Research Directory

The Hong Laboratory

Bangxing Hong, PhDBangxing Hong, PhD

Assistant Professor, Department of Pathology
Georgia Cancer Center
Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University

Research Summary

The Hong laboratory is interested in developing novel immunotherapy through modulation of antigen presentation activity of dendritic cells, generation of antigen specific T cell-based cell therapy or developing oncolytic virus-based immunotherapy to target incurable tumor including glioblastoma, lymphoma, and other solid tumors.

Contact Us

The Bangxing Hong Lab

Health Sciences Campus

Georgia Cancer Center - M. Bert Storey Research Building

1410 Laney Walker Blvd., CN-3112 Augusta, GA 30912

(706) 721-1187

bhong@augusta.edu

Research Interests

State of the art technologies including CyTOF, scRNA-seq and proteomics  are been used in our study. Ongoing projects include:

Modulation Antigen Presentation for Immunotherapy:

Through modulation the activities of antigen presentation attenuators (APAs), such as SOCS1 and A20, in antigen presentation cells (dendritic cells), we can reverse the tolerization of dendritic cells and generation of strong adaptive immune response again cancer (JITC 2023; Cancer Research 2009) or HIV(JCI 2011).          

T cell Immunotherapy:

We develop antigen specific T cells including cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs), Th9 or Tc9 cells to induce strong anti-tumor immune response against solid tumor through modulation of immune suppressive signaling in tumor microenvironment (Gene Therapy 2012; PNAS2014; JCI2011; JCI2012).

Oncolytic Virotherapy:

Oncolytic virotherapy is an emerging novel treatment for cancer patients. HSV-1-based oncolytic virus has been approved for metastatic cancer and relapse glioblastoma treatment. We are developing HSV-1 based oncolytic virus that disabling tumor-intrinsic and tumor-extrinsic factors that limit oncolytic virus infection, replication, and induction of anti-tumor immune response (JITC 2023; Clinical Cancer Research 2021).          

Selected Publications

  1. Hong B*, Sahu U, Mullarkey MP, Hong E, Pei G, Yan Y, Otani Y, Siddegowda Y, Fan H, Zhao Z, Yu J, Caligiuri MA, Kaur B*. PKR induces TGF-β and limits oncolytic immune therapy. Journal for Immunotherapy of Cancer, 2023,11(2): e006164. * Co-Corresponding author

  2. Otani Y, Yoo JY, Lewis CT, Chao S, Swanner J, Shimizu T, Kang JM, Murphy SA, Rivera-Caraballo K, Hong B, Glorioso JC, Nakashima H, Lawler SE, Banasavadi-Siddegowda Y, Heiss JD, Yan Y, Pei G, Caligiuri MA, Zhao Z, Chiocca EA, Yu J, Kaur B. NOTCH-Induced MDSC Recruitment after oHSV Virotherapy in CNS Cancer Models Modulates Anti-Tumor Immunotherapy. Clinical Cancer Research, 2022, 28(7):1460-1473.

  3. Hong B*, Chapa V, Saini U, Modgil P, Cohn D, He G, Siddik Z, Sood A, Yan Y, Karuppaiyah S, Pei G, Zhao Z, Yoo JY, Kaur B*. Oncolytic HSV Therapy Modulates Vesicular Trafficking Inducing Cisplatin Sensitivity and Anti-tumor Immunity. Clinical Cancer Research, 2021, 27(2):542-553.

  4. Russell L, Swanner J, Jaime-Ramirez AC, Wang Y, Sprague A, Banasavadi-Siddegowda Y, Yoo JY, Sizemore GM, Kladney R, Zhang J, Lehman NL, Ostrowski MC, Hong B, Caligiuri M, Yu J, Kaur B. PTEN expression by an oncolytic herpesvirus directs T-cell mediated tumor clearance. Nature Communications, 2018, 9(1):5006. PMCID: PMC6258708.

  5. Wang D, Huang XF, Hong B, Song XT, Hu L, Jiang M, et al. Efficacy of intracellular immune checkpoint-silenced DC vaccine. JCI insight, 2018, 3(3): e98368.

  6. Hong B, Li H, Zhang M, Xu J, Lu Y, Zheng Y, Yang J, Qian J, Yi Q. p38 MAPK inhibits breast cancer metastasis through regulating stromal expansion. Int J Cancer, 2015, 136(1):34-43.

  7. Lu Y, Hong B, Li H, Zheng, Y, Zhang M, Wang S, Qian J, Yi Q. Tumor-specific CD8+ Tc9 cells are superior effector than Tc1 cells for adoptive immunotherapy of cancers. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 2014, 111: 2265-2270.

  8. Lu Y, Zhang M, Wang S, Hong B, Wang Z, Li H, Zheng Y, Yang J, Davis R, Qian J, Hou J, Yi Q.p38 MAPK-inhibited dendritic cells induce superior anti-tumor immune responses and overcome regulatory T cell-mediated immunosuppression. Nature Communications, 2014, 5: 4229.

  9. Hong B, Peng G, Berry L, Gottschalk S, Jung JU, Chen SY and Huang XF. Generating CTLs against the subdominant EBV LMP antigens by transient expression of an A20 inhibitor with EBV LMP proteins in human DCs. Gene Therapy, 2012, 19(8):818-827.

  10. Lu Y, Hong S, Li H, Park J, Hong B, Wang L, Zheng Y, Liu Z, Xu J, He J, Yang J, Qian J, Yi Q. Th9 cells promote antitumor immune responses in vivo. Journal of Clinical Investigation, 2012, 122(11):4160-4171.

  11. Hong B, Song XT, Rollins L, Berry L, Huang XF, Chen SY. Mucosal and Systemic Anti-HIV Immunity Controlled by A20 in Dendritic Cells.  Journal of Clinical Investigation, 2011, 121(2): 739-751.

  12. Lee SH, Hong B, Sharabi A, Huang XF, Chen SY. Embryonic Stem Cells and Mammary Luminal Progenitors Directly Sense and Respond to Microbial Products. Stem Cells, 2009 27(7):1604-1615.

  13. Hong B, Ren W, Song XT, Kabler KE, Chen SY, Huang XF. Human SOCS1 Controls Immunostimulatory Activity of Monocyte-derived Dendritic Cells. Cancer Research, 2009, 69 (20): 8076-8084.

Research Team

photo of Meenaskhi Ahluwalisa, PhD

Meenaskhi Ahluwalisa, PhD

  • Postdoctoral Fellow
photo of Yuchan Li, PhD

Yuchan Li, PhD

  • Postdoctoral Fellow
photo of Nobushige Tsuboi, PhD

Nobushige Tsuboi, PhD

  • Research Associate