Jing Yang

Jing Yang

Research Scientist, Chemistry and Biochemistry

Harper Cancer Research Institute

jyang@nd.edu

Molecular Mechanisms of Metastatic Ovarian Cancer

Ovarian cancer is the leading cause of death from gynecologic malignancy. Survival of women diagnosed with ovarian cancer has not changed appreciably in over 30 years and most women will die from painful complications that arise as a result of widely disseminated intra-peritoneal metastasis. Dr. Yang is interested in understanding the molecular mechanisms of metastasis in ovarian cancer. Specifically, her research focus on studying: 1) the molecular mechanisms by which tumor cells integrate and interact with multiple tumor microenvironment cues such as bioactive lipids and signaling ligands to regulate ovarian cancer metastatic dissemination; 2) The roles of host factors such as obesity, aging, and parity as significant contributors to ovarian cancer metastatic success. Thorough understanding the mechanisms of ovarian cancer metastasis will significantly contribute to the development of novel therapeutic approaches in clinic to a more effective treatment of women diagnosed with ovarian cancer.

Recent Publications:

  1. Yang J, Stack MS. Lipid Regulatory Proteins as Potential Therapeutic Targets for Ovarian Cancer in Obese Women. Cancers (Basel). 2020 Nov 21;12(11):3469. doi: 10.3390/cancers12113469. PMID: 33233362; PMCID: PMC7700662.
     
  2. Yang J, Kasberg WC, Celo A, Liang Z, Quispe K, Stack MS. Post-translational modification of the membrane type 1 matrix metalloproteinase (MT1-MMP) cytoplasmic tail impacts ovarian cancer multicellular aggregate dynamics. J Biol Chem. 2017 Aug 11;292(32):13111-13121. doi: 10.1074/jbc.M117.800904. Epub 2017 Jun 27. PMID: 28655772; PMCID: PMC5555175. [COVER ART]
     
  3. Liu Y, Yang J*, Shi Z, Tan X, Jin N, O'Brien C, Ott C, Grisoli A, Lee E, Volk K, Conroy M, Franz E, Bryant A, Campbell L, Crowley B, Grisoli S, Alexandrou AT, Li C, Harper EI, Asem M, Johnson J, Leonard A, Santanello K, Klein A, Wang Q, Zhang S, Hilliard TS, Stack MS. In vivo selection of highly metastatic human ovarian cancer sublines reveals role for AMIGO2 in intra-peritoneal metastatic regulation. Cancer Lett. 2021 Apr 10;503:163-173. doi: 10.1016/j.canlet.2021.01.024. Epub 2021 Jan 30. PMID: 33524500; PMCID: PMC7981259. [* Equal contribution as first author.]
     
  4. Liu Y, Metzinger MN, Lewellen KA, Cripps SN, Carey KD, Harper EI, Shi Z, Tarwater L, Grisoli A, Lee E, Slusarz A, Yang J, Loughran EA, Conley K, Johnson JJ, Klymenko Y, Bruney L, Liang Z, Dovichi NJ, Cheatham B, Leevy WM, Stack MS. Obesity Contributes to Ovarian Cancer Metastatic Success through Increased Lipogenesis, Enhanced Vascularity, and Decreased Infiltration of M1 Macrophages. Cancer Res. 2015 Dec 1;75(23):5046-57. doi: 10.1158/0008-5472.CAN-15-0706. Epub 2015 Nov 16. PMID: 26573796; PMCID: PMC4668203.
     
  5. Klymenko Y, Bos B, Campbell L, Loughran E, Liu Y, Yang J, Kim O, Stack MS. Lysophosphatidic acid modulates ovarian cancer multicellular aggregate assembly and metastatic dissemination. Sci Rep. 2020 Jul 2;10(1):10877. doi: 10.1038/s41598-020-67565-7. PMID: 32616784; PMCID: PMC7331713.
     
  6. Hilliard TS, Kowalski B, Iwamoto K, Agadi EA, Liu Y, Yang J, Asem M, Klymenko Y, Johnson J, Shi Z, Marfowaa G, Yemc MG, Petrasko P, Stack MS. Host Mesothelin Expression Increases Ovarian Cancer Metastasis in the Peritoneal Microenvironment. Int J Mol Sci. 2021 Nov 18;22(22):12443. doi: 10.3390/ijms222212443. PMID: 34830322; PMCID: PMC8623331.
     
  7. Asem M, Young AM, Oyama C, Claure De La Zerda A, Liu Y, Yang J, Hilliard TS, Johnson J, Harper EI, Guldner I, Zhang S, Page-Mayberry T, Kaliney WJ, Stack MS. Host Wnt5a Potentiates Microenvironmental Regulation of Ovarian Cancer Metastasis. Cancer Res. 2020 Mar 1;80(5):1156-1170. doi: 10.1158/0008-5472.CAN-19-1601. Epub 2020 Jan 13. PMID: 31932454; PMCID: PMC8245162.
     
  8. Klymenko Y, Kim O, Loughran E, Yang J, Lombard R, Alber M, Stack MS. Cadherin composition and multicellular aggregate invasion in organotypic models of epithelial ovarian cancer intraperitoneal metastasis. Oncogene. 2017 Oct 19;36(42):5840-5851. doi: 10.1038/onc.2017.171. Epub 2017 Jun 19. PMID: 28628116; PMCID: PMC5648607.
     
  9. Loughran EA, Leonard AK, Hilliard TS, Phan RC, Yemc MG, Harper E, Sheedy E, Klymenko Y, Asem M, Liu Y, Yang J, Johnson J, Tarwater L, Shi Z, Leevy M, Ravosa MJ, Stack MS. Aging Increases Susceptibility to Ovarian Cancer Metastasis in Murine Allograft Models and Alters Immune Composition of Peritoneal Adipose Tissue. Neoplasia. 2018 Jun;20(6):621-631. doi: 10.1016/j.neo.2018.03.007. Epub 2018 May 10. PMID: 29754071; PMCID: PMC5994778.
     
  10. Loughran EA, Phan RC, Leonard AK, Tarwater L, Asem M, Liu Y, Yang J, Klymenko Y, Johnson J, Shi Z, Hilliard TS, Blumenthaler M, Leevy M, Ravosa MJ, Stack MS. Multiparity activates interferon pathways in peritoneal adipose tissue and decreases susceptibility to ovarian cancer metastasis in a murine allograft model. Cancer Lett. 2017 Dec 28;411:74-81. doi: 10.1016/j.canlet.2017.09.028. Epub 2017 Sep 28. PMID: 28964786; PMCID: PMC6317723.