2023 – Present

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 (2023) PDF in press

Generating a mouse model for relapsed SHH-group medulloblastoma
Heller, A., Du, F., Liu, Y., Yang, Y., Yang, Z.J. STAR Protocols (2023) in press

2021 – 2022

Nestin is required for spindle assembly and cell cycle progression in glioblastoma cells
Wang, Q.L., Wu, H., Hu, J., Fu, H., Qu, Y.H., Yang, Y.J., Cai, K., Efimov, A., Wu, M.H., Yen, T., Wang, Y., Yang, Z.J. Molecular Cancer Research 19(10):1651-1665 (2021) PMCID: PMC8492506 PDF

Tumor cells generate astrocyte-like cells that contribute to SHH-driven medulloblastoma relapse
Guo, D.C., Wang, Y., Cheng, Y., Liao, S., Hu, J., Du, F., Xu, G., Liu, Y., Cai, K., Cheung, M., Wainwright, B.J., Lu, Q., Zhao, Y., Yang, Z.J. Journal of Experimental Medicine 218(9): e20202350 (2021) PMCID: PMC8282281 PDF
•Highlighed by Qadeer, Z., Weiss, W.A., A SHHecret target of relapsed medulloblastoma: Astrocytes. J. Experimental Medicine, 218 (9), 2021. PMID: 34398189

Purification of differentiated tumor cells from medulloblastoma for transplantation into mouse cerebellum
Yang, Y.J., Qu, Y.H., Cheng, Y., Guo, D.C., Fan, Q.H., Yang, Z.J. STAR Protocols 2(2):100409 (2021) PMCID: PMC8039855 PDF

Statins repress hedgehog signaling in medulloblastoma with no bone toxicities
Fan, Q., Gong, T., Zheng, C., Ng. J.M.Y., Chen, J., Myers, C., Hensley, H., Curran, T., Yang, Z.J. Oncogene 40(12):2258-2272 (2021) PMID: 33649536 PDF

2019 – 2020

Sustained hedgehog signaling in medulloblastoma tumoroids is attributed to stromal astrocytes and astrocyte-derived extracellular matrix
Cheng, Y., Franco-Barraza, J., Wang, Y., Zheng, C.N., Zhang, L., Qu, Y., Long, Y.Q., Cukierman, E., Yang, Z.J. Laboratory Investigation 100(9): 1208-1222 (2020) PMCID: PMC7442735 PDF

Medulloblastoma cells resemble neuronal progenitors in their differentiation
Guo, D., Qu, Y., Yang, Y., Yang, Z.J. Molecular and Cellular Oncology 7 (6): 1810514 (2020) PMID: 33235914 PDF

NeuroD1 dictates tumor cell differentiation in medulloblastoma
Cheng, Y., Liao, S., Xu, G., Hu, J., Guo, D., Du, F., Contreras, A., Cai, K.Q., Peri, S., Wang, Y., Corney, D.C., Noronha, A. M., Chau, L. Q., Zhou, G., Wiest, D. L., Bellacosa, A., Wechsler-Reya, R. J., Yang, Z.J. Cell Reports 31(12):107782 (2020) PMCID: PMC7357167 PDF

Leukotriene synthesis is critical for medulloblastoma tumorigenesis
Du, F., Yuelling, L., Lee, E.H., Wang, Y., Zhang, L., Zheng, C.N., Peri, S., Cai, K.Q., Ng, J.M.Y., Curran, T., Li, P., Yang, Z.J. Clinical Cancer Research 25(21):6475-6486 (2019) PMCID: PMC6825543 PDF

Single-Cell transcriptomics in medulloblastoma reveals tumor-initiating progenitors and oncogenic cascades during tumorigenesis and relapse
Zhang, L., He, X., Liu, X., Zhang, F., Huang, L.F., Potter, A.S., Xu, L., Zhou, W., Zheng, T., Luo, Z., Berry, K.P., Pribnow, A., Smith, S.M., Fuller, C., Jones, B.V., Fouladi, M., Drissi, R., Yang, Z.J., Gustafson, W.C., Remke, M., Pomeroy, S.L., Girard, Cancer Cell 36 (3), 302-318 (2019) PMCID: PMC6760242 PDF

c-MYC overexpression induces choroid plexus papillomas through a T-cell mediated inflammatory mechanism
Merve, A., Zhang, X., Pomella, N., Acquati, S., Hoeck, J.D., Dumas, A., Rosser, G., Li, Y., Jeyapalan, J., Vicenzi, S., Fan, Q., Yang, Z.J., Sabo, A., Sheer, D., Behrens, A., Marino, S. Acta Neuopathologica Commununications 7(1): 95-112 (2019) PMCID: PMC6540455 PDF

2016 – 2018

Statins synergize with hedgehog pathway inhibitors for treatment of medulloblastoma
Gordon, R., Zhang, L., Peri, S., Kuo, Y., Du, F., Egleston, B.L., Ng, J.M.Y., Andrews, A.J., Astsaturov, I., Curran, T., Yang, Z.J. Clinical Cancer Research 24(6):1375-1388 (2018) PMCID: PMC5856627 PDF

Astrocytes promote medulloblastoma progression through hedgehog secretion
Liu, Y., Yuelling, L.W., Wang, Y., Du, F., Gordon, R.E., O'Brien, J., Ng, J.M.Y., Robins, S., Lee, E.H., Liu, H., Curran, T., Yang, Z.J. Cancer Research 77(23):6692-6703 (2017) PMCID: PMC5759326 PDF

Design, synthesis, and structure-activity relationship of tetrahydropyrido [4,3-d]pyrimidine derivatives as potent smoothened antagonists with in vivo activity
Lu W., Liu Y., Ma H., Zheng J., Tian S., Sun Z., Luo L., Li J., Zhang H., Yang, Z.J.*, Zhang X.* ACS Chemical Neuroscience 8(9):1980-1994 (2017) PMID: 28618224 PDF
(*Co-corresponding Author)

Restore the brake on tumor progression
Gordon, R., Zhang, Li., Yang, Z.J. Biochemical Pharmacology 138:1-6 (2017) PMID: 28389227 PDF

Nestin Mediates Hedgehog Pathway Tumorigenesis
Li, P., Lee, E.H., Du, F., Gordon, R.E., Yuelling, L.W., Liu, Y., Ng, J.M., Zhang, H., Wu, J., Korshunov, A., Pfister, S.M., Curran, T., Yang, Z.J. Cancer Research 76(18):5573-83 (2016) PMCID: PMC5091083 PDF

2010 – 2015

Group I Paks as therapeutic targets in NF2-deficient meningioma
Chow, H., Dong, B., Duron, S.G., Campbell, D.A., Ong, C.C., Hoeflich, K.P., Chang, L., Welling, D.B., Yang, Z.J., Chernoff, J. Oncotarget 6(4):1981-94 (2015) PMCID: PMC4385830 PDF

Isolation of distinct cell populations from the developing cerebellum by microdissection
Yuelling, L.W., Du, F., Li, P., Muradimova, R., Yang, Z.J. Journal of Visualized Experiment 958:14:00 (2014) PMCID: PMC4349264 PDF

A unique population of Nestin expressing progenitors in the developing cerebellum exhibits increased tumorigenic potential
Li, P., Du, F., Yuelling, L., Lin, T., Muradimova, R., Enikolopov, G., Wechsler-Reya, R., Yang, Z.J. Nature Neuroscience 16(12):1737-1744 (2013) PMCID: PMC3845444 PDF
•Highlighed by Pak, E., Segal, R.A., Stiles, C.D., New Progenitors NESTIN(g) in the EGL, Nature Neuroscience, 16:1710-2, 2013. PMID: 24270268

Subtypes of medulloblastoma have distinct developmental origins
Gibson, P., Tong, Y., Robinson, G., Thompson, M.C., Currle, D.S., Eden, C., Kranenburg, T.A., Hogg, T., Poppleton, H., Martin, J., Finkelstein, D., Pounds, S., Weiss, A., Patay, Z., Scoggins, M., Ogg, R., Pei, Y., Yang, Z.J., Brun, S., Lee, Y., Zindy, F., Nature 468(7327):1095-1099 (2010) PMCID: PMC3059767 PDF

Before 2010

N-myc alters the fate of preneoplastic cells in a mouse model of medulloblastoma
Kessler, J.D., Hasegawa, H., Brun, S.N., Emmenegger, B.A., Yang, Z.J., Dutton, J.W., Wechsler-Reya, R.J. Genes & Development 23(2):157-170 (2009) PMCID: PMC2648542 PDF

Medulloblastoma can be initiated by deletion of Patched in lineage- restricted progenitors or stem cells
Yang, Z.J., Ellis, T., Markant, S.L., Read, T.A., Kessler, J.D., Bourboulas, M., Schüller, U., Machold, R., Fishell, G., Rowitch, D.H., Wainwright, B.J., Wechsler- Reya, R.J. Cancer Cell 14(2):135-145 (2008) PMCID: PMC2538687 PDF
•Highlighed by Eberhart, C.G., Even Cancers want to commitment: Lineage identity and medulloblastoma formation, Cancer Cell, 14 (2): 105-107, 2008. PMCID: PMC4512647

Hit ‘em where they live: Targeting the cancer stem cell niche
Yang, Z.J., Wechsler-Reya, R.J. Cancer Cell 11:3-5 (2007) PMID: 17222787 PDF

Novel strategy to study gene expression and function in developing cerebellar granule cells
Yang, Z.J., Appleby, V.J., Coyle, B., Chan, W.I., Tahmaseb, M., Wigmore, P.M., Scotting, P.J. Journal of Neuroscience Methods 132 (2):149-60 (2004) PMID: 14706712 PDF