Scientist profiles S-Z
Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre
2075 Bayview Ave., Room S1 10
Administrative Assistant: Melanie Suttar (S111A)
Phone: 416-480-6100, ext. 3536
- B.Sc., 1982, plant pathology, South China Agricultural University, China
- M.Sc., 1985, biochemistry of plant virology, South China Agricultural University, China
- PhD, 1991, microbiology, University of Manitoba, Canada
Appointments and Affiliations:
- Senior scientist, Biological Sciences, Odette Cancer Research Program, Sunnybrook Research Institute
- Professor, laboratory medicine and pathobiology, faculty of medicine, University of Toronto
- The role of proteoglycans and microRNAs in angiogenesis
Dr. Yang’s group has been working on the extracellular matrix, especially in the area of proteoglycan. His group has made significant contribution to the area of versican, an extracellular proteoglycan. Proteoglycans are important members in the extracellular matrix, which play important roles in angiogenesis. Dr. Yang’s group undertakes the approaches of RNA interference including siRNAs and microRNAs to study the roles of matrix molecules in angiogenesis. It now appears that some of the microRNAs discovered in the human genome contribute to the development of cancer. Dr. Yang has developed a system to study the role of microRNA in tumour growth and angiogenesis. His group has demonstrated that one of the microRNA (miR-378) enhanced tumour cell survival and tumour growth. Dr. Yang’s group is studying the mechanism associated with this effect.
- Zheng PS, Wen J, Ang LC, Sheng W, Viloria-Petit A, Wang Y, Wu Y, Kerbel RS, and Yang BB, FASEB J. 18, 754-756
- Wu Y, Chen L, Cao L, Sheng W, and Yang BB, J. Cell Science,117, 2227-2237, 2004.
- Zheng PS, Vais D, La Pierre D, Liang YY, Yang BL, and Yang BB, J. Cell Science, 117, 5887-5895, 2004.
- Wu Y, Sheng W, Chen L, Dong H, Lee V, Lu F, Wong CS, Lu, WY, and Yang BB, Mol. Biol. Cell 15, 2093-2104, 2004.
- Sheng W, Wang G, Wang Y, Liang J, Wen J, Zheng PS, Wu Y, Lee V, Slingerland J, Dumont D, and Yang BB, Mol. Biol. Cell, 16, 1330-1340, 2005.
- Sheng W, Wang G, La Pierre DP, Wen J, Deng Z, Wong CKA, Lee DY, and Yang BB, Mol. Biol. Cell, 17, 2009-2020, 2006.
- Zheng PS, Reis M, Sparling C, Lee DY, La Pierre DP, Wong CKA, Deng Z, Kahai S, Wen J, and Yang BB, J. Biol. Chem. 281, 8175-8182, 2006.
- La Pierre DP, Lee DY, Li SZ, Xie YZ, Zhong L, Sheng W, Deng Z, and Yang BB. Cancer Research. 67, 4742-4750, 2007
- Lee DY, Deng Z, Wang C, Yang BB Proc Natl Acad Sci USA, 104 (51), 20350-20355, 2007.
- Wang CH, Lee DY, Deng Z. Jeyapalan Z, Lee SC, Kahai S, Lu WY, Zhang Y, and Yang BB (2008) PLoS ONE. 2008 June 18;3(6):e242, 1-14
Awards and Honours:
- 1997-2001, Arthritis Society of Canada Scholarship
- 2001-2006, Canadian Institutes of Health Research New Investigator Award
- 2006-2011, Heart and Stroke Foundation of Ontario, Career Investigator Award
Related News and Stories:
- The secret life of microRNAs: SRI scientist studies role of microRNAs in vascular development and diseases (June 25, 2012)
- All in the Genes: Developing a new method to treat cancer at its source (SRI Magazine, 2010)
- Model first to monitor functions of individual microRNAs: Sunnybrook researchers' unique model helps further gene regulation study related to aging, self-renewal and tumour angiogenesis (August 24, 2009)
- Spring up: Eleven SRI researchers are recognized by a quartet of funding bodies (June 3, 2008)
- Competition for CIHR funding grows: Canadian Institutes of Health Research awards Sunnybrook scientists $2.6 million (March 2, 2006)