The research focuses of Professor Wenyuan Wang’s laboratory are on utilizing induced Pluripotent Stem Cells (iPSCs)-derived cells for disease modeling, Drug development, and Cell therapy. The fibroblast cells harboring disease-causal mutations from patients are reprogrammed to iPSCs and then differentiated into neurons, glia cells, and 3D organoids for disease mechanism studies. Combined with CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing tools, his laboratory is systematically studying the mechanism that mediates the pathogenesis of ALS/FTD and discovering potential therapeutic targets.
While traditionally considered as two separate disease identities, FTLD and ALS are now believed to form one clinical continuum, in which overlapping syndromes link distinct forms of diseases. Currently, very little is known about the underlying mechanism of this concurrence. Conversely, how the same disease gene gives rise to three diagnostically different diseases, i.e., ALS, FTLD, and FTLD-ALS, are equally unknown. The answers to these questions will significantly advance our understanding of the pathogenesis of the diseases and provide a novel rational basis for developing therapeutic strategies. Because available rodent models for most neurodegenerative disorders have not proven predictive of clinical outcomes, Professor Wang’s laboratory uses human iPSCs and their derivatives, 3D organoids, and microphysiological systems to study these critical scientific questions. Professor wang’s papers have been published in some top-tier journals, including Nature, Nature Neuroscience, Neuron, Nature Communications, et al.
Currently, Professer Wang’s group is working on: (1) Uncovering the molecular networks underlying the convergence of pathogenic mechanisms of ALS and FTD; (2) Investigating the contribution of the non-coding RNAs in neuronal DNA damage response and neurological diseases; (3) Developing iPSCs-based cell therapy strategies.