The Tang Lab at the University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School is dedicated to innovating next-generation RNAi-based technologies for unmet dermatological needs.
RNAi in the skin
RNA interference (RNAi) is a post-transcriptional gene silencing mechanism that has been harnessed for pharmaceutical development (reviewed by Tang & Khvorova, 2024) since its breakthrough discovery (Fire et al., 1998).
The 2006 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine was awarded to Dr. Andrew Fire (at Stanford) and Dr. Craig Mello (at UMass Chan) for their co-discovery of the mechanism of RNAi.
Today, RNAi has achieved clinical utility, with multiple small interfering RNA (siRNA) drugs targeting the liver approved by the FDA since the first approval in 2018. These drugs have transformed patients' quality of life, offering multi-month durability from a single dose, thanks to advances in oligonucleotide chemistries (reviewed by Khvorova & Watts, 2017).
At UMass Chan, we are pioneering RNAi-based technologies for clinical applications in dermatology. Our recent collaborative efforts (Tang et al., 2023) between the Department of Dermatology and the RNA Therapeutics Institute have led to the siRNA drug targeting JAK1 entering clinical trials for the treatment of the autoimmune skin disease alopecia areata.
Our mission is to bring rationally developed RNAi therapies to millions of patients affected by dermatological diseases. We believe that our expertise at UMass Chan places us at the forefront of making this vision a reality.
Research interests
1. Biomedical engineering of therapeutic oligonucleotides for transdermal and systemic delivery to the skin.
2. Mechanistic understanding of pathobiology in dermatological diseases to guide rational drug design and pharmaceutical development.
3. Novel RNA-based regulatory mechanisms that control skin cell function and contribute to skin health and disease.
Lab members
Qi Tang, Principal Investigator | LinkedIn
PhD in Pharmaceutical Sciences, Univesity of Rhode Island
Benjamin Chang, PhD Student in Biomedical Sciences, co-mentored by Dr. Anastasia Khvorova | LinkedIn
BS in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Pennsylvania State University
Sarah Winter, Research Associate | LinkedIn
BS in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Massachusetts Amherst
Please contact Dr. Qi Tang about potential postdoc positions. Applications for the PhD program must be submitted through the Morningside Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, and admission to the lab requires prior acceptance into the program and completion of lab rotations.
This plant skin’s got some serious responsibilities—turns out, skin’s job is pretty universal !
