Medulloblastoma and glioblastoma are the two common malignant tumors originating in the central nervous system. In addition, brain metastases occur in approximately 30% of patients with systemic malignancies. Despite significant progress in development of treatments for these tumors, the mortality rate is still high. Moreover, patients often suffer from severe long-term side effects from the aggressive treatment. Our research seeks to elucidate genetic/epigenetic mechanisms underlying brain tumor initiation and progression by using animal models, genomic sequencing as well as high-throughput drug screening, with the aim of translating the findings into improved approaches for the treatment of these devastating diseases.
Our ongoing studies address the following questions:
- How to treat brain tumors by promoting terminal differentiation of tumor cells?
- How cancer cells from extra-cranial malignancies survive and grow in the brain during metastasis?
- How to treat brain tumors by de novo synthesis of cisplatin?
- What are the mechanisms underlying neuronal regeneration after traumatic brain injury?
Principal Investigator
Zeng-jie Yang, M.D. PH.D. is a Professor in Nuclear Dynamics and Cancer Program at Fox Chase Cancer Center in Philadelphia. Dr. Yang research interest focuses on cellular and molecular basis underlying the initiation and progression of brain tumors including primary brain tumors and brain metastasis, and exploration of improved therapeutic strategies for brain tumor treatment.
Research
Lab News
2025 - Happy retirement!
We want to thank and congratulate Pat Bateman on her retirement from Fox Chase Cancer Center. We hope you enjoy it! You deserve it! Thank you!
2025 - Congratulations Kallie and Silvia!
The Yang lab is happy to announce that our graduate student Kallie Dalton has obtained her Ph.D. Candidacy this past June! Congratulations! You did amazing! We would also like to congratulate Silvia on her BOA fellowship renewal.
2025 - Welcome Yu Liu!
We are excited to welcome Dr. Yu Liu to our team as a postdoctoral researcher.
Dr. Liu brings extensive experience in bioinformatics analysis, and we look forward to the valuable contributions he will make to our research efforts.
Protocol to monitor cardiovascular effects of triiodothyronine in tumor-bearing mice via non-invasive electrocardiogram recordings
Valdés-Rives S.A., Yang Y., Yang ZJ. STAR Protocols Volume 6, Issue 3, 19 September 2025, 103900 (2025)
PMCID: PMC12221735
PMID: 40543037
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in press
Thyroid hormone suppresses medulloblastoma progression through promoting terminal differentiation of tumor cells
Yang Y., Valdes-Rives S.A., Liu Q., Gao T., Burudpakdee C., Li Y., Tan J., Tan Y., Koch C.A., Rong Y., Houser S.R., Wei S., Cai K.Q., Wu J., Cheng SY., Wechsler-Reya R., Yang ZJ. Cancer Cell doi.org/10.1016/j.ccell.2024.07.008 (2024)
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PDLIM3 supports hedgehog signaling in medulloblastoma by facilitating ciliary formation
Zhang, J., Yang, Y.J., Li, X.H., Li, G., Mizukami, T., Liu, Y., Wang, Y., Xu, G.Q., Roder, H., Zhang, L., Yang, Z.J.. Cell Death & Differentiation 10.1038/s41418-023-01131-2 (2023)
PMCID: PMC10154305
PMID: 36813922
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