The Tianjin Key Laboratory at Nankai University School of Medicine, was first approved as the Tianjin Key Laboratory of Model Animal and Neurodegenerative Diseases in 2009. This lab was later renamed as The Tianjin Key Laboratory of Tumor Microenvironment and Neurovascular Regulation in 2013 due to a research direction change and is now directed by Professor Rong Xiang.

Research Directions:

(1)Cancer Stem Cells (CSCs) and Tumor Microenvironment: interaction between tumor microenvironment and CSCs; role of CSCs in tumorigenesis and recurrence; screening of small molecular CSC-inhibitors using zebra-fish model.

(2)Development of targeted drugs: targeted anti-tumor drugs and carriers based on molecular targets discovered in tumor microenvironment.