• Cancer plasticity
• Tumor immune microenvironment
• Cancer biomarkers

Prostate cancer remains a pressing public health challenge, largely due to the persistent clinical problem of therapy resistance. Dinglan Wu’s research investigates the fundamental mechanisms driving recurrence and resistance, with a focus on tumour cell plasticity and dynamic crosstalk within the tumour microenvironment, specifically with immune cells, neurons, and supportive cells. By elucidating these key drivers of progression, her team aims to identify novel biomarkers for early detection and prognosis, as well as innovative therapeutic strategies to overcome resistance and improve cancer patient outcomes.

Dinglan Wu is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Surgery, Faculty of medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK). Dinglan obtained her Ph.D. from CUHK (2009-2012), focusing on oncology research. Following her doctoral studies, she served as a postdoctoral fellow and research associate at CUHK (2013-2016) and as a Senior Visiting Scholar at Nanyang Technological University in 2022. Prior to joining CUHK as a faculty member, Dinglan held pivotal roles at the Clinical Innovation & Research Centre (CIRC) of Shenzhen Hospital, Southern Medical University, serving as an Associate Research Scientist, Research Scientist, and the Director of CIRC.

Dinglan’s research delves into the mechanisms of hormone resistance and bone metastasis in prostate cancer and tumor immune microenvironment of solid tumors. She has successfully led several projects funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC), the Guangdong Natural Science Foundation, and the Shenzhen Science and Technology Innovation Committee. She published more than 50 SCI papers in high-impact journals such as Oncogene, Nature Microbiology, The Journal for ImmunoTherapy of Cancer, etc. She is also actively engaged in postgraduate education, supervising PhD, master’s, and postdoctoral students.

1. First Class of Guangdong Province Science and Technology Progress Award, Guangdong Science and Technology Department (2023)

1. Zhou J, Yang Y, Ye R, Lin J, Feng H, Pei X, Li M, Peng J, Yang X, Woo PYM, Chan DTM, Zhou P, Mao J, Liu Z, Wu D. GITR activation potentiates anti-tumor immunity of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes expanded from glioblastoma by rescuing exhaustion. Oncogene. 2026;45(12):1087-1099. doi:10.1038/s41388-026-03705-z.
2. Liu Z, Peng Q, Wang Y, Chiu PK, Teoh JY, Wang R, Liu X, Wu D, Ng CF. Neuroscience in prostate cancer. Prostate Cancer and Prostatic Diseases. Published online October 18, 2025. doi:10.1038/s41391-025-01042-y.
3. Cai G, Zhang Z, Zhong L, Wang H, Miao M, Su J, An Y, Zhang C, Luo X, Ju HQ, Zhang J, Huang W, Li Z, Liu P, Wu D, Chan FL, Zhou H, Han F, Chen HW, Su T, Wang J. UMP functions as an endogenous regulator of NR4A1 to control gastric cancer progression. Molecular Cell. 2025;85(23):4347-4364.e12. doi:10.1016/j.molcel.2025.10.030.
4. You W, Gao T, Li H, Lam DHT, Xie W, Xiao L, Gao W, Wu D, Wang J, Wang Y, Chan FL. Androgen receptor acts as the transcriptional repressor of the nuclear receptor LRH-1 via the androgen-driven chromatin looping conformation in prostate cancer. Genes & Diseases. 2025;13(4):101903. doi:10.1016/j.gendis.2025.101903.
5. Zhao H, Lin N, Ho VWS, Liu K, Chen X, Wu H, Chiu PKF, Huang L, Dantes Z, Wong KL, Chau HF, Ko ICH, Wong CHM, Leung DKW, Yuen SKK, Wu D, Ding X, Ng CF, Teoh JYC. Patient-derived bladder cancer organoids as a valuable tool for understanding tumor biology and developing personalized treatment. Advanced Science. 2025;12(13):e2414558. doi:10.1002/advs.202414558.
6. Chen T, Liu J, Wang C, Wang Z, Zhou J, Lin J, Mao J, Pan T, Wang J, Xu H, He X, Wu D, Liu Z. ALOX5 contributes to glioma progression by promoting 5-HETE-mediated immunosuppressive M2 polarization and PD-L1 expression of glioma-associated microglia/macrophages. Journal for ImmunoTherapy of Cancer. 2024;12(8):e009492. doi:10.1136/jitc-2024-009492.
7. Yang Y, Ding T, Cong Y, Luo X, Liu C, Gong T, Zhao M, Zheng X, Li C, Zhang Y, Zhou J, Ni C, Zhang X, Ji Z, Wu T, Yang S, Zhou Q, Wu D, Gong X, Zheng Q, Li X. Interferon-induced transmembrane protein-1 competitively blocks Ephrin receptor A2-mediated Epstein-Barr virus entry into epithelial cells. Nature Microbiology. 2024;9(5):1256-1270. doi:10.1038/s41564-024-01659-0.
8. Chow ST, Fan J, Zhang X, Wang Y, Li Y, Ng CF, Pei X, Zheng Q, Wang F, Wu D, Chan FL. Nuclear receptor TLX functions to promote cancer stemness and EMT in prostate cancer via its direct transactivation of CD44 and stem cell-regulatory transcription factors. British Journal of Cancer. 2024;131(9):1450-1462. doi:10.1038/s41416-024-02843-z.
9. Xu L, Chen Y, Wu T, Fan J, Hu Y, Gao X, Wang Y, Chen T, Zhao X, Zeng M, Wang F, Zheng Q, Pei X, Wu D. DNA damage-mediated FTO downregulation promotes CRPC progression by inhibiting FOXO3a via an m6A-dependent mechanism. iScience. 2024;27(8):110505. doi:10.1016/j.isci.2024.110505.
10. Liu Z, Zhou J, Yang X, Liu Y, Zou C, Lv W, Chen C, Cheng KK, Chen T, Chang LJ, Wu D, Mao J. Safety and antitumor activity of GD2-specific 4SCAR-T cells in patients with glioblastoma. Molecular Cancer. 2023;22(1):3. doi:10.1186/s12943-022-01711-9.
11. Wang T, Zhou Y, Fan Y, Duan H, Guo X, Chang J, Jiang Y, Li C, Fu Z, Gao Y, Guo X, Sidlauskas K, He Z, Da Costa C, Sheng X, Wu D, Yuan J, Li H, He Y, Mou Y, Li N. PERK-mediated cholesterol excretion from IDH mutant glioma determines anti-tumoral polarization of microglia. Advanced Science. 2023;10(20):e2205949. doi:10.1002/advs.202205949.
12. Gao W, Wang Y, Yu S, Wang Z, Ma T, Chan AM, Chiu PK, Ng CF, Pei X, Zheng Q, Wang F, Wu D, Chan FL. Endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS)-NO signaling axis functions to promote the growth of prostate cancer stem-like cells. Stem Cell Research & Therapy. 2022;13(1):188. doi:10.1186/s13287-022-02864-6.
13. Zhou J, Pei X, Yang Y, Wang Z, Gao W, Ye R, Zhang X, Liu J, Liu Z, Yang X, Tao J, Gu C, Hu W, Chan FL, Li X, Mao J, Wu D. Orphan nuclear receptor TLX promotes immunosuppression via its transcriptional activation of PD-L1 in glioma. Journal for ImmunoTherapy of Cancer. 2021;9(4):e001937. doi:10.1136/jitc-2020-001937.
14. Liu Z, Ge R, Zhou J, Yang X, Cheng KK, Tao J, Wu D, Mao J. Nuclear factor IX promotes glioblastoma development through transcriptional activation of Ezrin. Oncogenesis. 2020;9(4):39. doi:10.1038/s41389-020-0223-2.
15. Gao W, Wu D, Wang Y, Wang Z, Zou C, Dai Y, Ng CF, Teoh JY, Chan FL. Development of a novel and economical agar-based non-adherent three-dimensional culture method for enrichment of cancer stem-like cells. Stem Cell Research & Therapy. 2018;9(1):243. doi:10.1186/s13287-018-0987-x.
16. Jia L, Wu D, Wang Y, You W, Wang Z, Xiao L, Cai G, Xu Z, Zou C, Wang F, Teoh JY, Ng CF, Yu S, Chan FL. Orphan nuclear receptor TLX contributes to androgen insensitivity in castration-resistant prostate cancer via its repression of androgen receptor transcription. Oncogene. 2018;37(25):3340-3355. doi:10.1038/s41388-018-0198-z.
17. Cai G, Wu D, Wang Z, Xu Z, Wong KB, Ng CF, Chan FL, Yu S. Collapsin response mediator protein-1 (CRMP1) acts as an invasion and metastasis suppressor of prostate cancer via its suppression of epithelial-mesenchymal transition and remodeling of actin cytoskeleton organization. Oncogene. 2017;36(4):546-558. doi:10.1038/onc.2016.227.
18. Wang Z, Wu D, Ng CF, Teoh JY, Yu S, Wang Y, Chan FL. Nuclear receptor profiling in prostatospheroids and castration-resistant prostate cancer. Endocrine-Related Cancer. 2018;25(1):35-50. doi:10.1530/ERC-17-0280.
19. Wu D, Cheung A, Wang Y, Yu S, Chan FL. The emerging roles of orphan nuclear receptors in prostate cancer. Biochimica et Biophysica Acta – Reviews on Cancer. 2016;1866(1):23-36. doi:10.1016/j.bbcan.2016.06.001.
20. Wu D, Yu S, Jia L, Zou C, Xu Z, Xiao L, Wong KB, Ng CF, Chan FL. Orphan nuclear receptor TLX functions as a potent suppressor of oncogene-induced senescence in prostate cancer via its transcriptional co-regulation of the CDKN1A (p21WAF1/CIP1) and SIRT1 genes. The Journal of Pathology. 2015;236(1):103-115. doi:10.1002/path.4505.