Education

Biography

Dr. Jianfei Yang is a principal scientist, project leader and immunologist at Tempero, GlaxoSmithKline, in Cambridge, MA, USA. He received a PhD in Pathology from Niigata University in Japan. He then obtained postdoctoral training in Dr. Ken Murphy’s lab at HHMI and Washington University. In the past 18 year, he has been studying the role of CD4+ T helper cells in immunity and diseases. He has 14 years of experience in immuno-inflammatory disease research and pharmaceutical drug development. He has published numerous papers and patents. He has been recognized as an expert in Th17 research and drug development in pharmaceutical industry.

Research Interest

Research interests include the role of immune cells such as Th17 and Treg cells in innate and protective immunity, autoimmune and inflammatory diseases, and cancers. He is interested in drug discovery of small molecule and novel therapeutic monoclonal antibodies for the treatment of various diseases. He is also interested in immunotherapy for tumor and inflammatory diseases.

Professional Activities:

Membership

• American Association of Immunologists
• Federation of Clinical Immunology Societies

Scientific Journal Editorial Board Member

• Mediators of Inflammation
• Journal of Clinical & Cellular Immunology
• Journal of Rheumatic Diseases and Treatment
• Journal of Inflammatory Bowel Diseases & Disorders
• Clinical and medical biochemistry
• Tropical Medicine & Surgery

Journal Reviewer

• The Journal of Immunology
• British Journal of Pharmacology
• Arthritis & Rheumatology
• Medicinal Research Reviews
• Mediators of Inflammation
• Journal of Clinical and Cellular Immunology
• Cellular Immunology
• Clinical and Investigative Medicine

Publications

1. Yang J.* (corresponding author).(2015) Book chapter entitled “Th17 cells” in “Translational Immunology: Mechanisms and Pharmacologic Approaches”, Academic Press (AP), ELSEVIER Inc.
2. Sefik E., Geva-Zatorsky N., Oh S, Konnikova L, Zemmour D, McGuire AM, Burzyn D1, Ortiz-Lopez A, Lobera M, Yang J, Ghosh S, Earl A, Snapper SB, Jupp R, Kasper D, Mathis D, Benoist C. (2015) Individual intestinal symbionts induce a distinct population of RORγ⁺ regulatory T cells.Science 349(6251):993-997
3. Yamagata T., J. Skepner and J. Yang .* (corresponding author).(2015)Targeting Th17 effector cytokines for the treatment of autoimmune diseases. ArchivumImmunologiae et TherapiaeExperimentalis63(6):405-14
4. Skepner J., M. Trocha, X. A. Qu, R. Ramesh, D. Schmidt, E. Baloglu, M. Lobera, M. Nolan, T. Carlson, J. Hill, S. Ghosh, M. Sundrud, J.Yang .* (corresponding author). (2015) In vivo regulation of gene expression and Th17 differentiation by RORγt inverse agonists. Immunology (published on line, PMID: 25604624).
5. Yang J.* (corresponding author), M. Sundrud , J. Skepner  and T. Yamagata. (2014) Targeting Th17 cells in autoimmune inflammatory diseases. Trends in Pharmacological Sciences 35 :493-500 (invited review)
6. Skepner J., R. Ramesh, M. Trocha, D. Schmidt, E. Baloglu, M. Lobera, T. Carlson, J. Hill, L. A. Miller, A. Barnes, M. Boudjelal, M. Sundrud, S. Ghosh, Yang J.* (corresponding author). (2014)Pharmacologic inhibition of RORγt suppresses Th17-signature genes and cutaneous inflammation. Journal of Immunology 192 : 2564-2575
7. Xiao S. (Harvard), Yosef N. (MIT), J.Yang (GSK), Y. Wang, L. Zhou, C. Zhu, C. Wu,  E. Baloglu, D. Schmidt, R. Ramesh, M. Lobera, M. S. Sundrud, P, Tsai, Z. Xiang, J. Waang, Y. Xu, X. Lin,  K. Kretschmer, P. B. Rahl, R. A. Young, Z. Zhong, D. Hafler, A. Regev,  S. Ghosh, A. Marson, V. K. Kuchroo. (2014) Chemical Inhibition of the RORγt-dependent Transcriptional Network in Th17 cells. Immunity 40: 477-489
8. Yang J. (corresponding author), J. Skepner, M. Trocha, and S. Ghosh. 2013. Small Molecule Inhibitors Targeting the Th17 Cell Transcription Factor RORγt for the Treatment of Autoimmune Diseases (Editorial). Journal of Clinical & Cellular Immunology4:e111 doi: 10.4172/2155-9899.1000e111.
9. Yang J. (corresponding author),X. L, H. Jiang, A. Hanidu, R. Sellati, L. Wang, H. Jiang and J. Li. 2010. PIM-2 is required for interleukin 6 expression induced by IL-1, TNF or LPS. Immunology 131:174-182.
10. Gu Y., J. Yang, W. Liu, H. Li, J. Yang, J. Bromberg, S. Chen, L. Mayer, J. Unkeless, and H. Xiong. 2008. Interleukin 10 suppresses Th17 cytokines in macrophages and T cells. European Journal of Immunology 38:1807-1813.
11. Yang J. (corresponding author),M. Yang, T. M. Htut, X. Ouyang, A. Hanidu, X. Li, R. Sellati, H. Jiang, S. Zhang, H. Li, A. T. Ting, L. Mayer, J. C. Unkeless, M. E. Labadia, M. Hodge, J. Li, and H. Xiong. 2008. Epstein-Barr virus-induced gene 3 negatively regulates IL-17, IL-22 and RORt. European Journal of Immunology 38:1204-1214.                                 
12. Stevens, L., T. M. Htut, D. White, X. Li, A. Hanidu, M. E. Labadia, J. Li, M. Brown, and J. Yang(corresponding author). 2006. Involvement of GATA3 in Protein Kinase C -induced Th2 cytokine expression. European Journal of Immunology 36: 3305-3314.
13. Berenson1, L. S., J. Yang, B. P. Sleckman1, T. L. Murphy, and K. M. Murphy. 2006. Selective requirement of p38α MAPK in cytokine-dependent, but not antigen-receptor dependent, Th1 responses. The Journal of Immunology 176: 4616-4621.
14. Yang, J(corresponding author), B. E. Castle, A. Hanidu, Y. Yu, X. Li, L. Stevens, C. Stearns, D. Rajotte, S. Mische and J. Li. 2005. Sphingosine Kinase 1 is a Negative Regulator of CD4+ T Helper 1 Cells. The Journal of Immunology 175: 6580-6588.
15. Watanabe, N., M. Gavrieli, J. R. Sedy, J. Yang, F. Fallarino, S. K. Loftin, M. A. Hurchla1, N. Zimmerman, J. Sim, X. Zhang, T. L. Murphy, J. H. Russell, J. P. Allison and K. M. Murphy. 2003. BTLA is a lymphocyte inhibitory receptor with similarities to CTLA-4 and PD-1. Nature Immunology 4: 670-679.
16. Afkarian, M, J. R. Sedy, J. Yang, N. G. Jacobson, N. Cereb, S. Y. Yang, T. L. Murphy, and K. M. Murphy. 2002. T-bet is a STAT1-induced regulator of IL-12R expression in naïve CD4+ T cells. Nature Immunology 3: 549-557.
17. Yang, J., H. Zhu, T.L. Murphy, W. Ouyang, and K.M. Murphy. 2001. IL-18-stimulated GADD45 beta required in cytokine-induced, but not TCR-induced, IFN-production. Nature Immunology 2:157-164.
18. Zhu, H., J. Yang (Co-first author),T. L. Murphy, W. Ouyang, F. Wagner, A. Saparov, C. T. Weaver, and K. M. Murphy. 2001. Unexpected characteristics of the IFN-reporters in non-transformed T cells. The Journal of Immunology 167: 855-865.
19. Murphy, K.M., W. Ouyang, J.D. Farrar, J. Yang, S. Ranganath, H. Asnagli, M. Afkarian, and T.L. Murphy. 2000. Signaling and transcription in T helper development. Annual Review of Immunology 18:451.
20. Yang, J., T. L. Murphy, W. Ouyang, and K. M. Murphy. 1999. Induction of interferon-production in Th1 CD4+ T cells: evidence for two distinct Pathways for promoter activation. European Journal of Immunology 29: 548-555.
21. Yang, J., and M. Mitsuyama. 1997. An essential role for endogenous interferonin the generation of protective T cells against Mycobacterium bovis BCG. Immunology 91:529-535.
22. Yang, J., I. Kawamura, and M. Mitsuyama. 1997. Requirement of the initial production of gamma interferon in the generation of protective immunity of mice against Listeria monocytogenes. Infection and Immunity 65:72-77.
23. Yang, J., I. Kawamura, and M. Mitsuyama. 1997. Involvement of inflammatory cytokines and nitric oxide in the expression of non-specific resistance to Listeria monocytogenes in mice induced by viable but not killed Mycobacterium bovis BCG. Microbial Pathogenesis 22:79-88.
24. Yang, J., I. Kawamura, H. Zhu, and M. Mitsuyama. 1995. Involvement of natural killer cells in nitric oxide production by spleen cells after stimulation with Mycobacterium bovis BCG. Study for the mechanism of the different ability between viable and killed BCG. The Journal of Immunology 155:5728-5735.
25. Kawamura, I., J. Yang, Y. Takaesu, M. Fujita, K. Nomoto, and M. Mitsuyama. 1994. Antigen provoking gamma interferon production in response to Mycobacterium bovis BCG and functional difference in T-cell responses to this antigen between viable and killed BCG-immunized mice. Infection and Immunity 62:4396-4403.
26. Yang, J., Change of matter movement and reverse of tumor cell (in Chinese). Medicine and Philosophy 1990; 11(8): 52-54.