Dr. Lin is an associate professor, doing research on breast cancer metastasis in prof. Libing Song’s lab at Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center. He has published 16 papers as first or corresponding authors in renowned journals such as  EMBO Mol Med., Nature Commu., JCI, Cell Res., GUT, Cancer Res., and Clinical Cancer Res., and have been in charge of several national / provincial funded projects. His research paradigm uses a combined approach of molecular biology, cell biology, cancer animal models, and clinical samples to understand the underlying pathological and molecular basis of breast cancer metastasis, for the identification of potential treatment targets.

1. Mechanism for metastatic colonization: Distant colonization represents the limiting step for the rate and speed of cancer metastasis. We use the triple negative breast cancer as the typical model to study how disseminated tumor cells survive, adapt to the unfamiliar distant microenvironment, and escape from dormancy to initiate distant metastases, thus resulting in much more frequent and earlier metastasis. We also explore potential strategies such as CRISPR for the targeting of key regulators.

2. Mechanism for stress adaptation in cancer metastasis: Disseminated cells frequently encounter diverse biological stresses including anti-proliferative cytokines, hypoxia, starvation, immune attack, as well as the stress come from chemodrugs. We are interested in studying the alterations of protein post-translation modifications under harsh stress, which leads to the stress adaptation during metastasis and therapy.

2008 – 2013
Ph.D., Biochemistry and molecular biology, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China.

2004 – 2008
B.S., Biochemistry, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China.

1. Ye L#, Lin C#, Wang X#, Li Q#, Li Y, Wang M, Zhao Z, Wu X, Shi D, Xiao Y, Ren L, Jian Y, Yang M, Ou R, Deng G, Ouyang Y, Chen X, Li J, Song L. Epigenetic silencing of SALL2 confers tamoxifen resistance in breast cancer. EMBO Mol Med. 2019 Dec;11(12):e10638.

2. Liu J, Ye L, Li Q, Wu X, Wang B, Ouyang Y, Yuan Z, Li J, Lin C*. Synaptopodin-2 suppresses metastasis of triple-negative breast cancer via inhibition of YAP/TAZ activity. J Pathol. 2018 Jan;244(1):71-83.

3. Lin C#, Liao W, Jian Y, Peng Y, Zhang X, Ye L, Cui Y, Wang B, Wu X, Xiong Z, Wu S, Li J, Wang X, Song L. CGI-99 promotes breast cancer metastasis via autocrine interleukin-6 signaling. Oncogene. 2017 Jun 29;36(26):3695-3705.

4. Liu L#, Lin C#, Liang W#, Wu S, Liu A, Wu J, Zhang X, Ren P, Li M, Song L. TBL1XR1 promotes lymphangiogenesis and lymphatic metastasis in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma. Gut. 2015 Jan; 64(1):26-36.

5. Lin C#, Song L#, Liu A#, Gong H, Lin X, Wu J, Li M, Li J.Overexpression of AKIP1 Promotes Angiogenesis and Lymphangiogenesis in Human Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma. Oncogene. 2015 Jan 15;34(3):384-93.

6. Lin C#, Liu A#, Zhu J, Zhang X, Wu G, Ren P, Wu J, Li M, Li J, Song L.miR-508 sustains phosphoinositide signalling and promotes aggressive phenotype of oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma. Nat Commun. 2014 Aug 6;5:4620.

7. Song L#, Lin C#, Gong H, Wang C, Liu L, Wu J, Tao S, Hu B, Cheng S, Li M, Li J. miR-486 sustains NF-κB activity by disrupting multiple NF-κB-negative feedback loops. Cell Research. 2013 Feb; 23(2):274-89.

8. Lin C#, Song L#, Gong H, Liu A, Lin X, Wu J, Li M, Li J. Nkx2-8 Downregulation Promotes Angiogenesis and Activates NF-κB in Esophageal Cancer. Cancer Res. 2013 Jun 15; 73(12):3638-48.

9. Jiang L#, Lin C#, Song L#, Wu J, Chen B, Ying Z, Fang L, Yan X, He M, Li J, Li M.MicroRNA-30e* promotes human glioma cell invasiveness in an orthotopic xenotransplantation model by disrupting the NF-κB/IκBα negative feedback loop. J Clin Invest. 2012 Jan;122(1):33-47.

10. Lin C#, Wu Z, Lin X, Yu C, Shi T, Zeng Y, Wang X, Li J, Song L. Knockdown of FLOT1 Impairs Cell Proliferation and Tumorigenicity in Breast Cancer through Upregulation of FOXO3a. Clin Cancer Res. 2011 May 15;17(10):3089-99.

Updated May 2020 by International Office, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center