George Yang

Clinical Focus

• General Surgery

Honors and Awards

• Resident Research Scholarship, American College of Surgeons (1996-1998)
• Faculty Research Fellow, American College of Surgeons (2002-2004)
• Wound Care Management Award, American College of Surgeons (2008-2010)
• Faculty Scholarship, Robert L and Mary Ellenburg Foundation (2008-2011)
• Chair, Publications Committee, Society of University Surgeons (2008-2010)

Professional Education

Graduate & Fellowship Program Affiliations

• Surgery

Community & International Work

• Hospital de la Familia, Nuevo Progresso, Guatemala 

Industry Relationships

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Research Interests

We are broadly interested in understanding the response to injury by studying the cellular responses to stress. Many of the molecular pathways involved in the response to injury have protective or regenerative functions. The ultimate goal of these studies is to better understand how organisms heal and repair injury with an eye towards applying this knowledge in regenerative medicine strategies.

Among the pathologies we are interested in are keloids, an example of excessive skin wound healing. We are currently working on defining molecular differences in the response to injury in keloid versus normal skin cells. Another project looks at the role of the matricellular protein, Del1, in the injury response. And finally, we are interested in how cells respond to hypoxia, a physiologic condition encountered in wound environment, and how this relates to tissue damage and repair.

My clinical research work examines the use stereotactic radiosurgery in the treatment of intraabdominal tumors. Currently, I am involved in clinical trials for the use of stereotactic radiosurgery for certain tumors of the liver and pancreas.

Clinical Trials

• Cyberknife Radiosurgery for Locally Advanced Pancreatic Cancer Completed
• Evaluation of Stereotactic Radiosurgery For Liver Malignancies Completed
• Investigate Role of Metabolic Imaging in Predicting Tumor Response/Outcome After Pancreatic CA Tx Completed
• Trilogy Stereotactic Body Radiotherapy for Pancreatic Cancer Completed

Publications

• Unfolded Protein Response Regulation in Keloid Cells. Butler PD, Wang Z, Ly DP, Longaker MT, Koong AC, Yang GP. J Surg Res. 2009
• The role of tumor cell-derived connective tissue growth factor (CTGF/CCN2) in pancreatic tumor growth. Bennewith KL, Huang X, Ham CM, Graves EE, Erler JT, Kambham N, Feazell J, Yang GP, Koong A, Giaccia AJ. Cancer Res. 2009; 69 (3): 775-84
• Cell permeant peptide analogues of the small heat shock protein, HSP20, reduce TGF-beta1-induced CTGF expression in keloid fibroblasts. Lopes LB, Furnish EJ, Komalavilas P, Flynn CR, Ashby P, Hansen A, Ly DP, Yang GP, Longaker MT, Panitch A, Brophy CM. J Invest Dermatol. 2009; 129 (3): 590-8
• Increased rate of hair regrowth in mice with constitutive overexpression of Del1. Hsu GP, Mathy JA, Wang Z, Xia W, Sakamoto G, Kundu R, Longaker MT, Quertermous T, Yang GP. J Surg Res. 2008; 146 (1): 73-80
• Gemcitabine chemotherapy and single-fraction stereotactic body radiotherapy for locally advanced pancreatic cancer. Schellenberg D, Goodman KA, Lee F, Chang S, Kuo T, Ford JM, Fisher GA, Quon A, Desser TS, Norton J, Greco R, Yang GP, Koong AC. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys. 2008; 72 (3): 678-86