Research Fields
The research field of Prof. Yang is mainly focused on the study of the gating mechanisms and modulation mechanisms of ion channels. In recent years, he developed the technical system of ‘dynamics based drug design and modulation mechanism study’. Using this technology, he has found multiple modulation sites with various modulation mechanisms and discovered novel inhibitors, antagonists and activators for studying ion channels. Using these small-molecule modulators as chemical probes, his group validated that inhibition of TREK-1 channel has antidepressant effects and inhibition of TRPV2 channel could reduce prostate cancer cell migration. Moreover, they identified TASK-3 channel as a new analgesic target. Target identification and the first-in-class lead discovery are the key technical challenges faced by the global pharmaceutical industry, and also the bottleneck of China's transformation from a major pharmaceutical country to a powerful one.
