Skip to main content
Yang Cao

Yang Cao

Specialist, Department of Physiology and Biophysics, UC Irvine

Biography

Yang Cao, Bachelor in Medicine, is a Specialist in the Department of Physiology and Biophysics at the University of California, Irvine. Cao's research focuses on molecular and epigenetic mechanisms underlying systemic insulin resistance and energy expenditure, with particular emphasis on the roles of histone methylation in regulating liver and fat cross-talk in obesity and diabetes, as well as the browning of white adipose tissue. Prior to joining UC Irvine in 2014, Cao worked as a Research Fellow at the Bing Center for Waldenstrom's Research at Dana Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, where research centered on molecular mechanisms of Waldenstrom's Macroglobulinemia.

Cao has contributed to research published in journals including Cell Metabolism, Metabolism, JCI Insight, and the New England Journal of Medicine. Work at Dana Farber Cancer Institute included functional characterization of novel mutations in Waldenstrom's Macroglobulinemia, particularly the MYD88 L265P somatic mutation and CXCR4 WHIM-like mutations, which are determinants of clinical presentation and overall survival in the disease. This research also examined mechanisms of resistance to ibrutinib and other therapeutic agents.

Before transitioning to research, Cao practiced as a physician in the Department of Internal Medicine at the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine from 1991 to 1999. Cao received a Bachelor in Medicine from Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine in 1991.

Return to top

Education

  • Bachelor in Medicine, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, 1991
Return to top

Areas of Expertise

  • Metabolic Disease Mechanisms
  • Histone Methylation Regulation
  • Insulin Resistance Pathways
  • Adipose Tissue Browning
  • NAD+ Homeostasis Maintenance
  • Mechanosensitive Ion Channels
  • Polyamine Catabolism Signaling

Recent Publications

  • Song WS, Shen X, Du K, Ramirez CB, Park SH, Cao Y, Le J, Bae H, Kim J, Chun Y, Khong NJ, Kim M, Jung S, Choi W, Lopez ML, Said Z, Song Z, Lee SG, Nicholas D, Sasaki Y, et al., “Nicotinic acid riboside maintains NAD+ homeostasis and ameliorates aging-associated NAD+ decline” (opens in new tab), Cell Metabolism, vol. 37, no. 7, pp. 1499-1514.e4, 2025.
  • Du K, Sun L, Luo Z, Cao Y, Sun Q, Zhang K, Faizy A, Piomelli D, Lu X, Shan J, Yang Q, “Reduced DMPC and PMPC in lung surfactant promote SARS-CoV-2 infection in obesity” (opens in new tab), Metabolism Clinical and Experimental, vol. 131, pp. 155181, 2022.
  • Cao Y, Tang L, Du K, Paraiso K, Sun Q, Liu z, Ye X, Fang Y, Yuan F, Chen H, Chen Y, Wang X, Yu C, blitz I, Wang P, Huang L, Cheng H, Lu x, Cho K, Seldin M, et al., “Anterograde Regulation Mitochondrial Genes and FGF21 Signaling by Hepatic LSD1” (opens in new tab), JCI Insight, vol. 6, 2021.
  • Zhao C, Sun Q, Tang L, Cao Y, Nourse JL, Pathak MM, Lu X, Yang Q, “Mechanosensitive Ion Channel Piezo1 Regulates Diet-Induced Adipose Inflammation and Systemic Insulin Resistance” (opens in new tab), Frontiers in endocrinology, vol. 10, pp. 373, 2019.
  • Yuan F, Zhang L, Cao Y, Gao W, Zhao C, Fang Y, Zahedi K, Soleimani M, Lu X, Fang Z, Yang Q, “Spermidine/spermine N1-acetyltransferase-mediated polyamine catabolism regulates beige adipocyte biogenesis” (opens in new tab), Metabolism Clinical and Experimental, vol. 85, pp. 298-304, 2018.
  • Eldredge AC, Johnson ME, Cao Y, Zhang L, Zhao C, Liu Z, Yang Q, Guan Z, “Dendritic peptide bolaamphiphiles for siRNA delivery to primary adipocytes” (opens in new tab), Biomaterials, vol. 178, pp. 458-466, 2018.
  • Cao Y, Matsubara T, Zhao C, Gao W, Peng L, Shan J, Liu Z, Yuan F, Tang L, Li P, Guan Z, Fang Z, Lu X, Huang H, Yang Q, “Antisense oligonucleotide and thyroid hormone conjugates for obesity treatment” (opens in new tab), Scientific Reports, vol. 7, no. 1, pp. 9307, 2017.
  • Gao W, Wang H, Zhang L, Cao Y, Bao JZ, Liu ZX, Wang LS, Yang Q, Lu X, “Retinol-Binding Protein 4 Induces Cardiomyocyte Hypertrophy by Activating TLR4/MyD88 Pathway” (opens in new tab), Endocrinology, vol. 157, no. 6, pp. 2282-93, 2016.
  • Xu L, Hunter ZR, Tsakmaklis N, Cao Y, Yang G, Chen J, Liu X, Kanan S, Castillo JJ, Tai YT, Zehnder JL, Brown JR, Carrasco RD, Advani R, Sabile JM, Argyropoulos K, Lia Palomba M, Morra E, Trojani A, Greco A, et al., “Clonal architecture of CXCR4 WHIM-like mutations in Waldenström Macroglobulinaemia”, Br J Haematol, vol. 172, no. 5, pp. 735-44, 2016.
  • Treon SP, Tripsas CK, Meid K, Warren D, Varma G, Green R, Argyropoulos KV, Yang G, Cao Y, Xu L, Patterson CJ, Rodig S, Zehnder JL, Aster JC, Harris NL, Kanan S, Ghobrial I, Castillo JJ, Laubach JP, Hunter ZR, et al., “Ibrutinib in previously treated Waldenström's macroglobulinemia”, N Engl J Med, vol. 372, no. 15, pp. 1430-40, 2015.
  • Cao Y, Yang G, Hunter ZR, Liu X, Xu L, Chen J, Tsakmaklis N, Hatjiharissi E, Kanan S, Davids MS, Castillo JJ, Treon SP, “The BCL2 antagonist ABT-199 triggers apoptosis, and augments ibrutinib and idelalisib mediated cytotoxicity in CXCR4 Wild-type and CXCR4 WHIM mutated Waldenstrom macroglobulinaemia cells”, Br J Haematol, vol. 170, no. 1, pp. 134-8, 2015.
  • Cao Y, Hunter ZR, Liu X, Xu L, Yang G, Chen J, Patterson CJ, Tsakmaklis N, Kanan S, Castillo JJ, Treon SP, “CXCR4 WHIM-like frameshift and nonsense mutations promote ibrutinib resistance but do not supplant MYD88(L265P) -directed survival signalling in Waldenström macroglobulinaemia cells”, Br J Haematol, vol. 168, no. 5, pp. 701-7, 2015.
  • Cao Y, Hunter ZR, Liu X, Xu L, Yang G, Chen J, Patterson CJ, Tsakmaklis N, Kanan S, Rodig S, Castillo JJ, Treon SP, “The WHIM-like CXCR4(S338X) somatic mutation activates AKT and ERK, and promotes resistance to ibrutinib and other agents used in the treatment of Waldenstrom's Macroglobulinemia”, Leukemia, vol. 29, no. 1, pp. 169-76, 2015.
  • Treon SP, Cao Y, Xu L, Yang G, Liu X, Hunter ZR, “Somatic mutations in MYD88 and CXCR4 are determinants of clinical presentation and overall survival in Waldenstrom macroglobulinemia”, Blood, vol. 123, no. 18, pp. 2791-6, 2014.
  • Xu L, Hunter ZR, Yang G, Cao Y, Liu X, Manning R, Tripsas C, Chen J, Patterson CJ, Kluk M, Kanan S, Castillo J, Lindeman N, Treon SP, “Detection of MYD88 L265P in peripheral blood of patients with Waldenström's Macroglobulinemia and IgM monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance”, Leukemia, vol. 28, no. 8, pp. 1698-704, 2014.
  • Hunter ZR, Xu L, Yang G, Zhou Y, Liu X, Cao Y, Manning RJ, Tripsas C, Patterson CJ, Sheehy P, Treon SP, “The genomic landscape of Waldenstrom macroglobulinemia is characterized by highly recurring MYD88 and WHIM-like CXCR4 mutations, and small somatic deletions associated with B-cell lymphomagenesis”, Blood, vol. 123, no. 11, pp. 1637-46, 2014.
  • Yang G, Zhou Y, Liu X, Xu L, Cao Y, Manning RJ, Patterson CJ, Buhrlage SJ, Gray N, Tai YT, Anderson KC, Hunter ZR, Treon SP, “A mutation in MYD88 (L265P) supports the survival of lymphoplasmacytic cells by activation of Bruton tyrosine kinase in Waldenström macroglobulinemia”, Blood, vol. 122, no. 7, pp. 1222-32, 2013.
  • Xu L, Hunter ZR, Yang G, Zhou Y, Cao Y, Liu X, Morra E, Trojani A, Greco A, Arcaini L, Varettoni M, Brown JR, Tai YT, Anderson KC, Munshi NC, Patterson CJ, Manning RJ, Tripsas CK, Lindeman NI, Treon SP, “MYD88 L265P in Waldenström macroglobulinemia, immunoglobulin M monoclonal gammopathy, and other B-cell lymphoproliferative disorders using conventional and quantitative allele-specific polymerase chain reaction”, Blood, vol. 121, no. 11, pp. 2051-8, 2013.
  • Treon SP, Xu L, Yang G, Zhou Y, Liu X, Cao Y, Sheehy P, Manning RJ, Patterson CJ, Tripsas C, Arcaini L, Pinkus GS, Rodig SJ, Sohani AR, Harris NL, Laramie JM, Skifter DA, Lincoln SE, Hunter ZR, “MYD88 L265P somatic mutation in Waldenström's macroglobulinemia”, N Engl J Med, vol. 367, no. 9, pp. 826-33, 2012.
  • Wei Shao, Hyun-Soo Kim, Yang Cao, Yong-Zhen Xu, Charles C. Query, “Rsd1 and SF3b mediate the Prp5-bridged U1-U2 snRNP connection during pre-spliceosome assembly in S. pombe”, Mol Cell Biol, vol. 32, no. 2, pp. 470-8, 2012.
Return to top

Contact Information

Email: yang.cao@uci.edu

Phone: (949) 824-0232

Address: Yang Lab: C330 Med Sci I, Irvine, CA 92697-4560

Return to top

This profile was created with the help of AI.

Last updated on 3/11/2026.