Research

Central nervous system plays an important role in maintaining the homeostasis of human body and regulating the physiological functions of peripheral organs. However up to now, the mechanism of central neural regulation of bone metabolism remain unclear. Our research interests are mainly focused on how different neural circuits and neuron subtypes exert influences on bone metabolism in disease models. Recently we have identified a GABAergic neural circuit in the ventromedial hypothalamus mediating chronic stress-induced bone loss, which support the crucial role of central neural circuits in maintaining the homeostasis of bone metabolism. Currently, we are using cutting-edge technology including optogenetics, chemogenetics and neural tracing to dissect the underlying mechanism of crosstalk between the brain and the bone.

Biography

Since 2016, Professor at SIAT CAS.
2010, Investigator and associate professor at SIAT CAS.
2008, University of Hong Kong, PhD.
2003, Peking University, MSc
1999, Beijing Medical University, BSc

Selected publications

(^# Co-first author, * Corresponding author)

1. Zhang L^#, Liu N^#, Shao J, Gao DS, Liu YH, Zhao YZ, Han CL, Chen D, Wang LP, Lu WW* and Yang F*. Bidirectional control of parathyroid hormone and bone mass by subfornical organ. Neuron. 2023 Jun 21;111(12):1914-1932.e6.
2. Shao J^#, Gao DS^#, Liu YH^#, Chen SP, Liu N, Zhang L, Zhou XY, Xiao Q, Wang LP, Hu HL, Yang F*. Cav3.1-driven bursting firing in ventromedial hypothalamic neurons exerts dual control of anxiety-like behavior and energy expenditure. Mol Psychiatry. 2022 Mar 22. doi: 10.1038/s41380-022-01513-x.
3. Liu YH^#, Zhang L^#, Hu N^#, Shao J, Yang DZ, Ruan CS, Huang SS, Wang LP, Lu WW, Zhang XZ*, Yang F*. An optogenetic approach for regulating human parathyroid hormone secretion. Nat Commun. 2022 Feb 9;13(1):771. doi: 10.1038/s41467-022-28472-9.
4. Liu N^#, Li BT^#, Zhang L, Yang DZ*, Yang F*. Basolateral amygdala mediates central mechanosensory feedback of musculoskeletal system. Front. Mol. Neurosci. 2022 Feb. DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2022.834980.
5. Shao J^#, Liu Y^#, Gao D, Tu J, Yang F*. Neural Burst Firing and its Roles in Mental and Neurological Disorders. Front. Cell. Neurosci. 2021. 15:741292. doi:10.3389/fncel. 2021. 741292
6. Liu Y^#, Shao J^#, Gao D, Zhang L, Yang F*. Astrocytes in the Ventromedial Hypothalamus Involve Chronic Stress-Induced Anxiety and Bone Loss in Mice. Neural Plast. 2021 Jul 8;2021:7806370. doi: 10.1155/2021/7806370.
7. Yang F^#*, Liu Y^#, Chen S, Dai Z, Yang D, Gao D, Shao J, Wang Y, Wang T, Zhang Z, Zhang L, Lu W, Li Y*, Wang L*. A GABAergic neural circuit in the ventromedial hypothalamus mediates chronic stress-induced bone loss. J Clin Invest. 2020 Dec 1;130(12):6539-6554.
8. Li D^#, Guo B^#, Liang Q, Liu Y, Zhang L, Hu N*, Zhang X, Yang F*, Ruan C*. Tissue‐engineered Parathyroid Gland and Its Regulatory Secretion of Parathyroid Hormone. J Tissue Eng Regen Med. 2020 Oct;14(10):1363-1377.
9. Huang SS^#*, Li ZX^#, Liu YH, Gao DS, Zhang XZ, Hao J*, Yang F*. Neural Regulation of Bone Remodeling: Identifying Novel Neural Molecules and Pathways Between Brain and Bone. J Cell Physiol. 2019 May;234(5):5466-5477.
10. Yang F^#, Liu YH^#, Tu J^#, Wan J, Zhang J, Wu BF, Chen SP, Zhou JW, Mu YL and Wang LP. Activated astrocytes enhance the dopaminergic differentiation of stem cells and promote brain repair through bFGF. Nat Commun. 2014 Dec 17;5:5627.
11. Yang F^#, Tu J^#, Pan JQ^#, Luo HL, Liu YH, Wan J, Zhang J, Wei PF, Jiang T, Chen YH and Wang LP*. Light-Controlled Inhibition of Malignant Glioma by Opsin Gene Transfer. Cell Death & Disease 2013 Oct 31; 4:e893 .
12. Yang F^#, Yang D^#, Tu J, Zheng Q, Cai L*, Wang LP*. Strontium enhances osteogenic differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells and in vivo bone formation by activating Wnt/catenin signaling. Stem Cells.2011 Jun; 29(6):981-91.
13. Yang F, Leung VY, Luk KD, Chan D, Cheung KM. Mesenchymal stem cells arrest intervertebral disc degeneration through chondrocytic differentiation and stimulation of endogenous cells. Molecular Therapy. 2009 Nov; 17(11):1959-66.
14. Yang F, Leung VY, Luk KD, Chan D, Cheung KM. Injury-induced sequential transformation of notochordal nucleus pulposus to chondrogenic and fibrocartilaginous phenotype in the mouse. Journal of Pathology. 2009 May; 218(1):113-21.