Research Programs

Charles C. Hong, MD, PhD
Assistant Professor of Medicine & Pharmacology

The Hong laboratory is focused on using high-throughput chemical screens to identify small molecules that reverse zebrafish models of human vascular diseases. Using this approach, a surprising discovery was made that the Erk/MAP kinase and PI3-kinase pathways have opposing actions on artery-vein fate specification during embryonic vasculogenesis.  In addition, the Hong laboratory has discovered the first selective small molecule inhibitor of the BMP (bone morphogenic protein) signaling.  An active area of investigation involves the discovery  of small molecules that modulate specific cell-fate decisions, and their use as chemical tools for stem cell research and cell-based therapeutics.  Lastly, some of the small molecules that the Hong lab has discovered show significant therapeutic potential, and are being pursued as lead compounds for treatment of vascular diseases, anemia of chronic disease, and pathological hyperossification conditions.

Read more about Chaz Hong's research. 

Selected Publications

• Hao, J, Daleo, MA, Murphy, CK, Yu, PB, Ho, JN, Hu, J, Peterson, RT, Hatzopoulos, AK, Hong, CC. Dorsomorphin, a selective small molecule inhibitor of BMP signaling, promotes cardiomyogenesis in embryonic stem cells. PLoS ONE, 3(8), e2904, 2008.

• Hong, CC, Kume, T, Peterson, RT. Role of crosstalk between phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase and extracellular signal-regulated kinase/mitogen-activated protein kinase pathways in artery-vein specification. Circ Res, 103(6), 573-9, 2008.

• Yu, PB, Deng, DY, Beppu, H, Hong, CC, Lai, C, Hoyng, SA, Kawai, N, Bloch, KD. Bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) type II receptor is required for BMP-mediated growth arrest and differentiation in pulmonary artery smooth muscle cells. J Biol Chem, 283(7), 3877-88, 2008.,

• Yu, PB, Hong, CC, Sachidanandan, C, Babitt, JL, Deng, DY, Hoyng, SA, Lin, HY, Bloch, KD, Peterson, RT. Dorsomorphin inhibits BMP signals required for embryogenesis and iron metabolism. Nat Chem Biol, 4(1), 33-41, 2008.

• Hong, CC, Peterson, QP, Hong, JY, Peterson, RT. Artery/vein specification is governed by opposing phosphatidylinositol-3 kinase and MAP kinase/ERK signaling. Curr Biol, 16(13), 1366-72, 2006.