Research
Mouse molecular genetics are used to study the pathogenesis and develop treatment for neurodegenerative diseases
Appointments
- Professor, Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences
Biography
Yang is interested in using the mouse genetic approach to study the pathogenesis and to identify potential therapeutic strategies for neurodegenerative diseases, particularly for Huntington’s Disease (HD) and Parkinson’s Disease (PD).
Yang and his colleagues focus on the following projects:
- in order to understand how mutant Huntington acts to result in a wide variety of clinical symptoms ranging from psychiatric, cognitive to motor deficits, they generate and analyze brain regional-specific models of HD in mice
- they take advantage of the high-speed BAC transgenic system to systematically test candidate dominant genetic modifiers of HD in mice.
- they use BAC transgenesis to introduce known PD mutations into mice to develop mouse models for Parkinson’s Disease
Publications
- Yu, ZL, Ma, SR, Pan, L, Zhang, T, Yang, XW, Shang, ZJ et al.. [Practice and thoughts of standardized training of oral and maxillofacial surgery specialists]. Shanghai Kou Qiang Yi Xue. 2024;33 (6):681-684. . PubMed PMID:40007304 .
- Zhang, M, Chao, R, Wang, JJ, Xu, ZH, Zhang, JH, Meng, DL et al.. Statins Diversity Revealed by the Deep-Sea-Derived Fungus Penicillium viridicatum. Mar Drugs. 2025;23 (2):. doi: 10.3390/md23020087. PubMed PMID:39997211 PubMed Central PMC11857571.
- Yuan, JF, Qin, HM, Wang, LJ, Yang, XW, Li, Y, Wan, NB et al.. Effects of Prolonged Pomace Contact on Color and Mouthfeel Characteristics in Merlot Wine During the Ageing Process Under Microwave Irradiation. Foods. 2025;14 (3):. doi: 10.3390/foods14030507. PubMed PMID:39942101 PubMed Central PMC11816411.
- Wang, N, Zhang, S, Langfelder, P, Ramanathan, L, Gao, F, Plascencia, M et al.. Distinct mismatch-repair complex genes set neuronal CAG-repeat expansion rate to drive selective pathogenesis in HD mice. Cell. 2025; :. doi: 10.1016/j.cell.2025.01.031. PubMed PMID:39938516 .
- Wang, LX, Yang, XW, Mao, LX, Rui, YX, Shi, SJ, Guo, K et al.. Discovery of highly oxygenated abietane diterpenoids from Salvia miltiorrhiza and their anti-inflammatory activity. Bioorg Chem. 2025;157 :108228. doi: 10.1016/j.bioorg.2025.108228. PubMed PMID:39919324 .