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Martin Kang PhD

Martin H Kang PhD

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Rank
  • Assistant Professor
College
  • College of Medicine
Department
  • Pediatrics
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Biography

Education & Training:

University of British Columbia, Vancouver, 1998, B.M.L.Sc.
Queen’s University, Kingston, 2003, M.Sc. in Pathology
University of British Columbia, Vancouver, 2013, Ph.D. in Medical Genetics
Duke University, Durham, 2016, Postdoctoral Associate
Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, 2021, Postdoctoral Fellow


Research Interests:

Our research goals are to identify novel strategies or therapeutic targets for inherited pediatric respiratory diseases that have little to no treatment options such as surfactant deficiencies. This includes prolonging the effects of gene therapy for surfactant protein-b deficiency by targeting our immune response, identifying strategies to overcome preexisting immunity to AAV, and exploring the safety and efficacy of gene transfer in neonatal and pediatric lungs. Our lab uses basic science research techniques and preclinical small animal models of disease to achieve these goals. This includes delivery of adeno-associated virus (AAV)-mediated gene therapies to the lungs; utilizing transgenic animal models of lung disease; and the application of gene therapy to models at neonatal and pediatric ages. The mentorship and training of a diverse group of students and trainees is priority for this lab, and institutional, national, and international collaborations are pursued to achieve our research goals.

Highlight Publications:

1. Kang MH, Thomas SP, Westley C, Blouin T, Xu L, Chan YK, Lisk E, Allen S, Vadivel A, Nangle K, Ramamurthy J, Pei Y, Lewis L, Chiang JJ, Romeo MJ, Vaena S, O-Quinn EC, Schrecker HD, Langdon CG, Nietert PJ, Church GM, Whitsett JA, Wootton SK, Thebaud B, (2025), Novel Immune Response Evasion Strategy to Redose Adeno-associated Viral Vectors and Prolong Survival in Surfactant Protein-B Deficient Mice. Am J Respir Cell Mol Biol., Epub ahead of print. PMID: 39805087. 

2. Thomas SP, Doom JM, van Vloten JP, Xu L, Vadivel A, Yates JGE, Ingram J, Van P Lieshout L, Jackson SR, Pei Y, Minst JA, Achuthan A, Mehrani Y, McAusland TM, Zhang W, Karimi K, Vaughan AE, deJong J, Kang MH, Thebaud B, Wootton SK. (2023), A promoterless AAV6.2FF-based lung gene editing platform for the correction of surfactant protein B deficiency. Mol Ther., 31, 3457-3477. PMID: 37805711.

3. Kang MH, Hu J, Pratt RE, Hodgkinson CP, Asokan A, Dzau VJ. (2020), Optimizing Delivery for Efficient Cardiac Reprogramming. Biochem Biophys Res Commun., 533, 9-16. PMID: 32917363.

4. Kang MH, van Lieshout LP, Xu L, Domm JM, Vadivel A, Renesme L, Mühlfeld C, Hurskainen M, Mizikova I, Pei Y, van Vloten JP, Thomas SP, Milazzo C, Cyr-Depauw C, Whitsett JA, Nogee LM, Wootton SK, Thébaud B.  (2020), A Lung Tropic AAV Vector Improves Survival in a Mouse Model of Surfactant B Deficiency. Nat Commun., 11, 3929. PMID: 32764559.

5. Kang M, Thébaud B. Stem cell biology and regenerative medicine for neonatal lung diseases. Pediatric Research. (2018) 83:291-297. Review. PMID: 28922348.

6. Shafa M, Ionescu LI, Vadivel A, Collins JJP, Xu L, Zhong S, Kang M, de Caen G, Daneshmand M, Shi J, Fu KZ, Qi A, Wang Y, Ellis J, Stanford WL, Thébaud B. Human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived lung progenitor and alveolar epithelial cells attenuate hyperoxia-induced lung injury. Cytotherapy. (2018) 20:108-125. PMID: 29056548.

7.  Hodgkinson CP, Kang MH, Dal-Pra S, Mirotsou M, Dzau VJ. MicroRNAs and cardiac regeneration. Circulation Research. (2015) 116:1700-1711. Review. PMID: 25953925

8. Kang MH, Zhang L, Wijesekara N, de Haan W, Butland S, Bhattacharjee A, Hayden MR. (2013), Regulation of ABCA1 Protein Expression and Function in Hepatic and Pancreatic Islet Cells by miR-145. Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol., 33, 2724-2732. PMID: 24135019

9. Singaraja RR, Kang MH, Vaid K, Sanders SS, Vilas GL, Arstikaitis P, Coutinho J, Drisdel RC, El-Husseini AE, Green WN, Berthiaume L and Hayden MR. (2009), Palmitoylation of ABCA1 is essential for its trafficking and function. Circ Res., 105, 138-147. PMID: 19556522

 

Patent:

Wootton S, van Lieshout L, Thébaud BCF, Kang MH. (2020), ‘Adeno-Associated Virus Particle With Mutated Capsid And Methods Of Use Thereof’, US Patent #10,806,802.

 

Book Chapter:

Kang MH, Thébaud B. (2022), Chapter 5: The differentiation of embryonic stem cells and induced pluripotent stem cells into airway and alveolar epithelial cells. Current Topics in iPSCs Technology, Volume 17, (A Birbrair, Editor), Academic Press - Elsevier.

 

Interview/News Article:

Heidi Ledford. The immune system can sabotage gene therapies - can scientists rein it in? Nature. May 28, 2024. https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-024-01483-w