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
- Chen, J, Zhang, HP, Zhong, LL, Yang, XW, Huang, GX. [Human papillomavirus-associated cervical adenocarcinoma with yolk sac tumor differentiation: report of a case]. Zhonghua Bing Li Xue Za Zhi. 2026;55 (11):1094-1097. doi: 10.3760/cma.j.cn112151-20260207-00114. PubMed PMID:42967637 .
- Lu, MN, Yan, GJ, Wang, D, Huang, HC, Zhou, Y, Li, SS et al.. SCN2B Drives Depression-like Phenotypes in Mice by Suppressing BDNF Signaling via Its Intracellular Domain NICD. Neuropharmacology. 2026; :111242. doi: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2026.111242. PubMed PMID:42951244 .
- Tomer, S, Harding, J, Wang, L, Kedia, N, Cook, E, Le, V et al.. Delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol alleviates inflammation by modulating immune responses in LPS-induced murine inflammation model. Front Immunol. 2026;17 :1856131. doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2026.1856131. PubMed PMID:42818626 PubMed Central PMC13623581.
- Wang, CX, Zou, ZB, Li, LS, Gao, CH, Yang, XW. Flavasperfurans A and B, Two New Asperfuran Derivatives From the Marine-Derived Fungus Aspergillus flavus. Chem Biodivers. 2026;23 (9):e71713. doi: 10.1002/cbdv.71713. PubMed PMID:42742072 PubMed Central PMC13576079.
- Ma, KX, Zou, ZB, Wu, QQ, Li, LS, Pan, YN, Yang, XW et al.. Chemical Constituents of the Deep-Sea-Derived Fungus Talaromyces wortmannii and Their Ferroptosis Inhibitory Activity. Chem Biodivers. 2026;23 (9):e71678. doi: 10.1002/cbdv.71678. PubMed PMID:42741989 PubMed Central PMC13575948.