Muh-Hwa Yang

Education



1987-1994 M.D., Faculty of Medicine, National Yang-Ming University, Taiwan.

1996-1999 Resident doctor, Department of Medicine, Taipei Veteran General Hospital, Taiwan

1999-2002 Clinical fellow, Division of Medical Oncology, Department of Medicine, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taiwan

2003-2006 Ph.D., Institute of Clinical Medicine, National Yang-Ming University, Taiwan

2006-2007 Post-Doctoral Fellow, Dr. Kou-Juey Wu’s lab, Institute of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, National Yang-Ming University, Taiwan

2010-2011 Visiting Scientist, M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, U.S.A. Research and Professional Positions Held in Chronological Sequence

2002-2015 Attending Physician, Division of Hematology-Oncology, Department of Medicine, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taiwan

2007 Adjunct Assistant Professor, Faculty of Medicine, National Yang-Ming University School of Medicine, Taiwan

2007-2010 Assistant Professor, Institute of Clinical Medicine, National Yang-Ming University, Taiwan

2010-2013 Associate Professor, Institute of Clinical Medicine, National Yang-Ming University, Taiwan

2013-2016 -Professor, Institute of Clinical Medicine, National Yang Ming University School of Medicine, Taiwan

-Director, Immunity and Inflammation Research Center, National Yang-Ming University, Taiwan

2013-present Adjunct Professor, Institute of Biotechnology in Medicine, National Yang-Ming University, Taiwan

2014-present -Adjunct Research Fellow, Genomic Research Center, Academia Sinica, Taiwan

-Director, Cancer Progression Center of Excellence, National Yang-Ming University, Taiwan

2015-present Director, Division of Medical Oncology, Department of Oncology, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taiwan

2016-present Chair Professor, Institute of Clinical Medicine, National Yang Ming University School of Medicine, Taiwan

2017-present Vice President, National Yang-Ming University, Taiwan





Research Interests



Cancer Biology, Medical Oncology, Hematology, Internal medicine, Head and Neck cancer



Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is a pivotal mechanism of cancer metastasis. In recent years, we discover that the EMT inducer Twist1 directly regulated the expression of a polycomb repressor complex protein BMI1, and Twist1 interacts with BMI1 to promote EMT and tumor-initiating capability. Twist1-BMI1 complex suppresses microRNA let-7i expression, resulting in activation of RAC1 and engendering mesenchymal movements. Furthermore, BMI1 upregulates the mitotic kinase Aurora A to promote chromosomal instability for facilitating clonal evolution. We recently also discover a mechanism of EMT-directed symmetrical division of cancer cells, which will be essential for expanding the stem cell pool of tumors. Our results highlight the novel understanding of the mechanisms of EMT-induced self-renewal in cancer cells.

Major Honors and Awards



2005 -Scholar-in-Training Award, 97th American Association for Cancer Research

-Award of Best Research Project, Taiwan Society of Hematology

-Award of Distinguished Thesis, Taiwan Society of Hematology

2007 Award of the Best Research Project, 12th Taiwan Joint Cancer Conference

2008 -Award of Distinguished Thesis, Tien-Te Lee Biomedical Foundation, Taiwan

-Ta-Yu Wu Memorial Award, National Science Council, Taiwan

2009 -Award of Distinguished Thesis, Taiwan Society of Hematology

-Award of the Best Research Project, 14th Taiwan Joint Cancer Conference

-Dr. Ta-Cheng Tung Memorial Award for Basic Cancer Research, Chinese Oncology Society, Taiwan

2010 Award of the Best Research Project, 15th Taiwan Joint Cancer Conference

2011 -Young Scientist Research Award, Tien-Te Lee Biomedical Foundation, Taiwan

-Award for Junior Research Investigators, Academia Sinica

2015 -Scientific paper award, 13th Y.Z. Hsu Scientific and Technology Memorial Foundation

-Outstanding Immunology Scholar Award, The Chinese Society of Immunology

-Excellent Doctor Award, Veterans Affairs Council

-Dr. Chien-Tien Hsu Memorial Award for Outstanding Cancer Research, Taiwan Oncology Society

2018 -MOST outstanding research award (2013-2015, 2016-2018)

- First prize of Distinguished Thesis, Taipei Veterans General Hospital (2009, 2011, 2013, 2015,2018)

2019 -First prize of Award of the Best Research Project, 15th VGHUST Joint Research Program

-2nd prize of the Important Academic Achievements at the 60th Anniversaries of Taipei Veterans General Hospital

Selected Publications

Hsu DS, Wang SJ, Tai SK, Chou CH, Hsieh CH, Chiu PH, Chen NJ, Yang MH*. Acetylation of Snail modulates the cytokinome of cancer cells to enhance the recruitment of macrophages. Cancer Cell 2014 Oct 13;26(4):534-48. (*:corresponding author) 25314079

Hwang WL, Jiang JK, Yang SH, Huang TS, Lan HY, Teng HW, Yang CY, Tsai YP, Lin CH, Wang HW, Yang MH*. MicroRNA-146a directs the symmetric division of Snail-dominant colorectal cancer stem cells. Nat Cell Biol. 2014 Mar;16(3):268-80. (*:corresponding author) 24561623

Yang WH, Lan HY, Huang CH, Tai SK, Tzeng CH, Kao SY, Wu KJ, Hung MC, Yang MH*. RAC1 activation mediates Twist1-induced cancer cell migration. Nat Cell Biol. 2012 Mar 11;14(4):366-74. (*:corresponding author) 22407364

Yang MH*?, Hsu DS?, Wang HW, Wang HJ, Lan HY, Yang WH, Huang CH, Kao SY, Tzeng CH, Tai SK, Chang SY, Lee OK, Wu KJ*. Bmi1 is essential in Twist1-induced epithelial-mesenchymal transition. Nat Cell Biol. 2010 Oct;12(10):982-92. (*: corresponding author) (?: equal contirbution) 20818389

Yang MH, Wu MZ, Chiou SH, Chen PM, Chang SY, Liu CJ, Teng SC, Wu KJ. Direct regulation of TWIST by HIF-1alpha promotes metastasis. Nat Cell Biol 2008 Mar;10(3): 295-305 18297062