About us

News of the lab:

  • We have published our systematic prediction of chemo-immunotherapy synergism to shift anti-PD-1 resistance in cancer. The paper is now available on Nature Communications. Congratulations to the first authors Yue Wang,  Dhamotharan Pattarayan, and Haozhe Huang.
  • We have received a new NCI R01 award to study MYC as a RNA binding protein and how MYC’s RNA binding function contributes to its promotion of tumorigenesis.
  • We have received a new NCI R01 award to study lncRNA EPIC1‘s role in breast cancer immunotherapy resistance. We cloned and named EPIC1 gene in our Cancer Cell paper. 
  • We have successfully performed a genome-wide “gain-of-function” CRISPR screening to identify master regulator lncRNAs in tumor immunology. The paper is now available on Science Advances. Congratulations to the first authors Yifei Wang, Yueshan Zhao, and Weiwei Guo.
  • Dr. Yang served as multiple roles in grant review study sections, including as Chair for a DoD BCRP study section and as ad hoc reviewer for NIH CG and GCAT study sections!
  • Our lncRNA tumor immunology paper has been published on Science Advances. Congratulations to first authors Weiwei Guo, Yue Wang, and Min Yang!
  • Dr. Da Yang received a new R01 from NCI to study lncRNA and Drug Metabolism and Disposition!
  • Dr. Dhamotharan Pattarayan has joined the lab as a postdoctoral fellow scientist. Dhamo will work on our tumor immunology project.

About the Yang Lab

Da Yang, MD, PhD

Our lab studies cancer precision medicine using bioinformatics and experimental tools, with a special focus on CRISPR screening and RNA genomics. Our integrative strategy has led to the discovery of novel ncRNAs that serve as master regulators of cancer drug resistance by regulating EMT (Cancer Cell, 2013) and PARP1 (JNCI, 2015; JAMA, 2011; Theranostics, 2020a). We have successfully built and identified key ncRNA regulatory network for cancer metastasis and drug resistance (Clin Cancer Res, 2014; PNAS, 2015; Theranostics, 2020b). Through integrating the tumor epigenomics data, lncRNA expression, and immunogenomics data, we have mechanistically demonstrated that lncRNA EPIC1 regulates breast cancer tumorigenesis and immune response (Cancer Cell, 2018; Nat Commun., 2018; and Sci Adv., 2021). Recently, we have performed the first genome-wide gain-of-function CRISPR-SAM screening of lncRNAs that can regulate immunotherapy resistance in cancer (Sci Adv., 2022).

  1. Yifei Wang* , Yueshan Zhao* , Weiwei Guo* , Ghanshyam Singh Yadav , Chetana Bhaskarla, et. al., Binfeng Lu , Udai S Kammula, Min Zhang# , Da Yang#. Genome-wide gain-of-function screening characterized lncRNA regulators for tumor immune response, Sci Adv. 2022 Dec 9;8(49):eadd0005.
  2. Guo, W., Wang, Y., Yang, M., Wang, Z., Wang, Y., Chaurasia, S., Wu, Z., Zhang, M., Yadav, G., Rathod, S., et al., Yang D#. LincRNA-immunity landscape analysis identifies EPIC1 as a regulator of tumor immune evasion by inhibiting IFN-γ-JAK-STAT1 signaling and antigen presentation. Science Advances. 2021 Feb 10;7(7):eabb3555. doi: 10.1126/sciadv.abb3555. Print 2021 Feb.
  3. Wang Y, Wang Z, Xu J, Li J, Li S, Zhang M#, Yang D#. Systematic Identification of Non-coding Pharmacogenomic Landscape in Cancer, Nat Commun, 2018 Aug 9;9(1):3192. doi: 10.1038/s41467-018-05495-9.
  4. Wang Z, Yang B, Zhang M, Guo W, Wu Z, Jia L, Wang Y, Li S, Xie W, Yang D#. LncRNA epigenetic landscape analysis identifies EPIC1 as an oncogenic lncRNA that interacts with MYC and promotes cell cycle progression in cancer, Cancer Cell. 2018 Apr 9;33(4):706-720.e9. PMID: 29622465
  5. Gu Y, Wang R, Han Y, Zhou W, Zhao Z, Chen T, Zhang Y, Peng F, Liang H, Qi L, Zhao W, Yang D#, Guo Z#, A landscape of synthetic viable interactions in cancer, Brief Bioinform. 2017 Jan 17. pii: bbw142. doi: 10.1093/bib/bbw142. PMID: 28096076
  6. Zhang M, Liu G, Xue F, Edwards R, Sood A, Zhang, W, Yang D#, Copy number deletion of RAD50 as a predictive marker of BRCAness and PARP inhibitor response in BRCA wild-type ovarian cancer, Gynecol Oncol.2016 Apr;141(1):57-64. doi: 10.1016/j.ygyno.2016.01.004.
  7. Yang D*, Khan S*, Sun Y, Hess K, Shmulevich I, Sood AK, Zhang W. Association of BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations with survival, chemotherapy sensitivity, and gene mutator phenotype in patients with ovarian cancer. JAMA. 2011 Oct 12;306(14):1557-65. PubMed PMID: 21990299; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4159096.
  8. Yang D*, Sun Y*, Hu L*, Zheng H, Ji P, Pecot CV, Zhao Y, Reynolds S, Cheng H, Rupaimoole R, Cogdell D, Nykter M, Broaddus R, Rodriguez-Aguayo C, Lopez-Berestein G, Liu J, Shmulevich I, Sood AK, Chen K, Zhang W. Integrated analyses identify a master microRNA regulatory network for the mesenchymal subtype in serous ovarian cancer. Cancer Cell. 2013 Feb 11;23(2):186-99. PubMed PMID: 23410973; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC3603369.
  9. Song F*, Yang D*, Liu B*, Guo Y, Zheng H, Li L, Wang T, Yu J, Zhao Y, Niu R, Liang H, Winkler H, Zhang W, Hao X, Chen K. Integrated microRNA network analyses identify a poor-prognosis subtype of gastric cancer characterized by the miR-200 family. Clin Cancer Res. 2014 Feb 15;20(4):878-89. PubMed PMID: 24352645. (*: equal contributions)
  10. Chen K*, Yang D*, Li X*, Sun B, Song F, Cao W, Brat DJ, Gao Z, Li H, Liang H, Zhao Y, Zheng H, Li M, Buckner J, Patterson SD, Ye X, Reinhard C, Bhathena A, Joshi D, Mischel PS, Croce CM, Wang YM, Raghavakaimal S, Li H, Lu X, Pan Y, Chang H, Ba S, Luo L, Cavenee WK, Zhang W, Hao X. Mutational landscape of gastric adenocarcinoma in Chinese: implications for prognosis and therapy. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2015 Jan 27;112(4):1107-12. PubMed PMID: 25583476; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4313862. (*: equal contributions)