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
2024 - Yang Lab Awarded Two NCI Grants
We are thrilled to announce that our research team has been awarded two highly competitive National Cancer Institute (NCI) grants. Our R01 NCI grant has been recognized within the 1st percentile, while our R21 NCI grant falls within the 5th percentile. Congratulations Yang Lab Team! (06/2024)
2024 - We have been awarded $2 million from the Florida Innovative Cancer Fund to conduct research on implantable microchips for glioblastoma treatment. (02/2024)
2023 - We are recruiting!
If you are interested in brain tumor research, you are welcome to join us (as students, technicians, or postdocs) (06/2024).
Please send us an email (ude.cccf@gnaY.eijgneZ).
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
PDF
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)
PDF
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
PDF
