Name in Chinese：楊文光
Name in English：Yang, Wen K.
Education： Tulane University
Affiliation：Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Academia Sinica, Taipei
Title：Research Fellow, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Academia Sinica
Tel：886-2-2652-3056, 886-2-2789-9052
Fax：886-2-2782-9142
My Personal Homepage：http://www.ibms.sinica.edu.tw/html/PI/ wkyang_c.html
E-mail：wky@ibms.sinica.edu.tw+
Fields of Specialty：Cancer Molecular Markers and Gene Therapy, Retroviruses and
Gene Transfer, Immuno-Biochemistry of Dendritic Cells
Research Description：
1. Cancer Gene/Cell Therapy: This laboratory has been actively engaged in gene
therapy research for the past 5-6 years. The ongoing DOH grant, Cancer Gene
Therapy: Retroviral Core and Preclinical Studies, in the NSC/DOH Frontier Gene
Research Program, has the following specific aims: (1) to improve retroviral vector
gene transfer technology for human cancer cells; (2) to investigate various
combination gene therapy approaches and search for new therapeutic genes; (3) to
elucidate specific patho-physiological aspects of human cancer diseases pertinent
to the gene therapy approaches in translational research; (4) to initiate clinical trials
by active collaboration with physician/surgeon scientists at medical centers. We
are currently collaborating with a neurosurgeons/clinical team at Chang-gun
Memorial Hospital to carry out a clinical trial of dendritic cell-based tumor vaccine
adjuvant therapy in patients of glioblastoma multiforme, the most deadly human
brain tumor. Preliminary results showed minimal side effects, specific immune
lymphocyte infiltration at tumor site and apparent increase in patient survival.
Translational research and clinical trials of similar therapeutic approaches will be
extended to other difficult human malignant diseases such as pancreatic and lung
cancer.
2. Individualized Cancer Markers for Diagnostic and Therapeutic Purposes: Every
human cancer is a distinct disease entity and even patients of the same cancer entity
usually present different patho-physiological alterations and require individual
treatments. The most important problems are, therefore, how to distinguish the
specific disease features and to establish proper treatment plan for individual
cancer patients. In this regard, a working hypothesis has been conceived to search
for molecular signatures of various human cancers and for molecular prognostic
indicators that represent the disease conditions of individual patients. Proteomic
approaches are currently being exploited to identify individual tumor regression
antigens in various cancer cells we have collected from Chinese patients.
3. Human Endogenous Retrotransposable Genes in Response to Environmental Insults:
The human chromosomal DNA is composed mostly of repetitive elements, some of
which are endogenous retroviral or retro-transposable genes. Functional genomic
studies of these gene elements are performed, especially in relation to
environmental mutagenesis and carcinogenesis.
Selected Recent Publication：
1. Wei, S.J., Chao, Y., Shih, Y.L., Yang, D.M., Hung, Y.M. and Yang, W.K.
Involvement of Fas (CD95/APO-1) and Fas ligand in apoptosis induced by
ganciclovir treatment of tumor cells transduced with herpes simplex virus
thymidine kinase. Gene Therapy 6: 420-431, 1999.
2. Chao,Y., Shih, Y.L., Cheng, H.L., Wei, S.J., Chi, K.H., Yeh, S.H., Lee, S.D. and
Yang, W.K. Gene therapy with tumor vaccine increases the survival of
hepatoma-bearing mice. Chinese Med. J. (Taipei) 62: 682-689, 1999.
3. Tano, K.I. and Yang, W.K. Distinction of multiple endogenous murine leukemia
virus-related proviral genes in mouse genome by restriction endonuclease digestion
of isolated nuclei. J. Genet. Mol. Biol. 11: 63-78, 2000.
4. Chen, W.S., Wei, S.J., Hsiao, M., Liu, J.M., Lin, J.K. and Yang, W.K. Tumor
invasiveness and liver metastasis of colon cancer cells correlate with
cyclooxygenase-2 expression and susceptibility to selective cyclooxygenase-2
inhibitor etodolac. Intern. J. Cancer 91: 894-899, 2001.
5. Yang, W.K., Wang, T.H., Hoy, P.R., ChÕang, L.Y., Yang, D.M., Myer, F.E., Wei,
S.J., Henry, D.D. and Savin, T.J. Reproductive, genetic and oncogenic
complications in transgenic mice developed by micro-injection of recombinant
DNA constructs that contain mouse chromosomal retroviral long-terminal-repeat
elements. J. Genet. Mol. Biol. 12: 12-27, 2001.
6. Chen, W.S., Lin, J.H., Wei, S.J., Liu, J.M., Hong C.Y. and Yang W.K. Colon
cancer cells with high invasive potential are susceptible to induction of apoptosis
by a selective COX-2 inhibitor. Cancer Science 94(3): 253-258, 2003.
7. Janckila, A.J., Yang, W.K., Lin, R.J., Tseng, C.J., Chang, H.Y., Chang, J.M. and
Yam, L.T. Flow cytoenzymology of intracellular tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase.
J. Histochem. Cytochem. 51: 1131-7, 2003.
8. Deng, W.P., Yang, W.K., Lai, W.F., Liu, R.S., Hwang J.J., Yang, D.M., Fu, Y.K. and
Wang, H.E. Noninvasive in vivo imaging with radio-abeled FIAU for monitoring
cancer gene therapy using herpes virus type 1 thymidine kinase and ganciclovir.
Europ. J. Nuclear Medicine Molec. Imaging 31:99-109, 2004.
9. Juang, S.H., Wei, S.J., Hsu, C.Y., Liu, K.J., Hung, Y.M., Yang, D.M., Chen, W.S.
and Yang, W.K. Interferon-bƒÒinduces mitochondrial disruption and subsequent
caspase-mediated apoptosis in human advanced stage colon cancer cell lines. J.
Interferon and Cytokine Re Res. 24: 231-243, 2004.
10.Hung, S.C., Yang, D.M., Chang, C.F., Lin, R.J., Wang, J.S., Ho, L.L, and Yang,
W.K. Immortalization without neoplastic transformation of human mesenchymal
stem cells by transduction with HPV16 E6/E7 genes. Internat. J. Cancer 110:
313-319 (fast track publication) 2004.