Su Deng, PhD
Assistant ProfessorAbout
Research
Publications
2026
Game of clones: decipher lineage plasticity in hormone-driven cancers
Leonita A, Cheng S, Warrick J, Kim I, Deng S, Mu P. Game of clones: decipher lineage plasticity in hormone-driven cancers. Cellular And Molecular Life Sciences 2026, 83: 236. PMID: 42014520, PMCID: PMC13237331, DOI: 10.1007/s00018-026-06171-8.Peer-Reviewed Reviews, Practice Guidelines, Standards, and Consensus StatementsHormone-driven cancersFate transitionsGene regulatory circuitsIntegrative multi-omics approachCell fate transitionsLineage plasticityRegulatory programsTherapeutic vulnerabilitiesBiological consequencesMulti-omics approachNuclear hormone receptorsRegulatory modulesRegulatory circuitsCell identityCellular fatePhenotypic outcomesBiological insightsLineagesLineage fidelityEpigenetic programmingLineage identityHormone-dependent cancersSingle-cellMolecular programsRare subpopulation
2025
ATHENA: A deep learning-based AI for functional prediction of genomic mutations and synergistic vulnerabilities in prostate cancer.
Cheng S, Jin X, Qian J, Jiang Y, Kim IY, Deng S, Mu P. ATHENA: A deep learning-based AI for functional prediction of genomic mutations and synergistic vulnerabilities in prostate cancer. BioRxiv 2025 PMID: 41357974, DOI: 10.1101/2025.11.26.690813.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchNotch as a Driver of Lineage Plasticity and Therapeutic Target in Enzalutamide-Resistant Prostate Cancer.
Jiang Y, Cheng S, Li L, Fraidenburg M, Kim IY, Deng S, Mu P. Notch as a Driver of Lineage Plasticity and Therapeutic Target in Enzalutamide-Resistant Prostate Cancer. BioRxiv 2025 PMID: 40501767, DOI: 10.1101/2025.05.26.656166.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchPan-cancer Analysis Identified Ectopic RUNX1T1 Associated with Lineage Plasticity.
Jiang Y, Cheng S, Kim IY, Deng S, Mu P. Pan-cancer Analysis Identified Ectopic RUNX1T1 Associated with Lineage Plasticity. BioRxiv 2025 PMID: 40488132, DOI: 10.1101/2025.04.18.649575.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchAndrogen Deprivation-Induced TET2 Activation Fuels Prostate Cancer Progression via Epigenetic Priming and Slow-Cycling Cancer Cells.
Li L, Cheng S, Xu Y, Deng S, Mu P, Yu X. Androgen Deprivation-Induced TET2 Activation Fuels Prostate Cancer Progression via Epigenetic Priming and Slow-Cycling Cancer Cells. BioRxiv 2025 PMID: 40196510, DOI: 10.1101/2025.03.26.645495.Peer-Reviewed Original Research
2024
Neuroendocrine Differentiation in Prostate Cancer Requires ASCL1.
Rodarte K, Nir Heyman S, Guo L, Flores L, Savage T, Villarreal J, Deng S, Xu L, Shah R, Oliver T, Johnson J. Neuroendocrine Differentiation in Prostate Cancer Requires ASCL1. Cancer Research 2024, 84: 3522-3537. PMID: 39264686, PMCID: PMC11534540, DOI: 10.1158/0008-5472.can-24-1388.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsLoss of RB1Prostate cancerAndrogen receptorEmergence of treatment resistanceGenetically engineered mouse modelsLoss of ASCL1Luminal-like tumorsNeuroendocrine prostate cancerDecreased tumor incidencePoor survival outcomesTranscription factor Ascl1In vivo modelsNE differentiationProstatic adenocarcinomaNeuroendocrine differentiationAllograft tumorsProstate organoidsSurvival outcomesLineage plasticityTreatment resistanceNE featuresTumor incidenceNE lineageProgressive cancerAggressive formHyd/UBR5 defines a tumor suppressor pathway that links Polycomb repressive complex to regulated protein degradation in tissue growth control and tumorigenesis
Wen P, Lei H, Deng H, Deng S, Tirado C, Wang M, Mu P, Zheng Y, Pan D. Hyd/UBR5 defines a tumor suppressor pathway that links Polycomb repressive complex to regulated protein degradation in tissue growth control and tumorigenesis. Genes & Development 2024, 38: 675-691. PMID: 39137945, PMCID: PMC11368183, DOI: 10.1101/gad.351856.124.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsPolycomb Repressive Complex1Tumor suppressor pathwayTissue growth controlSuppressor pathwayProtein degradationZinc finger genesGrowth controlUbiquitin-mediated degradationE3 ubiquitin ligasePolycomb repressive complexesProtein degradation pathwaysTumor suppressor geneHyperplastic discsFinger genesMammalian homologSubstrate adaptorRepressive complexesUbiquitin ligaseEmbryonic segmentationProtein complexesModel organismsHuman geneticsUpstream regulatorSuppressor geneProstate cancer tumorigenesisZNF397 Deficiency Triggers TET2-driven Lineage Plasticity and AR-Targeted Therapy Resistance in Prostate Cancer
Xu Y, Yang Y, Wang Z, Sjostrom M, Jiang Y, Tang Y, Cheng S, Deng S, Wang C, Gonzalez J, Johnson N, Li X, Li X, Metang L, Mukherji A, Xu Q, Tirado C, Wainwright G, Yu X, Barnes S, Hofstad M, Chen Y, Zhu H, Hanker A, Raj G, Zhu G, He H, Wang Z, Arteaga C, Liang H, Feng F, Wang Y, Wang T, Mu P. ZNF397 Deficiency Triggers TET2-driven Lineage Plasticity and AR-Targeted Therapy Resistance in Prostate Cancer. Cancer Discovery 2024, 14: 1496-1521. PMID: 38591846, PMCID: PMC11285331, DOI: 10.1158/2159-8290.cd-23-0539.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsLineage plasticityTherapy resistanceProstate cancerCancer cellsAndrogen receptorResistance to AR-targeted therapiesLuminal lineageAR-targeted therapiesOvercome therapy resistanceTransition of cancer cellsEpigenetic regulatory machineryBona fide coactivatorTherapy responseAR signalingEpigenetic rewiringDrug resistanceTherapeutic strategiesEpigenetic reprogrammingProstateTherapyCancerPhenotypic plasticityRegulatory machineryAndrogenTranscriptional programs
2023
UBE2J1 is the E2 ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme regulating androgen receptor degradation and antiandrogen resistance
Rodriguez Tirado C, Wang C, Li X, Deng S, Gonzalez J, Johnson N, Xu Y, Metang L, Sundar Rajan M, Yang Y, Yin Y, Hofstad M, Raj G, Zhang S, Lemoff A, He W, Fan J, Wang Y, Wang T, Mu P. UBE2J1 is the E2 ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme regulating androgen receptor degradation and antiandrogen resistance. Oncogene 2023, 43: 265-280. PMID: 38030789, PMCID: PMC10798893, DOI: 10.1038/s41388-023-02890-5.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsAberrant androgen receptorProstate cancerAR ubiquitinationAR degradationAntiandrogen therapyResistance to antiandrogen therapyE2 ubiquitin-conjugating enzymeEnhanced AR signalingAndrogen receptor degradersAR protein levelsProstate cancer patientsUbiquitin-conjugating enzymeResistant tumorsPCa tumorsAR signalingAndrogen receptorAntiandrogen treatmentAntiandrogen resistanceAR proteinReceptor degradationProtein levelsOncogenic proteinsTumorTherapyProtein degradation processZNF397 Loss Triggers TET2-driven Epigenetic Rewiring, Lineage Plasticity, and AR-targeted Therapy Resistance in AR-dependent Cancers.
Xu Y, Wang Z, Sjöström M, Deng S, Wang C, Johnson NA, Gonzalez J, Li X, Metang LA, Tirado CR, Mukherji A, Wainwright G, Yu X, Yang Y, Barnes S, Hofstad M, Zhu H, Hanker A, He HH, Chen Y, Wang Z, Raj G, Arteaga C, Feng F, Wang Y, Wang T, Mu P. ZNF397 Loss Triggers TET2-driven Epigenetic Rewiring, Lineage Plasticity, and AR-targeted Therapy Resistance in AR-dependent Cancers. BioRxiv 2023 PMID: 37961351, DOI: 10.1101/2023.10.24.563645.Peer-Reviewed Original Research
Academic Achievements & Community Involvement
Teaching & Mentoring
Mentoring
Madeline Foster
Postgrad associate2026 - PresentAnfeng Luo
Postdoc2025 - PresentJiaying Qian
Postdoc2025 - PresentDiego Bayona
Undergraduate Student2024 - 2024