About

Yongping Wang, MD, PhD, is an Associate Professor of Clinical Pathology and Laboratory Medicine at the Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania. His clinical expertise includes cGMP cellular therapy, stem cell transplantation, bone marrow transplant, hemoglobinopathy gene therapy, and chimeric antigen receptor T cells (CARTs). His research focuses on RNA interference (RNAi), library screening, stem cell biology, and erythropoiesis. Dr. Wang has contributed to the field through various publications and presentations, emphasizing the development and manufacturing of cell and gene therapies, as well as improving outcomes in stem cell transplantation and gene therapy for hematologic conditions.

Research topics

• Cancer research
• Cell biology
• Internal medicine
• Medicine
• Immunology
• Genetics
• Biology

Selected publications

• Improved hematopoietic stem cell mobilization for gene therapy using single agent motixafortide in sickle cell disease

  Blood · 2025-11-03

  articleOpen access

  Abstract While the development and approval of gene therapies (GT) for sickle cell disease (SCD) has transformed treatment options for patients, a critical limitation remains in the ability to obtain sufficient autologous hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) for ex vivo manufacture of a drug product. Currently, HSC mobilization for SCD is limited to single agent plerixafor (P), a CXCR4 antagonist, since G-CSF is associated with an increased risk of vaso-occlusive events (VOEs) and death. While P is both safe and effective for mobilizing HSCs, many patients require repeated collection cycles and sometimes fail to collect sufficient cells for manufacture. In clinical trials approximately 2/3 SCD patients required more than one collection cycle, prolonging the pre-transplant period. Motixafortide (M) is a long-acting CXCR4 inhibitor that is FDA approved in combination with G-CSF to mobilize HSCs for autologous transplant in multiple myeloma. Single agent M has been used to successfully mobilize HSCs in healthy allogeneic donors (PMCID: PMC10500469). These reported results prompted interest in using M to mobilize HSCs for people with SCD who had a poor response to P for GT. In this context, we report the use of M at 5 centers in 10 patients, comprising 15 total collection cycles. Ages ranged from 14-50 years and include 6 females. Each cycle incorporated ≥2 consecutive apheresis days. M (1.25 mg/kg) was given 6-13 hours before apheresis in 11 cycles while in 4 cycles it was given only prior to the first session. Apheresis was performed according to institutional standards with collected cells intended for commercial GT manufacture. Seven of 10 patients had previously failed to mobilize and/or collect sufficient HSCs after at least one cycle of P (range 1-3 cycles) with a median P-mobilized PB CD34+ count of 21.5 cells/µl, range 9.5–95). Daily M resulted in a median PB CD34+ cell count of 79.5 cells/μl (range 19-243,11 cycles), while single-dose M followed by two apheresis sessions yielded 104.5 cells/µl (range 38-175). Six of 7 patients obtained sufficient cells for manufacture; 1 patient failed to mobilize with either agent. The median total number of CD34+ cells collected/day with P was 2.6 x 106/kg compared to 6.8 x 106/kg with M. M was used first line in 3 patients with preexisting clinical concerns precluding multiple collection cycles. Two of these 3 patients received a single M dose/cycle achieving a median PB CD34 count of 125.5 cells/ul (range 15-304) and collected a median of 5.6 x 106/kg/day (range 3.8 -27.4). The third patient received daily M, achieving PB CD34+ cells/µl of 224 (day 1) and 137 (day 2) cells/µl, with corresponding daily collections of 9.5 and 9.6 x 106/kg CD34+ cells. Comparison of M administered as a single dose/session versus daily dosing demonstrated a decline in Day 2 PB CD34+ cell count of 73.7% and 21.1%, respectively. Manufacture and/or infusion of a GT product is ongoing for 10 patients with one patient already successfully transplanted with appropriate engraftment. The most common adverse events were induration at the injection site (92%), pruritus with rash or hives (88%), and local or generalized pain (62%, narcotics used in 41%). There were 2 instances of lip swelling and fever, but no cases of anaphylaxis. Two patients required prolonged hospitalization for pain management, one attributed to VOE. To mitigate known local injection site and potential systemic reactions to M, all patients received prophylactic H-1 and H-2 antagonists and acetaminophen, with 82% receiving additional montelukast. Corticosteroids were used prophylactically in 25% and as treatment in 1 patient.These results support further study and consideration of M for HSC mobilization in SCD and highlight its potential role for patients who fail to mobilize adequately with P alone. Notably, currently approved GT products require nearly twice the number of HSCs for manufacture compared with the clinical trials, underscoring the urgent need for alternative mobilizing strategies to address this challenge. The ability to collect 2 or 3-fold more stem cells in select patients with SCD can help accelerate the expansion of these transformative therapies. Ongoing clinical trials of M in SCD are examining safety, mobilization efficacy, optimal dose timing, and editing potential (NCT06442761; NCT05618301). Additional studies are warranted to determine the ideal prophylactic medication regimen.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Anisotropic Brittleness Characterization and Analysis of VTI Media

  Geophysical Prospecting · 2025-07-01

  article

  ABSTRACT The brittleness index is a crucial parameter for evaluating the brittleness of subsurface reservoirs. Accurate brittleness determination optimizes fracture design and guides oil and gas extraction, especially in shale formations. Traditionally, the brittleness index assumes isotropy, which fails to capture the anisotropic nature of shale reservoirs and often leads to prediction errors. To mitigate this challenge, this study introduces a stiffness coefficient matrix specifically designed for anisotropic media and proposes a brittleness index equation tailored for transverse isotropic (VTI) media. Experimental results show that the proposed anisotropic brittleness index provides a more accurate assessment of shale reservoir brittleness than the conventional isotropic brittleness index. Ultimately, the anisotropic brittleness index is applied to field logging data, thereby validating the effectiveness of the method in distinguishing between reservoirs of high and low brittleness.

  PublisherDOI

• FAMILIAL DONOR HAPLOIDENTICAL EPSTEIN-BARR VIRUS (EBV)-SPECIFIC CYTOTOXIC T-LYMPHOCYTES (CTLs) FOR RESISTANT INFECTIONS IN CHILDREN, ADOLESCENTS AND YOUNG ADULTS (CAYA) POST HEMATOPOIETIC STEM CELL TRANSPLANTATION (AlloHSCT), AND SOLID ORGAN TRANSPLANT (SOT)

  Leukemia Research · 2025-09-01

  articleOpen access
  PublisherDOI

• Combined Therapy Using Nerandomilast and Nintedanib Enhances Treatment of Silica-Induced Silicosis in Mice

  2025-08-08

  preprintOpen access

  Silicosis, a chronic occupational lung disease from silica dust inhalation, features progressive pulmonary fibrosis. While antifibrotics Nerandomilast and Nintedanib show individual efficacy, monotherapy often inadequately addresses complex disease needs. This study evaluated their combined therapeutic potential and mechanisms in a silica-exposed mouse silicosis model. Results demonstrated that combination therapy surpassed monotherapy in alleviating pulmonary fibrosis and inflammation. The enhanced efficacy stemmed from synergistic/complementary suppression of key pathological processes: pulmonary fibroblast proliferation, activation, migration, and extracellular matrix (ECM) deposition; pulmonary epithelial cell epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT); and pro-inflammatory cytokine release by M1 macrophages. Mechanistically, the combination synergistically/complementarily inhibited pivotal fibrotic pathways (TGF-β1-Smad/non-Smad) and inflammatory pathways (NF-κB and JAK2/STAT1), explaining its superior anti-fibrotic and anti-inflammatory effects. These findings highlight the potential of the combination therapy of Nerandomilast and Nintedanib as a promising therapeutic strategy for the treatment of silicosis and other fibrotic lung diseases. Future studies should further explore the detailed molecular mechanisms and long-term therapeutic effects of this combination therapy in both preclinical and clinical settings to fully realize its potential in the management of fibrotic diseases.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Author response for "Machine Learning Model Mapped Permafrost Distribution in Northeast China During 2000-2020"

  2025-04-25

  peer-review
  PublisherDOI

• Unmet Need in Stem Cell Mobilization for Gene Therapy in Patients with Sickle Cell Disease (SCD): A Multicenter Review

  Transplantation and Cellular Therapy · 2025-02-01

  review
  PublisherDOI

• Lapatinib ameliorates skin fibrosis by inhibiting TGF-β1/Smad and non-Smad signaling pathway

  Scientific Reports · 2025-03-11 · 9 citations

  articleOpen access1st authorCorresponding

  Skin fibrosis, characterized by excessive accumulation of extracellular matrix (ECM) in the dermis, can lead to hypertrophic scars and impaired mobility. The ErbB family of receptor tyrosine kinases, including ErbB1 and ErbB2, plays a crucial role in organ fibrosis, but their specific impact on skin fibrosis is less understood. This study investigated the role of ErbB1 and ErbB2 in skin fibrosis and the therapeutic potential of lapatinib, a dual ErbB1 and ErbB2 tyrosine kinase inhibitor. Using qPCR, cell culture assays, Western blotting, and in vivo models, we found significant upregulation of ErbB1 and ErbB2 in keloid tissues and fibroblasts. Lapatinib treatment resulted in a dose-dependent decrease in ErbB1 and ErbB2 expression, which suppressed the expression of fibroblast activation markers. Our findings suggest that lapatinib may be a promising therapeutic agent for skin fibrosis by targeting ErbB1/ErbB2 and modulating the TGF-β1/Smad2/3/Erk/Akt signalling pathways. These results warrant further clinical investigation into lapatinib for treating skin fibrosis and related conditions.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Post-Approval, Real-World Experience with Betibeglogene Autotemcel for Transfusion-Dependent Beta Thalassemia

  Transplantation and Cellular Therapy · 2025-02-01 · 1 citations

  article
  PublisherDOI

• Critical Technologies for Safe and Sustainable Development in Cislunar Space: A Comprehensive Overview

  2025-05-23

  article
  PublisherDOI

• [Ipsilateral femoral neck fracture after InterTan internal fixation for intertrochanteric femoral fracture:a case report].

  PubMed · 2025-11-25

  articleSenior author
  PublisherDOI

Recent grants

• NIH Grant K08DK085152

  NIH · $757k · 2014

Frequent coauthors

• Stephan A. Grupp

  Children's Hospital of Philadelphia

  43 shared

• Nancy Bunin

  Children's Hospital of Philadelphia

  36 shared

• Stephan Kadauke

  University of Pennsylvania

  34 shared

• Youhua Liu

  National Taiwan University

  26 shared

• Timothy S. Olson

  26 shared

• Huimin Dong

  Wuhan University

  22 shared

• Michael B. Sporn

  20 shared

• Chengji J. Zhou

  Nanchang University

  20 shared