Yongkun Wei, M.D., Ph.D.
Department of Molecular and Cellular Oncology, Division of Discovery Science
Present Title & Affiliation
Primary Appointment
Assistant Professor, Department of Molecular and Cellular Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX
Education & Training
Degree-Granting Education
| 2002 | Fudan University, Shanghai, CHN, PHD, Oncology |
| 1996 | Henan Medical University, Zhengzhou, CHN, MS, Pathology |
| 1993 | Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, CHN, MD, Clinical Medicine |
Experience & Service
Academic Appointments
Instructor, Department of Molecular and Cellular Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, 2008 - 2020
Honors & Awards
| 2022 | 2022-2023 Career Enhancement Program (CEP) award, The MD Anderson Cancer Center SPORE in GI Cancer |
| 2000 | Guanghua Scholarship, Fudan University, China |
Selected Publications
Peer-Reviewed Articles
- Zhao X, Wei Y, Chu YY, Li Y, Hsu JM, Jiang Z, Liu C, Hsu JL, Chang WC, Yang R, Chan LC, Qu J, Zhang S, Ying H, Yu D, Hung MC. Phosphorylation and Stabilization of PD-L1 by CK2 Suppresses Dendritic Cell Function. Cancer Res 82(11):2185-2195, 2022. PMID: 35385574.
- Wang YN, Lee HH, Wei Y, Chu YY, Xia W, Wang M, Yu D, Hung MC. An optimized protocol for PD-L1 pathological assessment with patient sample deglycosylation to improve correlation with therapeutic response. STAR Protoc 3(1):101198, 2022. e-Pub 2022. PMID: 35243381.
- Zhang L, Yao J, Wei Y, Zhou Z, Li P, Qu J, Badu-Nkansah A, Yuan X, Huang YW, Fukumura K, Mao X, Chang WC, Saunus J, Lakhani S, Huse JT, Hung MC, Yu D. Blocking immunosuppressive neutrophils deters pY696-EZH2-driven brain metastases. Sci Transl Med 12(545), 2020. PMID: 32461334.
- Han Y, Wei Y, Yao J, Chu YY, Li CW, Hsu JL, Nie L, Hung MC. Inhibition of CDK2 reduces EZH2 phosphorylation and reactivates ERα expression in high-grade serous ovarian carcinoma. Am J Cancer Res 10(4):1194-1206, 2020. e-Pub 2020. PMID: 32368395.
- Nie L, Wei Y, Zhang F, Hsu YH, Chan LC, Xia W, Ke B, Zhu C, Deng R, Tang J, Yao J, Chu YY, Zhao X, Han Y, Hou J, Huo L, Ko HW, Lin WC, Yamaguchi H, Hsu JM, Yang Y, Pan DN, Hsu JL, Kleer CG, Davidson NE, Hortobagyi GN, Hung MC. CDK2-mediated site-specific phosphorylation of EZH2 drives and maintains triple-negative breast cancer. Nat Commun 10(1):5114, 2019. e-Pub 2019. PMID: 31704972.
- Wan L, Xu K, Wei Y, Zhang J, Han T, Fry C, Zhang Z, Wang YV, Huang L, Yuan M, Xia W, Chang WC, Huang WC, Liu CL, Chang YC, Liu J, Wu Y, Jin VX, Dai X, Guo J, Liu J, Jiang S, Li J, Asara JM, Brown M, Hung MC, Wei W. Phosphorylation of EZH2 by AMPK Suppresses PRC2 Methyltransferase Activity and Oncogenic Function. Mol Cell 69(2):279-291.e5, 2018. PMID: 29351847.
- Du Y, Yamaguchi H, Wei Y, Hsu JL, Wang HL, Hsu YH, Lin WC, Yu WH, Leonard PG, Lee GR 4th, Chen MK, Nakai K, Hsu MC, Chen CT, Sun Y, Wu Y, Chang WC, Huang WC, Liu CL, Chang YC, Chen CH, Park M, Jones P, Hortobagyi GN, Hung MC. Blocking c-Met-mediated PARP1 phosphorylation enhances anti-tumor effects of PARP inhibitors. Nat Med 22(2):194-201, 2016.
- Yang CC, LaBaff A, Wei Y, Nie L, Xia W, Huo L, Yamaguchi H, Hsu YH, Hsu JL, Liu D, Lang J, Du Y, Lien HC, Li LY, Deng R, Chan LC, Yao J, Kleer CG, Hortobagyi GN, Hung MC. Phosphorylation of EZH2 at T416 by CDK2 contributes to the malignancy of triple negative breast cancers. Am J Transl Res 7(6):1009-1020, 2015.
- Sorokin AV, Nair BC, Wei Y, Aziz KE, Evdokimova V, Hung MC, Chen J. Aberrant Expression of proPTPRN2 in Cancer Cells Confers Resistance to Apoptosis. Cancer Res 75(9):1846-1858, 2015.
- Zhang P, Wei Y, Wang L, Debeb BG, Yuan Y, Zhang J, Yuan J, Wang M, Chen D, Sun Y, Woodward WA, Liu Y, Dean DC, Liang H, Hu Y, Ang KK, Hung MC, Chen J, Ma L.. ATM-mediated stabilization of ZEB1 promotes DNA damage response and radioresistance through CHK1. Nat Cell Biol 16(9):864-875, 2014.
- Zhang J, Zhang P, Wei Y, Piao HL, Wang W, Maddika S, Wang M, Chen D, Sun Y, Hung MC, Chen J, Ma L. Deubiquitylation and stabilization of PTEN by USP13. Nat Cell Biol 15(12):1486-94, 2013.
- Chen D, Sun Y, Wei Y, Zhang P, Rezaeian AH, Teruya-Feldstein J, Gupta S, Liang H, Lin HK, Hung MC, Ma L. LIFR is a breast cancer metastasis suppressor upstream of the Hippo-YAP pathway and a prognostic marker. Nat Med 18(10):1511-7, 2012. e-Pub 2012. PMID: 23001183.
- Wei Y, Chen YH, Li LY, Lang J, Yeh SP, Shi B, Yang CC, Yang JY, Lin CY, Lai CC, Hung MC.. CDK1-dependent phosphorylation of EZH2 suppresses methylation of H3K27 and promotes osteogenic differentiation of human mesenchymal stem cells. Nature Cell Biol. e-Pub 2010.
- Xia W, Wei Y, Du Y, Liu J, Chang B, Yu YL, Huo LF, Miller S, Hung MC. Nuclear expression of epidermal growth factor receptor is a novel prognostic value in patients with ovarian cancer. Mol Carcinog 48(7):610-7, 2009. PMID: 19058255.
- Liao Y, Wei Y, Zhou X, Yang JY, Dai C, Chen YJ, Agarwal NK, Sarbassov D, Shi D, Yu D, Hung MC. Peptidyl-prolyl cis/trans isomerase Pin 1 is critical for the regulation of PKB/Akt stability and activation phosphorylation. Oncogene 28(26):2436-45, 2009.
- Wei Y, Xia W, Zhang Z, Liu J, Wang H, Adsay NV, Albarracin C, Yu D, Abbruzzese JL, Mills GB, Bast RC, Hortobagyi GN, Hung MC. Loss of trimethylation at lysine 27 of histone H3 is a predictor of poor outcome in breast, ovarian, and pancreatic cancers. Mol Carcinog 47(9):701-6, 2008. PMID: 18176935.
- Kang T, Wei Y, Honaker Y, Yamaguchi H, Appella E, Hung MC, Piwnica-Worms H. GSK-3 beta targets Cdc25A for ubiquitin-mediated proteolysis, and GSK-3 beta inactivation correlates with Cdc25A overproduction in human cancers. Cancer Cell 13(1):36-47, 2008. PMID: 18167338.
- Li YM, Pan Y, Wei Y, Cheng X, Zhou BP, Tan M, Zhou X, Xia W, Hortobagyi GN, Yu D, Hung MC. Upregulation of CXCR4 is essential for HER2-mediated tumor metastasis. Cancer Cell 6(5):459-69, 2004. PMID: 15542430.
- Wei Y, Sun M, Nilsson G, Dwight T, Xie Y, Wang J, Hou Y, Larsson O, Larsson C, Zhu X. Characteristic sequence motifs located at the genomic breakpoints of the translocation t(X;18) in synovial sarcomas. Oncogene 22(14):2215-22, 2003. PMID: 12687023.
Patient Reviews
CV information above last modified December 05, 2023