Yan Ping Yu, MD, PhD

Associate Professor of Pathology, Division of Experimental Pathology

Dr. Yu is a member of the Division of Experimental Pathology.

Research Interests

Dr. Yu's research interests focus on the analyses of genomic instabilities, including identifications of key genetic abnormalities and their biological roles in human cancer. To attain these goals, they utilize high throughput approaches to identify the abnormal gene expressions, aberrant genome structures and DNA methylations in prostate cancer and then apply various molecular biological methods to characterize the phenotypes of these genetic targets in cancer. Current ongoing researches include: 1) characterizations of novel fusion transcripts identified by transcriptome sequencing analysis of prostate cancer. Since these fusions are exclusively expressed in cancer tissues, such as prostate, lung and liver tumor samples, the understanding the functions of these novel fusions will provide the significant new insight into the mechanism of cancer development and also a new foundation for cancer treatment; 2) analyses of epigenetic modifications of RNAs in prostate cancers, and the role of RNA epigenetics in the regulation of gene expression and RNA splicing; 3) They are also interested in the therapeutic value of tumor suppression of GPx3 in prostate cancer. They found that GPx3 expression was down-regulated and GPx3 gene was inactivated by promoter methylation in most of prostate cancer samples. And in their recent studies, intracellular GPx3 showed an unusual role in regulation of apoptotic cell death through GPx3 interaction with a P53 trans-activated protein, p53-induced protein 3, suggesting the significance of lost GPx3 in normal cell growth.

Dr. Yu is an associate director of the High Throughput Genome Center.

Representative Publications

View Dr. Yu's publications on PubMed.

  • Zhang-Hui Chen, Yan P. Yu, George Michalopoulos, Joel Nelson and Jian-Hua Luo (2015). The DNA replication licensing factor miniature chromosome maintenance 7 is essential for RNA splicing of epidermal growth factor receptor, c-met and platelet derived growth factor receptor. Journal of Biological Chemistry, in press.
  • Yan P. Yu, Ying Ding, Zhanghui Chen, Silvia Liu, Amantha Michalopoulos, Rui Chen, Zulfiqar G. Gulzar, Bing Yang, Kathleen Cieply, Alyssa Luvison, Bao-Guo Ren, James D. Brooks, David Jarrard, Joel B. Nelson, George Michalopoulos, George C. Tseng and Jian-Hua Luo (2014). Novel fusion transcripts associate with progressive prostate cancer, American Journal of Pathology, 184, 2840-9.
  • Yan P. Yu, Amantha Michalopoulos, Ding Ying, George Tseng and Jian-Hua Luo (2014). High Fidelity Copy Number Analysis of Formalin-Fixed and Paraffin-Embedded Tissues Using Affymetrix Cytoscan HD Chip. PLOS ONE 9(4):e92820.
  • J Kelly LM, Barila G, Liu P, Evdokimova VN, Trivedi S, Panebianco F, Gandhi M, Carty SE, Hodak SP, Luo J, Dacic S, Yu YP, Nikiforova MN, Ferris RL, Altschuler DL, Nikiforov YE. Identification of the transforming STRN-ALK fusion as a potential therapeutic target in the aggressive forms of thyroid cancer. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2014 Mar 18;111(11):4233-8. doi: 10.1073/pnas.1321937111. Epub 2014 Feb 3.
  • Tan LZ, Song Y, Nelson J, Yu YP, Luo JH. Integrin α7 binds tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase 3 to suppress growth of prostate cancer cells. Am J Pathol. 2013 Sep;183(3):831-40. doi: 10.1016/j.ajpath.2013.05.010. Epub 2013 Jul 2.
  • Yan P. Yu, Ying Ding, Rui Chen, Serena G. Liao, Bao-Guo Ren, Amantha Michalopoulos, George Michalopoulos, Joel Nelson, George C. Tseng and Jian-Hua Luo. Whole genome methylation sequencing reveals distinct impact of differential methylations on gene transcription in prostate cancer. Am J Pathol. 2013 Dec;183(6):1960-70. doi: 10.1016/j.ajpath.2013.08.018. Epub 2013 Oct 8.
  • Jian-Hua Luo, Ying Ding, Rui Chen, George Michalopoulos, Joel Nelson, George Tseng, and Yan P. Yu (2013). Genome-wide methylation analysis of prostate tissues reveals global methylation patterns of prostate cancer. Am J Pathol. 2013 Jun;182(6):2028-2036.
  • Yu-Chen Han, Zhong-Liang Zheng, Ze-Hua Zuo, Yan P. Yu, Rui Chen, George C. Tseng, Joel B. Nelson and Jian-Hua Luo (2013). Metallothionein 1h Tumor Suppressor Activity in Prostate Cancer Is Mediated By Euchromatin Methyltransferase 1. J Pathol. 2013 Jun;230(2):184-93.
  • Xi-Yue Zhang, Lang-Zhu Tang, Bao-Guo Ren, Yan P. Yu, Joel Nelson, George Michalopoulos and Jian-Hua Luo (2013). Interaction of MCM7 and RACK1 for activation of MCM7 and cell growth. Am J Pathol., 182:796-805.
  • Zhong-Liang Zheng, Lang-Zhu Tang, Yan P. Yu, George Michalopoulos and Jian-Hua Luo (2012). Interaction of CSR1 with XIAP reverses inhibition of caspases and accelerates cell death. Am J Pathol., 181, 463-71.
  • Hui Wang, Katherine Luo, Lang-Zhu Tan, Bao-Guo Ren, Li-Qun Gu, George Michalopoulos, Jian-Hua Luo, and Yan P. Yu (2012). p53-Induced-Gene 3 Mediates Cell Death Induced by Glutathione Peroxidase 3. Journal of Biological Chemistry 287, 16890-902.
  • Yan P. Yu, Chi Song, George Tseng, Baoguo Ren, William Laframboise, George Michalopoulos, Joel Nelson and Jian-Hua Luo (2012). Genome abnormalities precede prostate cancer and predict clinical relapse. Am J Pathol., 180, 2240-8.
  • Michael Nalesnik, George Tseng Ying Ding, Guo-Sheng Xiang, Zhong-liang Zheng, Yan Ping Yu, J. Wallis Marsh, George Michalopoulos and Jian-Hua Luo (2012). Gene Deletions and Amplifications in Human Hepatocellular Carcinomas: Correlation with Hepatocyte Growth Regulation. Am J Pathol.180, 1495-508.
  • Yan-Ping Yu and Jian-Hua Luo (2011). Phosphorylation and interaction of Myopodin by Integrin-Link Kinase Lead to Suppression of Cell Growth and Motility in Prostate Cancer Cells. Oncogene 30, 4855-63.
  • Yi-Kang Shi, Yan P. Yu, George C. Tseng and Jian-Hua Luo (2010). Inhibition of prostate cancer growth and metastasis using small interference RNA specific for minichromosome complex maintenance component 7. Cancer Gene Therapy 17, 694-699.
  • Ze-Hua Zhu, Yan P. Yu, Zhong-Liang Zheng, Yang Song, Guo-Sheng Xiang, Joel Nelson1, George Michalopoulos and Jian-Hua Luo (2010). Integrin alpha 7 interacts with HtrA2 to induce prostate cancer cell death. American Journal of Pathology, Am J Pathol. 2010 Sep;177(3):1176-86. Epub 2010 Jul 22.
  • Yu-Chen Han, Yan P. Yu, Joel Nelson, Chuanyue Wu, Hui Wang, George K. Michalopoulos and Jian-Hua Luo (2010). Interaction of integrin linked kinase (ILK) and MCM7 mediating integrin α7 induced cell growth suppression. Cancer Res. 2010 Jun 1;70(11):4375-84. Epub 2010 May 11.
  • Katherine L. Luo, Jian-Hua Luo, Yan P. Yu (2010). (-)-Epigallocatechin-3-gallate inducing cell death through down regulation of Inhibitor of DNA binding 2, a dominant negative helix-loop-helix protein. Cancer Science 10, 707-712.
  • Bowen Liu, Shirish Paranjpe, William C. Bowen, Aaron W. Bell, Jian-Hua Luo, Yan-Ping Yu, Wendy M. Mars, George K. Michalopoulos (2009). Investigation of the Role of Glypican 3 in Liver Regeneration and Hepatocyte Proliferation. American Journal of Pathology 175, 717-724.
  • Yu-Chen Han, Yan P. Yu, George C. Tseng and Jian-Hua Luo (2009). Trypsin and Reduction Method to Prepare DNA from Formalin-Fixed and Paraffin Embedded Samples for Methylation Analysis. Histopathology, 54:773-5.