A Tribute to Dr. Guang Yang, Senior Scientist, Bing Center for WM
We offer this tribute to Dr. Guang Yang, who, after 13 years of service to the Bing Center (20 years at Dana-Farber), will be moving on to continue his career in the bio-pharmaceutical industry. Please join us in thanking him for his outstanding contributions in advancing our knowledge for the benefit of the WM community worldwide.
Dr. Guang Yang is a Senior Scientist at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute (DFCI). He joined DFCI in 2001 following graduation from the Cancer Institute/Hospital of Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences (CAMS) at Peking Union Medical College (PUMC) in Beijing, China. As a Research Associate in Dr. Benz's lab, he was focused on gene expression regulation studies and published several peer-reviewed papers in Blood, Molecular Cells, etc. In 2008, he joined the Bing Center for Waldenstrom's Macroglobulinemia (WM) as a Research Fellow and then promoted to an Instructor in Medicine at Harvard Medical School. After the milestone discovery of MYD88-L265P somatic mutation in WM patients, his research has focused on mutated MYD88 signaling in B-cell malignancies. It demonstrated that MYD88-L265P triggers pro-survival NF-κB signaling in primary WM patient tumor cells (Treon et al. NEJM 2012.). This finding had a tremendous impact on the WM field by identifying MYD88-directed signaling as a novel therapeutic target for WM. He was the first to report Bruton Tyrosine Kinase (BTK) and Hematopoietic Cell Kinase (HCK) are downstream targets of mutated MYD88 signaling. These discoveries demonstrated that the pro-survival NF-kB signaling is driven by both BTK and IRAKs (Yang et al. Blood 2013), and HCK triggers pro-survival BTK, PI3K/AKT, and MAPK/ERK signaling (Yang et al. Blood 2016). The discovery of BTK as a downstream target of mutated MYD88 provided the scientific basis for the ibrutinib clinical trial (NCT01614821) in WM and subsequent fast-track, breakthrough designation, and accelerated approval by the U.S. FDA.
Read more: A Tribute to Dr. Guang Yang, Senior Scientist, Bing Center for WM
Waldenstrom's Macroglobulinemia Clinic
The Waldenstrom's Macroglobulinemia Clinic at the DFCI is devoted to the care of patients with Waldenstrom's Macroglobulinemia and related IgM disorders, including IgM MGUS, Myeloma and Neuropathies.
For more information on the WM Clinic at DFCI, please visit the DFCI Center for Hematologic-Oncology/Waldenstrom's Macroglobulinemia Clinic.
Basic Research
Waldenström’s macroglobulinemia (WM) is a distinct B-cell malignancythat results from the accumulation, predominantly in the bone marrow, of clonally related B type lymphocytes, lymphoplasmacytic cells and plasma cells which secrete a monoclonal IgM protein.1 This condition is considered to correspond to the lymphoplasmacytic lymphoma (LPL) as defined by the World Health Organization classification system.2 Most cases of LPL are WM, with less than 5% of cases made up of IgA, IgG and non-secreting LPL ...
Latest Bing Center News
Targeted Drug Found Effective as Initial Treatment for Waldenström Macroglobulinemia
When a clinical trial showed the targeted drug ibrutinib to be highly effective in patients with a form of lymphoma called Waldenström macroglobulinemia, the results were so compelling that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved the drug for all patients with the disease, even though the trial included only patients previously treated with other agents.
IGM-Related Amyloidosis - by Dr. Shayna Sarosiek (The Torch, Jan 2022)
The cover article for the first issue of The Torch for the new year is by Dr. Shayna Sarosiek, of the Bing Center for Waldenstrom's Macroglobulinemia, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. She discusses amyloidosis, its diagnosis, symptoms, and treatments. While it’s a relatively rare complication of a rare disease, it is prudent for us to be aware of it.
Dr Treon Highlights Mavorixafor Plus Ibrutinib for Patients With WM
Steven P. Treon, MD, MA, PhD, Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, discusses preliminary clinical data from a phase 1b study of mavorixafor in combination with ibrutinib for patients with Waldenström macroglobulinemia with MYDD88 and CXCR4 mutations. These data were presented at the 2021 American Society of Hematology (ASH) Annual Meeting.
Venclexta Demonstrates ‘Very Impressive’ Responses for Patients With Waldenström Macroglobulinemia
Dr. Jorge J. Castillo, lead author of the study and clinical director of the Waldenström Macroglobulinemia Program at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston, explained to CURE® that BCL2 inhibitors like Venclexta are approved by the Food and Drug Administration for other cancers such as chronic lymphocytic leukemia and acute myeloid leukemia; however, this is the first clinical trial evaluating the drug in patients with WM. He further explained that WM has malignant BCL2 cells that “immortalize” themselves, so “they are not dying when they are supposed to.”
Updates from the IWMF Forum - Featuring Dr. Jorge Castillo
The International Waldenstrom’s Macroglobulinemia Forum (IWMF) recently held their annual educational forum. Jorge Castillo, MD, Clinical Director of the Bing Center for Waldenstrom Macroglobulinemia, reports on some of the important updates from the forum. Dr. Castillo discusses how bone marrow biopsies should be evaluated and the importance of genetic profiling testing. He also explains the use of BTK inhibitors and the status of certain clinical trials, including those investigating new Bcl-2 inhibitors.
Bing-Neel Update with Dr. Jorge Castillo
In November 2021, Dr. Jorge Castillo of Dana-Farber Cancer Institute (Boston, MA, US) provided a Bing-Neel update for the IWMF International Bing-Neel Specialty Topic Support Sessions.
Venetoclax shown to benefit patients with Waldenström Macroglobulinemia, including some who relapsed
A drug that strips cancer cells of their quest for immortality represents an effective new option for patients with Waldenström macroglobulinemia, including those not helped by the only class of drugs currently approved to treat the disease, a clinical trial by Dana-Farber Cancer Institute investigators demonstrates.
Novel Treatments on the Horizon & the Importance of Clinical Trials for Drug Development
Jorge Castillo, MD - The latest information available about potential new treatments for WM, as well as the necessity for patient participation in clinical trials to help move the pipeline along for more novel therapies.
Ask The Doctor: Live Q&A - Dr. Tom Hoffmann, Moderating
Panelists: Drs. Stephen Ansell, Jorge Castillo, Mary McMaster, Andrew Branagan, Christian Buske, and Steven Treon. A panel of WM experts will answer, and sometimes debate, questions about Waldenstrom macroglobulinemia from the IWMF 2021 Ed Forum audience.
A Review of NCCN Guidelines for WM - Steven Treon, MD, PhD
Dr. Treon will review the NCCN guidelines. NCCN is a not-for-profit alliance of 31 leading cancer centers devoted to patient care, research, and education. The NCCN is dedicated to improving and facilitating quality, effective, efficient, and accessible cancer care so patients can live better lives.