Yanping Yang

Yanping Yang, PhD

Assistant Research Professor of Radiology, Academic Institute
Assistant Research Member, Research Institute
Houston Methodist
Weill Cornell Medical College


Description of Research

My research interests focus on enhancing the safety and effectiveness of cellular immunotherapies for cancer. Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell therapy is an emerging form of cancer immunotherapy. Patients’ own T cells are reprogramed to express a synthetic receptor to redirect their specificity toward cancer cells in an MHC-independent manner. The clinical results of CAR T cell therapy have been impressive against certain kinds of hematological cancers, but there are many challenging problems need to be addressed to extend this modality to solid tumors. The goal of my research is to improve the safety and efficacy of CAR T cells with an emphasis on the these areas: 1) understanding the therapeutic window of CAR affinities whereby CAR T cells preferentially attack the tumors while sparing non-malignant, vital tissues; 2) developing multi-specific CARs to overcome the antigen heterogeneity of solid tumors and circumvent antigen escape; 3) engineering CAR T cells to deliver stimulatory cytokines to foster the proliferation, survival and anti-tumor activity of T cells within the immunosuppressive milieu of solid tumors; 4) combining radiotherapy and immunotherapy for cancer treatment.

Areas Of Expertise

Immunotherapy Solid Tumors Radiotherapy Combination therapy CAR T cell therapy Gastric cancer
Publications

Low-dose targeted radionuclide therapy synergizes with CAR T cells and enhances tumor response
Yang, Y, Vedvyas, Y, Alcaina, Y, Son, JY, Min, IM & Jin, MM 2024, , Frontiers in immunology, vol. 15, 1355388, pp. 1355388. https://doi.org/10.3389/fimmu.2024.1355388

89Zr-leukocyte labelling for cell trafficking: in vitro and preclinical investigations
Kahts, M, Guo, H, Kommidi, H, Yang, Y, Sayman, HB, Summers, B, Ting, R, Zeevaart, JR, Sathekge, M & Aras, O 2023, , EJNMMI Radiopharmacy and Chemistry, vol. 8, no. 1, 36. https://doi.org/10.1186/s41181-023-00223-1

Chimeric Antigen Receptor T Cell Therapy Targeting Epithelial Cell Adhesion Molecule in Gastric Cancer: Mechanisms of Tumor Resistance
Yang, Y, Louie, R, Puc, J, Vedvyas, Y, Alcaina, Y, Min, IM, Britz, M, Luciani, F & Jin, MM 2023, , Cancers, vol. 15, no. 23, 5552. https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers15235552

Activation of the JAK/STAT Pathway Leads to BRAF Inhibitor Resistance in BRAFV600E Positive Thyroid Carcinoma
Limberg, J, Egan, CE, Gray, KD, Singh, M, Loewenstein, Z, Yang, Y, Riascos, MC, Asadi, HA, Safe, P, Eshaky, SE, Liang, H, Ullmann, TM, Wang, W, Li, W, Zhang, T, Xiang, J, Stefanova, D, Jin, MM, Zarnegar, R, Fahey, TJ & Min, IM 2023, , Molecular Cancer Research, vol. 21, no. 5, pp. 397-410. https://doi.org/10.1158/1541-7786.MCR-21-0832

Inducible expression of interleukin-12 augments the efficacy of affinity-tuned chimeric antigen receptors in murine solid tumor models
Yang, Y, Yang, H, Alcaina, Y, Puc, J, Birt, A, Vedvyas, Y, Gallagher, M, Alla, S, Riascos, MC, McCloskey, JE, Du, K, Gonzalez-Valdivieso, J, Min, I, de Stanchina, E, Britz, M, von Hofe, E & Jin, MM 2023, , Nature Communications, vol. 14, no. 1, 2068, pp. 2068. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-023-37646-y, https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-023-37646-y

Targeted delivery of low-dose radiation alleviates tumor resistance to CAR-T cell therapy
Yang, Y, Alcaina, Y, Vedvyas, Y, Riascos, MC, Fung, EK, Vaughn, B, Cheal, SM, Min, IM, Vanpouille-Box, C & Jin, MM 2023, . in Cancer Research. vol. 83 (7_Supplement): 5084, AACR Annual Meeting 2023, Orlando, United States, 4/14/23. <https://aacrjournals.org/cancerres/article/83/7_Supplement/5084/724191/Abstract-5084-Targeted-delivery-of-low-dose?searchresult=1>

Target selection and clinical chimeric antigen receptor T cell activity against solid tumors
von Hofe, E, Yang, Y & Jin, MM 2023, , iLABMED, vol. 1, no. 1, pp. 29-43. https://doi.org/10.1002/ila2.8

SSTR2 as an anatomical imaging marker and a safety switch to monitor and manage CAR T cell toxicity
Alcaina, Y, Yang, Y, Vedvyas, Y, McCloskey, JE & Jin, MM 2022, , Scientific Reports, vol. 12, no. 1, 20932. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-25224-z, https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-25224-z

Optimized production of a bioactive human recombinant protein from the microalgae Chlamydomonas reinhardtii grown at high density in a fed-batch bioreactor
Torres-Tiji, Y, Fields, FJ, Yang, Y, Heredia, V, Horn, SJ, Keremane, SR, Jin, MM & Mayfield, SP 2022, , Algal Research, vol. 66, 102786. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.algal.2022.102786

Optimized production of a bioactive human recombinant protein from the microalgae Chlamydomonas reinhardtii grown at high density in a fed-batch bioreactor
Torres-Tiji, Y, Fields, FJ, Yang, Y, Heredia, V, Horn, SJ, Keremane, SR, Jin, MM & Mayfield, SP 2022, , Algal Research, vol. 66. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.algal.2022.102786

Bispecific CAR T Cells against EpCAM and Inducible ICAM-1 Overcome Antigen Heterogeneity and Generate Superior Antitumor Responses
Yang, Y, McCloskey, JE, Yang, H, Puc, J, Alcaina, Y, Vedvyas, Y, Gomez Gallegos, AA, Ortiz-Sánchez, E, de Stanchina, E, Min, IM, von Hofe, E & Jin, MM 2021, , Cancer immunology research, vol. 9, no. 10, pp. 1158-1174. https://doi.org/10.1158/2326-6066.CIR-21-0062, https://doi.org/10.1158/2326-6066.CIR-21-0062

Publisher Correction: Manufacturing and preclinical validation of CAR T cells targeting ICAM-1 for advanced thyroid cancer therapy (Scientific Reports, (2019), 9, 1, (10634), 10.1038/s41598-019-46938-7)
Vedvyas, Y, McCloskey, JE, Yang, Y, Min, IM, Fahey, TJ, Zarnegar, R, Hsu, YMS, Hsu, JM, van Basien, K, Gaudet, I, Law, P, Kim, NJ, von Hofe, E & Jin, MM 2020, , Scientific Reports, vol. 10, no. 1, 12733. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-020-69586-8

PD1 Blockade Enhances ICAM1-Directed CAR T Therapeutic Efficacy in Advanced Thyroid Cancer
Gray, KD, McCloskey, JE, Vedvyas, Y, Kalloo, OR, Eshaky, SE, Yang, Y, Shevlin, E, Zaman, M, Ullmann, TM, Liang, H, Stefanova, D, Christos, PJ, Scognamiglio, T, Tassler, AB, Zarnegar, R, Fahey, TJ, Jin, MM & Min, IM 2020, , Clinical Cancer Research, vol. 26, no. 22, pp. 6003-6016. https://doi.org/10.1158/1078-0432.CCR-20-1523, https://doi.org/10.1158/1078-0432.CCR-20-1523

Chimeric Antigen Receptor T Cell Therapy Targeting ICAM-1 in Gastric Cancer
Jung, M, Yang, Y, McCloskey, JE, Zaman, M, Vedvyas, Y, Zhang, X, Stefanova, D, Gray, KD, Min, IM, Zarnegar, R, Choi, YY, Cheong, JH, Noh, SH, Rha, SY, Chung, HC & Jin, MM 2020, , Molecular Therapy - Oncolytics, vol. 18, pp. 587-601. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.omto.2020.08.009, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.omto.2020.08.009

Label-free and self-assembled fluorescent DNA nanopompom for determination of miRNA-21
Chen, N, Li, J, Feng, X, Yang, Y, Zhu, L, Chen, X, Liu, X, Li, Y, Wang, C & Xia, L 2020, , Microchimica Acta, vol. 187, no. 8, 432. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00604-020-04377-6

Manufacturing and preclinical validation of CAR T cells targeting ICAM-1 for advanced thyroid cancer therapy
Vedvyas, Y, McCloskey, JE, Yang, Y, Min, IM, Fahey, TJ, Zarnegar, R, Hsu, YMS, Hsu, JM, Besien, KV, Gaudet, I, Law, P, Kim, NJ, Hofe, EV & Jin, MM 2019, , Scientific Reports, vol. 9, no. 1, 10634, pp. 10634. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-019-46938-7, https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-019-46938-7

Highly specific noninvasive photoacoustic and positron emission tomography of brain plaque with functionalized croconium dye labeled by a radiotracer
Liu, Y, Yang, Y, Sun, M, Cui, M, Fu, Y, Lin, Y, Li, Z & Nie, L 2017, , Chemical Science, vol. 8, no. 4, pp. 2710-2716. https://doi.org/10.1039/c6sc04798j

Multicomponent Aqueous Synthesis of Iodo-1,2,3-triazoles: Single-Step Models for Dual Modification of Free Peptide and Radioactive Iodo Labeling
Li, L, Ding, S, Yang, Y, Zhu, A, Fan, X, Cui, M, Chen, C & Zhang, G 2017, , Chemistry - A European Journal, vol. 23, no. 5, pp. 1166-1172. https://doi.org/10.1002/chem.201605034

Synthesis and Monkey-PET Study of (R)- and (S)-18F-Labeled 2-Arylbenzoheterocyclic Derivatives as Amyloid Probes with Distinctive in Vivo Kinetics
Yang, Y, Wang, X, Yang, H, Fu, H, Zhang, J, Zhang, X, Dai, J, Zhang, Z, Lin, C, Guo, Y & Cui, M 2016, , Molecular pharmaceutics, vol. 13, no. 11, pp. 3852-3863. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.molpharmaceut.6b00643

99mTc-Labeled 2-Arylbenzothiazoles: Aß Imaging Probes with Favorable Brain Pharmacokinetics for Single-Photon Emission Computed Tomography
Zhang, X, Yu, P, Yang, Y, Hou, Y, Peng, C, Liang, Z, Lu, J, Chen, B, Dai, J, Liu, B & Cui, M 2016, , Bioconjugate chemistry, vol. 27, no. 10, pp. 2493-2504. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.bioconjchem.6b00444

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