Yang Liu, Ph.D.
deNancrede Professor
Director, Division of Immunotherapy, Department of Surgery
Co-leader of Cancer Immunology Program, UMCCC
Program of Molecular Mechanism of Diseases
yangl@umich.edu

Research Interests:

My laboratory studies the overlapping area of immunology, cancer biology and autoimmune diseases. We are interested in genetic control of cancer and autoimmune diseases, cell surface interactions critical for T cell activation and autoimmunity, and interaction between cancer cells and immune and hematopoietic system.

Current Research Activity:

Our laboratory takes a multiple disciplinary approach to studying the molecular and cellular mechanisms of cancer immunity and autoimmunity. We are interested in cellular and molecular interactions critical for the development, induction and effector function of T-cell and Natural Killer cell-mediated immunity and cancer evasion of host immunity. We recently extended our work on human genetics in breast cancer and autoimmune diseases.

Representative Publications:

Ou Li, Huiming Zhang, Ergun Kocak, Pan Zheng and Yang Liu. Massive and destructive T-cell response to homeostatic Cue in the CD24-deficient lymphopenic hosts. J. Exp Med. 2006 203:1713-20.

Xing Chang, Jian Xin Gao, Jin Wen, Lishan Su, Virginia L. Godfrey, Pan Zheng and Yang Liu. FoxP3 Mutation in the Thymus Stroma Leads to Defective Thymopoiesis. J Exp Med. 2005, 202(8):1141-51.

Xue-Feng Bai, Ou Li, Qunmin Zhou, Huiming Zhang, Pramod S Joshi, Xincheng Zheng, Yan Liu, Yin Wang, Pan Zheng and Yang Liu. CD24 Is a Novel Checkpoint that Controls Expansion of Autoreactive T Cells in the Central Nervous System during Experimental Autoimmune Encephalomyelitis. J. Exp Med. 200: 447-458, 2004.

Kenneth F. May, Jr., Kenneth Lute, Ping Lu, Huiming Zhang, Ergun Kocak, Bedrick Mosinger, Christopher Wolford, Gary Philips, Pan Zheng, and Yang Liu. Human CTLA-4-knock-in Mice Unravel the Link between Tumor Immunity and Autoimmunity Induced by anti-Human CTLA-4 Antibodies. Blood 2005 Nov 1;106(9):3127-33.

Kenneth F May Jr., Ken Lute, Ergun Kocak, Pan Zheng and Yang Liu. Immune competence of cancer-reactive T cells generated de novo in cancer bearing host. Blood Blood. 2006 Aug 8; [Epub ahead of print]

Tao Zuo, Lizhong Wang, Carl Morrison, Xing Chang, Huiming Zhang, Michael Chan, Xingluo Liu, Yan Liu, Yin Wang, Richard Love, Tim M Huang, Tianyu Yang, Pan Zheng and Yang Liu. The X-linked gene Foxp3 is an important suppressor gene for breast cancer and repressor of Her-2/neu/ErbB2. Cell 129: 1275-1286.