Yang Yang M.D., Ph.D.

Yang Yang M.D., Ph.D.
Associate Professor

Scientist (C), Comprehensive Arthritis, Musculoskeletal, Bone and Autoimmunity Center (CAMBAC) , School of Medicine
Associate Scientist (C), O'Neal Comprehensive Cancer Center , School of Medicine
Scientist, Cancer Cell Biology , O'Neal Comprehensive Cancer Center
Scholar (C), Center for Clinical and Translational Science (CCTS) , General Clinical Research Center
Scientist (C), Global Center for Craniofacial, Oral and Dental Disorders (GC-CODED) , School of Dentistry
Associate Professor (P), Molecular & Cellular Pathology , Joint Pathology

Overview

Dr. Yang received her M.D. degree and PhD degree in China. She completed postdoctoral training and was appointed as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Pathology, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences. Dr. Yang joined the faculty of Department of Pathology at UAB in 2006. She is currently an Associate Professor and Principal Investigator in the Division of Molecular and Cellular Pathology.

Selected Publications

Academic Article

Year	Title	Altmetric
2020	Runx2 deficiency in osteoblasts promotes myeloma progression by altering the bone microenvironment at new bone sites. Cancer Research. 80:1036-1048. 2020
2018	Runx2 suppression by miR-342 and miR-363 inhibits multiple myeloma progression 2018
2016	Adipocyte-Lineage Cells Support Growth and Dissemination of Multiple Myeloma in Bone. American Journal of Pathology. 186:3054-3063. 2016
2016	Syndecan-1 (CD138) suppresses apoptosis in multiple myeloma by activating IGF1 receptor: Prevention by synstatinIGF1R inhibits tumor growth. Cancer Research. 76:4981-4993. 2016
2016	Matricellular proteins as regulators of cancer metastasis to bone 2016
2016	Inhibition of transforming growth factor-β activation diminishes tumor progression and osteolytic bone disease in mouse models of multiple myeloma. American Journal of Pathology. 186:678-690. 2016
2016	Heparanase promotes myeloma progression by inducing mesenchymal features and motility of myeloma cells. Oncotarget. 7:11299-11309. 2016
2015	The growth and aggressive behavior of human osteosarcoma is regulated by a CaMKII-controlled autocrine VEGF signaling mechanism. PLoS ONE. 10. 2015
2015	Loss of Runx2 in committed osteoblasts impairs postnatal skeletogenesis. Journal of Bone and Mineral Research. 30:71-82. 2015
2015	Myeloma cell-derived Runx2 promotes myeloma progression in bone. Blood. 125:3598-3608. 2015
2013	Heparanase inhibits osteoblastogenesis and shifts bone marrow progenitor cell fate in myeloma bone disease. BONE. 57:10-17. 2013
2011	SST0001, a chemically modified heparin, inhibits myeloma growth and angiogenesis via disruption of the heparanase/syndecan-1 axis. Clinical Cancer Research. 17:1382-1393. 2011
2011	Heparanase plays a dual role in driving hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) signaling by enhancing HGF expression and activity. Journal of Biological Chemistry. 286:6490-6499. 2011
2010	Heparanase enhances local and systemic osteolysis in multiple myeloma by upregulating the expression and secretion of RANKL. Cancer Research. 70:8329-8338. 2010
2009	Syndecan-1 is required for robust growth, vascularization, and metastasis of myeloma tumors in vivo. Journal of Biological Chemistry. 284:26085-26095. 2009
2008	Heparanase stimulation of protease expression implicates it as a master regulator of the aggressive tumor phenotype in myeloma. Journal of Biological Chemistry. 283:32628-32636. 2008
2008	Syndecan-1: A dynamic regulator of the myeloma microenvironment. Clinical and Experimental Metastasis. 25:149-159. 2008
2007	The syndecan-1 heparan sulfate proteoglycan is a viable target for myeloma therapy. Blood. 110:2041-2048. 2007
2007	Heparanase enhances syndecan-1 shedding: A novel mechanism for stimulation of tumor growth and metastasis. Journal of Biological Chemistry. 282:13326-13333. 2007
2005	HSulf-1 and HSulf-2 are potent inhibitors of myeloma tumor growth in vivo. Journal of Biological Chemistry. 280:40066-40073. 2005
2005	Enzymatic remodeling of heparan sulfate proteoglycans within the tumor microenvironment: Growth regulation and the prospect of new cancer therapies. Journal of Cellular Biochemistry. 96:897-905. 2005
2005	Identification of an invasion regulatory domain within the core protein of syndecan-1. Journal of Biological Chemistry. 280:3467-3473. 2005
2005	Heparanase promotes the spontaneous metastasis of myeloma cells to bone. Blood. 105:1303-1309. 2005
2005	Dynamic remodeling of syndecan-1 structure regulates myeloma tumor growth and metastasis in vivo 2005
2004	Heparan sulfate proteoglycans and heparanase - Partners in osteolytic tumor growth and metastasis 2004
2003	High Heparanase Activity in Multiple Myeloma Is Associated with Elevated Microvessel Density. Cancer Research. 63:8749-8756. 2003
2003	Heparan sulfate regulates targeting of syndecan-1 to a functional domain on the cell surface. Journal of Biological Chemistry. 278:12888-12893. 2003
2002	Soluble syndecan-1 promotes growth of myeloma tumors in vivo. Blood. 100:610-617. 2002
2002	Global gene expression profiling of multiple myeloma, monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance, and normal bone marrow plasma cells. Blood. 99:1745-1757. 2002

Chapter

Year	Title	Altmetric
2010	Proteoglycans and cancer. 191-215. 2010

Research Overview

Dr. Yang's research is focused on the role of tumor & bone microenvironments in multiple myeloma progression and cancer metastasis to bone, cancer-related bone diseases, and targeting tumor microenvironment for cancer therapy.