Laboratory of Shuo Yang

We study

Research

Inter-organ communication is emerging as a fundamental mechanism regulating whole-body physiology and homeostasis. Organs communicate using secreted molecules that enter circulation, translocate to target tissues, and then direct a variety of processes including immunity, behavior, neurogenesis, cardiovascular function, and cellular aging. Our lab has special interests in the “Muscle-Brain” axis, and promote translational applications to treated neurodegenerative diseases.

Our paper was published in Science Immunology

Now our lab is open!

Latest Publications

Infection and chronic disease activate a brain-muscle signaling axis that regulates muscle performance

Infections and neurodegenerative diseases induce neuroinflammation, but affected individuals often show a number of non-neural symptoms including muscle pain and muscle fatigue. The molecular pathways by which neuroinflammation causes pathologies outside the central nervous system (CNS) are poorly understood, so we developed three models to investigate the impact of neuroinflammation on muscle performance. We found that infectious and chronic diseases promoted the accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in the brain. Excessive ROS induces the expression of the cytokine Unpaired 3 (Upd3) in insects, or its orthologue IL-6 in mammals, and CNS-derived Upd3/IL-6 activates the JAK/Stat pathway in skeletal muscle. In response to JAK/Stat signaling, mitochondrial function is impaired and muscle performance is reduced. Our work uncovers a brain-muscle signaling axis in which infections and chronic diseases induce cytokine-dependent changes in muscle performance, suggesting IL-6 could be a therapeutic target to treat muscle weakness caused by neuroinflammation.

Meet the Team

Here is our team! We would love for you to join us and explore the fascinating world of science together!

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Principal investigator

Shuo Yang, Ph.D.

I am an Assistant Professor at the Department of Genetics and Genetic Engineering, School of Life Science, Fudan University. As a muscle biologist, I am interested in studying the muscular system. In addition to its role in movement, posture, blood circulation, and heat generation, muscles are also responsible for other essential biological processes. Our lab focuses on understanding how muscles interact with other organs via myokines to promote body hemostasis. We are also interested in studying myogenesis and myopathies to gain a comprehensive understanding of the muscle system’s function.

Postdoctoral fellow

Rong Wang, Ph.D.

I earned my doctoral degree from Shenyang Agricultural University, where I was supervised by Academician Tianlai Li and Prof. Tao Xu. Prior to joining the Yang Lab, I published several articles on the molecular mechanism of tomato pedicel (Plant Physiology, 2021; The Plant Journal, 2020; Biologia, 2017). Due to my strong interest in Alzheimer’s disease, I decided to transition and pursue a postdoctoral career to investigate how physical exercise affects AD pathogenesis.

Shanghai Super Postdoc Award, 2023

Excellent Ph.D Thesis of Liaoning

Lab Manager

Zidong Liu

I got my Master’s degree from Northwest A&F University, where I was mentored by Professor Wenxian Zeng. During my postgraduate studies, I identified the critical regulatory roles of m6A during spermatogenesis using bioinformatic methods. My research findings were published in Genomics Proteomics Bioinformatics (2021), Mol Reprod Dev (2022), and Cells (2022). Currently, I am working as a part-time lab manager at Yang Lab. My research interests include the interaction of myokines and cognitive decline, which is why I have decided to pursue further training by applying for a Ph.D. program at Yang Lab.