Xiaokang Wang is a Specially-appointed Associate Professor and Principal Investigator at the Institute of Cell and Gene Technology, Shenzhen University of Advanced Technology. He received his bachelor's degree from Sichuan Agricultural University and his Ph.D. from Peking University. He subsequently conducted postdoctoral research at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital and at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia/Penn Epigenetics Institute in the United States. His group integrates genetics, molecular biology, biochemistry, and genomics to investigate how epigenetic modifications regulate gene transcription. Major research directions include: (1) the molecular mechanisms by which the three-dimensional genome senses intracellular and extracellular environmental signals and undergoes pathological remodeling during tumorigenesis; (2) diseases and cancers caused by mutations in epigenetic factors; (3) histone modifications and DNA methylation; and (4) regulation of antisense transcription. He has published eight papers in journals including Molecular Cell, PLOS Genetics, and Life Science Alliance.

2010.09–2014.07 Sichuan Agricultural University, College of Agronomy Agronomy Bachelor's Degree

2014.09–2019.07 Peking University, School of Life Sciences Botany Ph.D.

2019.08–2021.08 St. Jude Children's Research Hospital Postdoctoral Fellow

2021.08–2026.08 Children's Hospital of Philadelphia / Penn Epigenetics Institute Postdoctoral Fellow

2026.09–Present Institute of Cell and Gene Technology, Shenzhen University of Advanced Technology Specially-appointed Associate Professor

(1) LDB1/SSBP complex-mediated three-dimensional genome architecture and regulation of gene transcription

The mammalian genome is not organized as a simple linear structure; instead, it is highly folded into an intricate three-dimensional architecture. This architecture is essential for the spatiotemporal regulation of gene transcription. Our previous studies showed that the LDB1/SSBP complex plays an important role in enhancer–promoter interactions (Molecular Cell, 2025a, 2025b). We will continue to identify new components of the LDB1/SSBP complex and investigate the role of this complex in various diseases, particularly in the pathogenesis of B-ALL.

(2) Biological functions of PROSER1 and the pathogenic mechanisms of pediatric rare diseases caused by homozygous recessive mutations in PROSER1

The function of PROSER1 (proline- and serine-rich protein 1) was first reported by our group in 2021 (Life Science Alliance, 2021). We found that PROSER1 acts as a molecular chaperone for the OGT glycosyltransferase and regulates the O-GlcNAcylation of multiple epigenetic factors. Mutations in PROSER1 can cause systemic disease (Clinical Genetics, 2022). Using this disease model, we will investigate in depth the pathogenic mechanisms of homozygous PROSER1 mutations and explore previously unknown biological functions of PROSER1.

(3) Regulatory mechanisms of antisense transcription, its roles in disease, and the development of related nucleic acid therapeutics

Gene transcription is not unidirectional. Under specific spatiotemporal conditions, a gene can generate transcripts in the opposite orientation. The regulation of antisense transcription and its roles in disease remain poorly understood. Our previous work identified a red blood cell disorder in which antisense transcription of hundreds of genes is activated genome-wide (In preparation). Using this disease model, we will continue to investigate the molecular mechanisms governing antisense transcription, explore its occurrence and disease associations across additional disorders, and develop related nucleic acid therapeutics.

1.Xiaokang Wanget al., and Gerd A. Blobel(2026). In preparation.

2.Xiaokang Wang, Nicholas G. Aboreden, Jessica C. Lam, Kate A. Henderson, Jiaqi Xiang, Belinda M. Giardine, Ross C. Hardison, Cheryl A. Keller, and Gerd A. Blobel(2025).Single-stranded DNA binding proteins are essential components of the architectural LDB1 protein complex.Molecular Cell85(16):3074-3089.e8

3.Xiaokang Wang*†, Wojciech Rosikiewicz*, Yurii Sedkov*, Baisakhi Mondal, Tanner Martinez, Satish Kallappagoudar, Andrey Tvardovskiy, Richa Bajpai, Beisi Xu, Shondra M Pruett-Miller, Robert Schneider, and Hans-Martin Herz† (2022). The MLL3/4 complexes and MiDAC co-regulate H4K20ac to control a specific gene expression program.Life Science Alliance5(11): e202201572. (*co-first author, †co-corresponding author)

4.Xiaokang Wang*, Wojciech Rosikiewicz*, Yurii Sedkov*, Tanner Martinez, Baranda Hansen, Patrick Schreiner, Jesper Christensen, Beisi Xu, Shondra Miller, Kristian Helin, and Hans-Martin Herz (2021).PROSER1 mediates TET2 O-GlcNAcylation to regulate DNA demethylation on UTX-dependent enhancers and CpG islands. Life Science Alliance 5(1): e202101228. (*co-first author) (the world's first published study of the PROSER1 gene)

5.Xiaokang Wang, Xudong Chen, Linhua Sun, and Weiqiang Qian (2019). Canonical Cytosolic Iron-Sulfur Cluster Assembly and Non-Canonical Functions of DRE2 inArabidopsis.PLOS Genetics15, e1008094.

6.Xiaokang Wang*, Qi Li*, Wei Yuan, Zhendong Cao, Bei Qi, Suresh Kumar, Yan Li, and Weiqiang Qian (2016). The cytosolic Fe-S cluster assembly component MET18 is required for the full enzymatic activity of ROS1 in active DNA demethylation.Scientific Reports6, 26443. (*co-first author)

7.Qi Li*,Xiaokang Wang*, Han Sun, Jun Zeng, Zhendong Cao, Yan Li, and Weiqiang Qian (2015). Regulation of Active DNA Demethylation by a Methyl-CpG-Binding Domain Protein inArabidopsis thaliana.PLOS Genetics11, e1005210. (*co-first author)

8.Nicholas G. Aboreden, Jessica C. Lam, Viraat Y. Goel, Siqing Wang,Xiaokang Wang, Susannah C. Midla, Alma Quijano, Cheryl A. Keller, Belinda M. Giardine, Ross C. Hardison, Haoyue Zhang, Anders S. Hansen, Gerd A. Blobel(2025).LDB1 establishes multi-enhancer networks to regulate gene expression.Molecular Cell

9.Ningkun Liu*, Yanzhuo Xu*, Qi Li, Yuxin Cao, Dechang Yang, Shasha Liu,Xiaokang Wang, Yingjie Mi, Yang Liu, Chenxi Ding, Yan Liu, Yong Li, Yao-Wu Yuan, Ge Gao, Jinfeng Chen, Weiqiang Qian†, Xiaoming Zhang† (2022). A lncRNA fine-tunes salicylic acid biosynthesis to balance plant immunity and growth. Cell Host & Microbe(*co-first author, †co-corresponding author)