• Lung cancer
• Kidney disease
• Novel Immunotherapy
• Single-cell Bioinformatics

Lung cancer remains the leading cause of mortality worldwide. Better understanding the immunodynamics in the tumor microenvironment with single-cell resolution may uncover new and effective therapeutic targets for the clinics. By using advanced single-cell bioinformatics, Patrick Tang and his team have discovered a number of interesting phenomena that strongly associated with the progression and poorer clinical outcomes of NSCLC, including neutrophil polarization [Chung et al., Nat Comm 2023], Macrophage-Myofibroblast Transition (MMT) [Tang et al, Advanced Science 2022], as well as a novel neuro-immune axis “Macrophage to Neuron-like cell Transition (MNT)” [Tang et al., Science Advances 2022].

Recently, they integrated spatial transcriptomic technologies to resolve the clinical challenge of immunotherapy resistance by digitalizing the regulation of cancer immunity in solid tumor at the spatial level. Moreover, using an artificial intelligence-driven drug discovery platform, they have identified druggable regulators as new therapeutic targets for both acute and chronic kidney diseases. These discoveries provide important insights as solutions for the unmet clinical needs, with potential clinical implications for the development of safe and effective immunotherapies for lung cancer and kidney failure.

Patrick Tang is an Associate Professor in the Department of Anatomical and Cellular Pathology at The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK). After earning his B.Sc. and Ph.D. from the Department of Biochemistry at CUHK, he pursued postdoctoral training in the Department of Oncology at the University of Oxford. He was working as research manager for business development in bio-industry, then returned to CUHK as a Research Associate in 2014. He was subsequently appointed Research Assistant Professor in 2017 and Assistant Professor in 2020, before being granted tenure in 2024.

By better understanding the immunodynamics in lung cancer and kidney failure with advanced bioinformatics at the single-cell level, he discovered numbers of novel phenomena including a neuro-immune axis “Macrophage to Neuron-like cells Transition (MNT)” and published on prestige journals including Nature Communications, Science Advances, PNAS, Molecular Cancer, Advanced Science, Kidney International, Molecular Therapy, Cancer Immunology Research, Diabetes, etc.

With recognition of research excellence, Patrick has received National Disruptive Technology Award, US Healthy Longevity Catalyst Award, ISN Young Investigator Award, Faculty Innovation Award, Passion for Perfection Scheme, Youth Dream Maker Award, Gold Medal with Congratulations of Jury in Inventions Geneva, and >HK$40M competitive research grants e.g. CRF, GRF, ITF, HMRF, NSFC, etc. Recently, he has established a CUHK spinoff biotherapeutics company CELLmeric, to further translate his bench-top discoveries into safe and effective clinical solutions for cancer pain, immunotherapy resistance, kidney failure, and beyond.

1. Excellence Award in National Disruptive Technology Innovation Competition 2025, Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei National Technology Innovation Center (2025)
2. Healthy Longevity Catalyst Awards (Hong Kong) 2025, University Grants Committee (UGC), Hong Kong (2025)
3. Gold Medal in 5th Asia Exhibition of Innovations and Inventions Hong Kong, Hong Kong Exporters’ Association (2025)
4. Winner of START-UP EXPRESS (CELLmeric Limited), Hong Kong Trade Development Council (2025)
5. Winner, Biotech Startup, Shanghai Hong Kong Innovation Project Award 2025, Hong Kong Chamber of Commerce in Shanghai (2024)
6. Golden Prize in China International College Students’ Innovation Competition, Ministry of Education, PRC (2024)
7. Gold Medal with Congratulations of the Jury Medal in Inventions Geneva 2021 (Switzerland), Invention Geneva (2021)
8. 7th Youth Dream Makers 2021 (Hong Kong), Youth Dream Makers Association, HK (2021)
9. Faculty Innovation Award (Scheme A), Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong (2019)
10. Frontiers Young Investigator Award, Winner, International Society of Nephrology (Tokyo), International Society of Nephrology (2018)

1. Huang S, Yang G, Tang PMK. PD-l1, treatment intensity, and outcomes in squamous NSCLC. The Lancet. 2026;407(10534):1145-1145. doi:10.1016/s0140-6736(26)00143-1.
2. Chan MKK, Tang PCT, Ji ZZ, Chung JYF, Zhang AQ, Xian YF, Zhang Q, Wong CK, To KF, Li C, Zhang D, Tang PMK. AANG: A natural compound formulation for targeting macrophage-myofibroblast transition in non-small-cell lung carcinoma. Phytomedicine. 2026;153:157921. doi:10.1016/j.phymed.2026.157921.
3. Tang PCT, Chan MKK, Chung JYF, Chan ASW, Zhang D, Li C, Leung KT, Ng CSH, Wu Y, To KF, Lan HY, Tang PMK. Hematopoietic transcription factor RUNX1 is essential for promoting macrophage-myofibroblast transition in non-small-cell lung carcinoma. Advanced science. 2024;11(1). doi:10.1002/advs.202302203.
4. Huang S, Chung JYF, Li C, Wu Y, Qiao G, To KF, Tang PMK. Cellular dynamics of tumor microenvironment driving immunotherapy resistance in non-small-cell lung carcinoma. Cancer Letters. 2024;604:217272. doi:10.1016/j.canlet.2024.217272.
5. Li JSF, Tang PCT, Choi CKK, Chan ASW, Ng CSH, To KF, Tang PMK. Protocol to study immunodynamics in the tumor microenvironment using a tyramide signal amplification-based immunofluorescent multiplex panel. STAR Protocols. 2024;5(1):102823. doi:10.1016/j.xpro.2023.102823.
6. Chung JYF, Tang PCT, Chan MKK, Xue VW, Huang XR, Ng CSH, Zhang D, Leung KT, Wong CK, Lee TL, Lam EWF, Nikolic-Paterson DJ, To KF, Lan HY, Tang PMK. Smad3 is essential for polarization of tumor-associated neutrophils in non-small cell lung carcinoma. Nature Communications. 2023;14(1):1794-. doi:10.1038/s41467-023-37515-8.
7. Tang PCT, Chung JYF, Liao J, Chan MKK, Chan ASW, Cheng G, Li C, Huang XR, Ng CSH, Lam EWF, Zhang D, Ho YP, To KF, Leung KT, Jiang X, Ko H, Lee TL, Lan HY, Tang PMK. Single-cell RNA sequencing uncovers a neuron-like macrophage subset associated with cancer pain. Science Advances. 2022;8(40):5535. doi:10.1126/sciadv.abn5535.
8. Chen J, Tang Y, Zhong Y, Wei B, Huang XR, Tang PMK, Xu A, Lan HY. P2Y12 inhibitor clopidogrel inhibits renal fibrosis by blocking macrophage-to-myofibroblast transition. Molecular Therapy. 2022;30(9):3017-3033. doi:10.1016/j.ymthe.2022.06.019.
9. Chung JYF, Tang PMK, Chan MKK, Wang L, Huang XR, To KF, Ma RCW, Lan HY. AANG prevents smad3-dependent diabetic nephropathy by restoring pancreatic β-cell development in db/db mice. International Journal of Biological Sciences. 2022;18(14):5489-5502. doi:10.7150/ijbs.72977.
10. Tang PCT, Chung JYF, Xue VW wen, Xiao J, Meng XM, Huang XR, Zhou S, Chan ASW, Tsang ACM, Cheng ASL, Lee TL, Leung KT, Lam EWF, To KF, Tang PMK, Lan HY. Smad3 promotes cancer-associated fibroblasts generation via macrophage–myofibroblast transition. Advanced Science. 2022;9(1):2101235. doi:10.1002/advs.202101235.
11. Xue VW, Chung JYF, Tang PCT, Chan ASW, To THW, Chung JSY, Mussal F, Lam EWF, Li C, To KF, Leung KT, Lan HY, Tang PMK. USMB-shMincle: A virus-free gene therapy for blocking M1/M2 polarization of tumor-associated macrophages. Molecular Therapy Oncolytics. 2021;23:26. doi:10.1016/j.omto.2021.08.010.
12. Tang PMK, Zhang YY, Xiao J, Tang PCT, Chung JYF, Li J, Xue VW, Huang XR, Chong CCN, Ng CF, Lee TL, To KF, Nikolic-Paterson DJ, Lan HY. Neural transcription factor Pou4f1 promotes renal fibrosis via macrophage–myofibroblast transition. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. 2020;117(34):20741-20752. doi:10.1073/pnas.1917663117.
13. Li C, Xue VW, Wang QM, Lian GY, Huang XR, Lee TL, To KF, Tang PMK, Lan HY. The Mincle/Syk/NF-kb signaling circuit is essential for maintaining the protumoral activities of tumor-associated macrophages. Cancer Immunology Research. 2020;8(8):1004-1017. doi:10.1158/2326-6066.cir-19-0782.
14. Tang PMK, Nikolic-Paterson DJ, Lan HY. Macrophages: Versatile players in renal inflammation and fibrosis. Nature Reviews Nephrology. 2019;15(3):144-158. doi:10.1038/s41581-019-0110-2.
15. Tang PMK, Zhou S, Li CJ, Liao J, Xiao J, Wang QM, Lian GY, Li J, Huang XR, To KF, NG CF, Chong CCN, Ma RCW, Lee TL, Lan HY. The proto-oncogene tyrosine protein kinase Src is essential for macrophage-myofibroblast transition during renal scarring. Kidney International. 2018;93(1):173-187. doi:10.1016/j.kint.2017.07.026.
16. Wang QM, Tang PMK, Lian GY, Li C, Li J, Huang XR, To KF, Lan HY. Enhanced cancer immunotherapy with Smad3-silenced NK-92 cells. Cancer Immunology Research. 2018;6(8):965-977. doi:10.1158/2326-6066.cir-17-0491.
17. Sun SF, Tang PMK, Feng M, Xiao J, Huang XR, Li P, Ma RCW, Lan HY. Novel lncRNA Erbb4-IR promotes diabetic kidney injury in db/db mice by targeting miR-29b. Diabetes. 2018;67(4):731-744. doi:10.2337/db17-0816.
18. Tang PMK, Zhou S, Meng XM, Wang QM, Li CJ, Lian GY, Huang XR, Tang YJ, Guan XY, Yan BPY, To KF, Lan HY. Smad3 promotes cancer progression by inhibiting E4BP4-mediated NK cell development. Nature Communications. 2017;8(1):14677-. doi:10.1038/ncomms14677.
19. Tang PMK, Zhang DM, Xuan BNH, Tsui SKW, Waye MMY, Kong SK, Fong WP, Fung KP. Photodynamic therapy inhibits p-glycoprotein mediated multidrug resistance via JNK activation in human hepatocellular carcinoma using the photosensitizer pheophorbide a. Molecular Cancer. 2009;8:56. doi:10.1186/1476-4598-8-56.