Wei Yang, PhD

Wei Yang, PhD
Associate Professor
Department of Pathology
MART 8M-0832
Stony Brook Medicine
Stony Brook, NY 11794-7025
Tel:   (631) 216-2802
Fax:  (631) 444-3419
Email:  wei.yang@stonybrook.edu                                                                                                                                                                               

Webpage: Yang Lab

Research Interests

Despite remarkable progress in cancer treatment over the past decade, cancer metastasis remains responsible for about 90% of cancer deaths. Hence, there is an urgent imperative to deepen our understanding of metastasis and proactively prevent the development of life-threating macrometastases. To address this critical challenge, the Yang lab focuses on harnessing the power of multi-level proteomics technologies, such as global proteomics, phosphoproteomics, palmitoyl-proteomics, interactome profiling, thermal proteome profiling, and targeted proteomics, to delineate the molecular mechanisms of cancer metastasis. The ultimate goal is to identify promising drug targets and reliable biomarkers, enabling precision treatment of patients facing a high risk of metastatic progression.

RIPK2 in Cancer Metastasis

In our recent publication (Nature Communications, 2022), we showed that the RIPK2 protein kinase is frequently overexpressed in lethal prostate cancer and that targeting RIPK2 reduced prostate cancer metastasis in mice by up to 92%. Using multi-level proteomics, we discovered that RIPK2 functions primarily through a non-canonical RIPK2/MKK7/c-Myc phosphorylation pathway. We are currently investigating the upstream regulators of RIPK2, additional downstream effectors and pathways of RIPK2, and the roles of RIPK2 in metastasis and immune evasion, as well as developing new small-molecule compounds to more specifically targeting the non-canonical RIPK2 signaling pathways. These studies will be expanded to several other cancer types where RIPK2 overexpression is associated with significantly shorter patient survival.

Protein Palmitoylation in Cancer Metastasis

Akin to protein phosphorylation, protein palmitoylation is a reversible post-translational modification that plays a critical role in cancer progression and metastasis. We developed cutting-edge palmitoyl-proteomics methods (Molecular & Cellular Proteomics, 2010; Analytical Chemistry, 2019) and applied them to address multiple interesting biological questions (Blood, 2011; Journal of Extracellular Vesicles, 2020; International Journal of Biological Sciences, 2020; Cellular and Molecular Life Sciences, 2021). For a review of palmitoyl-proteomics approaches, refer to our review articles (Journal of Proteomics & Bioinformatics, 2014; Journal of Proteome Research, 2021). We are currently investigating the roles and mechanisms of two palmitoylating enzymes, DHHC11 and DHHC2, in prostate cancer metastasis using our leading-edge palmitoyl-proteomics approaches.