic response to mechanical loading.. J Bone Miner Res, 28(6), 1446-1456. View this article in WRRO
- Abstract PD07-08: Zoledronic acid specifically inhibits development of bone metastases in the post-menopausal setting – evidence from an in vivo breast cancer model. Poster Discussion Abstracts.
- Purinergic signalling in bone.. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne), 3, 116. View this article in WRRO
- Reduced bone turnover in mice lacking the P2Y13 receptor of ADP.. Mol Endocrinol, 26(1), 142-152. View this article in WRRO
- The P2Y(6) receptor stimulates bone resorption by osteoclasts.. Endocrinology, 152(10), 3706-3716. View this article in WRRO
- Purification and characterization of trypsin-like enzymes from North Pacific krill (Euphausia pacifica).. Biotechnol Lett, 30(1), 67-72. View this article in WRRO
- Relating trypsin enzymatic properties with amino acid composition. International Journal of Peptide Research and Therapeutics, 14(2), 81-87.
- Prostate cancer bone metastases biology and clinical management (Review). Oncology Letters, 25(4).
- C‐terminal variants of the P2X7 receptor are associated with prostate cancer progression and bone metastasis – evidence from clinical and pre‐clinical data. Cancer Communications.
- Gene expression of P2 receptors in mitotically quiescent, prostate cancer bone metastasis initiating cells. Bone Abstracts.
- Role of receptor activity modifying proteins in skeletal regulation. Bone Abstracts.
- Role of receptor activity modifying protein 3 in the response of bone to mechanical loading. Bone Abstracts.
Chapters
- Dormancy in cancer bone metastasis, Bone Cancer (pp. 393-410). Elsevier
- Tracking Cancer Cells Colonization in Rodent Bone Using Two-Photon Microscopy, Methods in Molecular Biology (pp. 631-639). Springer New York
Conference proceedings papers
- Abstract 2904: Mechanical loading induced osteogenic response does not interfere with the colonization of breast cancer in bone. Tumor Biology
- Abstract 2797: Changes in the phenotype of macrophages and CD8+ T Cells in the perivascular niche of prostate tumours following androgen deprivation. Cancer Research, Vol. 81(13_Supplement) (pp 2797-2797)
- Abstract 3481: Continuous load bearing exercise inhibits the development of prostate cancer bone metastasis. Molecular and Cellular Biology / Genetics
- Abstract LB-136: Targeting perivascular macrophages to prevent castration resistance in men with high-risk, localized prostate cancer. Tumor Biology
- Abstract LB-136: Targeting perivascular macrophages to prevent castration resistance in men with high-risk, localized prostate cancer. Tumor Biology
- P2Y2 receptor overexpression results in decreased bone formation. BONE, Vol. 50 (pp S85-S86)
- P2Y2 receptor overexpression results in decreased bone formation. BONE, Vol. 50 (pp S67-S67)
- Deletion of the P2Y13 receptor leads to reduced bone turnover and protection from ovariectomy-induced bone loss. BONE, Vol. 48 (pp S227-S227)
Preprints
- Upregulation of GALNT7 in prostate cancer modifies O-glycosylation and promotes tumour growth, Research Square Platform LLC.
- Combining PTH(1-34) and mechanical loading has increased benefit to tibia bone mechanics in ovariectomised mice, Research Square Platform LLC.
- PGE2 activates EP4 in subchondral bone osteoclasts to regulate osteoarthritis. Bone Research, 10(1). View this article in WRRO
- Research group
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PhD Students
- Jiepei He
- Yuhan Zhou
- Norain B Ab Latif (Secondary supervisor)
Alumni
- Dr Hector M Arredondo (PhD student)
- Dr Boya Li (PhD student, Secondary supervisor)
- Dr Denise Giovana (PhD student, Secondary supervisor)
- Grants
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Sponsors
- Teaching interests
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My teaching interests are mainly supervising research projects for both postgraduates (PhD and MSc) and undergraduate (BMedSci and SSC). I also teach cancer and bone biology related lectures on the MBChB Phase 1 Musculoskeletal/Skin Block, MSc in Molecular Medicine, and PGR Induction Course.
- Professional activities and memberships
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I am currently a member of the ECTS (European Calcified Tissue Society) Academy (2019-2024). I regularly review research articles for a number of international journals, such as Nature Communication, Journal of Bone and Mineral Research, International Journal of Cancer, Calcified Tissue International, as well as grant applications for external funding bodies, such as Molecular & Cellular Medicine Board (MCMB), MRC.