Our Lab
Dr. Song's laboratory focuses on understanding the mechanisms of cell death, including apoptosis, ferroptosis, pH-dependent cell death, and immunogenic cell death. A core aspect of our exploration centers on the connection between drug resistance and these cell death pathways, as well as their links to immunogenicity and the tumor microenvironment. Ultimately, we aim to develop various cancer treatment modalities. To achieve our goals, we employ a multidisciplinary approach that encompasses biochemical, cell biological, genetic, and next-generation sequencing techniques, as well as drug screening and the use of animal models.
Our Research Team
Our laboratory focuses on understanding the mechanisms of cell death, including apoptosis, ferroptosis, pH-dependent cell death, and immunogenic cell death.
Find out moreOur Collaborators
We have cultivated academic collaborations with experts in cell death, tumor microenvironments, and KRAS research, strenthening our commitment to advancing the scientific frontier.
Find out moreOur Publications
Our team has published research articles in reputable journals, specifically focusing on topics such as apoptosis, ferroptosis, immunogenic cell death, and drug resistance.
Find out moreDr. Xinxin Song, M.D., Ph.D.
Xinxin Song, M.D., Ph.D, received her medical degree from the Health Science Center, Peking University, and her Ph.D. at the Peking Union Medical College in China. She later received post-doctoral training at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. She became a Research Assistant Professor at the Feinberg School of Medicine at Northwestern University. In 2020, she joined UT Southwestern as an Assistant Professor, and by 2023, she established her lab within the Department of Surgery. Dr. Song focuses on understanding the mechanisms of cell death, including apoptosis, ferroptosis, pH-dependent cell death, and immunogenic cell death. Additionally, she is interested in drug resistance and its interplay with the tumor microenvironment, cancer immunogenicity, and various cell death pathways.
Current Key Projects
Our research is currently directed in several key areas:
- Elucidating the roles of pivotal reulators in ferroptosis and examining their interplay with the apoptosis pathway
- Understanding the mechanisms of immunogenic cell death and pH-dependent cell death, and exploring their relationship with tumor immunogenicity
- Unraveling the mechanisms behind resistance to KRAS inhibitors and formulating therapeutic strategies to counteract these resistance mechanisms
Molecular Cancer Research
Our study, "Hypoxia Promotes Synergy between Mitomycin C and Bortezomib through a Coordinated Process of Bcl-xL Phosphorylation and Mitochondrial Translocation of p53" by Song et al., was featured as the cover story of the 2015Dec;13(12): 1533-43, highlighting the tumor microenvironment's role in the apoptotic pathway.
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Cancer Discovery
Our research, "Pharmacologic Suppression of B7-H4 Glycosylation Restores Antitumor Immunity in Immune-Cold Breast Cancers," was featured in Cancer Discov., December 2020; 10(12):1872-1893. An accompanying commentary in Cancer Discovery titled "A Sweet Approach to Heat Up Cancer Response to Immunotherapy" further delves into the topic.
Image credit: Priyanka Hirani
Contact Us
- Song Lab
- UT Southwestern Medical Center
- 5323 Harry Hines Blvd. Room G8.224 Dallas, Texas 75390