Dr. Yi-Ching Wang investigates the molecular mechanisms underlying lung, esophageal, pancreatic, and colorectal cancers. Her recent work focuses on post-translational modifications of immune checkpoint molecules, stromal-cancer crosstalk, and the role of the small GTPase Rab37 in immune modulation of the tumor microenvironment and cancer progression. Her group also studies cancer-related transcription factors, including NF-κB, STAT3, Oct4, ZNF322A, and SOX17, as well as cytokines and secretory factors such as IL-2, IL-6, IL-33, CCL2, and chitinase-3-like protein 1. In parallel, her team is developing novel anticancer small-molecule therapeutics and immunomodulatory antibodies and cytokines.

Dr. Wang's major research fields are listed below.

1. Post-translational modifications of immune checkpoints
2. Vesicle trafficking and tumor microenvironment
3. Stromal-cancer cross-talk in the tumor microenvironment
4. Transcription deregulation in cancer
5. Cancer signaling
6. Anticancer drug/antibody development
7. Translational medicine

Dr. Wang’s team investigates the role of NRF2, an antioxidant transcription factor, in cancer progression and drug resistance. In parallel, her laboratory studies the function of the small GTPase Rab37 in exocytosis, the consequences of Rab37 dysregulation in tumorigenesis, and its impact on the tumor microenvironment. More recently, Dr. Wang’s research has expanded to post-translational modifications of inhibitory receptors on immune cells and their roles in immune modulation during tumorigenesis. The stromal–cancer crosstalk that shapes the tumor microenvironment and drives cancer progression is also a major focus of her laboratory. In addition, her group investigates cancer-related transcription factors, including NF-κB, STAT3, Oct4, ZNF322A, and SOX17, as well as cytokines and secretory factors such as IL-2, IL-6, IL-33, CCL2, and chitinase-3-like protein 1.

Beyond fundamental research, Dr. Wang’s laboratory is actively engaged in the development of novel anticancer small-molecule therapeutics and immunomodulatory antibodies and cytokines. These ongoing efforts aim to translate fundamental scientific discoveries into clinically applicable strategies that ultimately benefit cancer patients.

As a Principal Investigator since 1995, Dr. Yi-Ching Wang has published more than 150 SCI-indexed papers in leading journals, including Journal of Clinical Oncology, Journal of Thoracic Oncology, Journal of Clinical Investigation, Nature Communications, Science Advances, Nucleic Acids Research, Cell Death & Differentiation, Cancer Research, and Theranostics. In addition, her research group has published over 500 conference papers and four book chapters, and has been granted four Taiwan patents, two U.S. patents, and two PCT patents.

1. Hsieh HC, Ling LL, Yi-Ching Wang*. 2026. Post-translational modifications of immune checkpoints: Molecular mechanisms, tumor microenvironment remodeling, and therapeutic implications. J Biomed Sci. 33(1):3 (invited review)
2. Hsieh HC, Young MJ, Chen KY, Su WC, Lin CC, Yen YT, Hung JJ*, Yi-Ching Wang*. 2025. Inhibition of USP24 augments T-cell anti-tumor immunity by destabilizing PD-1. Science Advances 11(16):eadt4258.
3. Hong CT, Yang YE, Juan HF, Chang CP, Yi-Ching Wang*. 2025. GDP-bound Rab37 modulates M2-like tumor-associated macrophage polarization by attenuating STAT1 translocation to downregulate the type I IFN pathway. J Cancer 10.1038/s41416-025-02955-0.
4. Huang PH, Chang CJ, Chen SY, Su PC, Ding LY, Hou YC, Hung MN, Chen KL, Wu YN, Wu SR, Lin FC, Lu PJ, Wu HY, Chen YJ, Chang CH, Chang CP, Hwang DY, Yi-Ching Wang*, Shan YS*. 2025. Macrophage activation determines muscle wasting in pancreatic cancer. Oncogene 44:2797–2813.
5. Kuo WT, Kuo IY, Hsieh HC, Wu ST, Su WC, Yi-Ching Wang*. 2024. Rab37 mediates trafficking and membrane presentation of PD-1 to sustain T cell exhaustion in lung cancer. J Biomed Sci. 7;31(1):20.
6. Hsieh CH, Ho PS, Wang WL, Shih FH, Hong CT, Wang PW, Shieh DB, Chang WL*, Yi-Ching Wang*. 2024. Decreased plasma gelsolin fosters a fibrotic tumor microenvironment and promotes chemoradiotherapy resistance in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma. J Biomed Sci. 31(1):90.
7. Su PC, Chen CY, Yu MH, Kuo IY, Yang PS, Hsu CH, Hou YC, Hsieh HT, Chang CP, Shan YS*, Yi-Ching Wang*. 2024. Fully human chitinase-3 like-1 monoclonal antibody inhibits tumor growth, fibrosis, angiogenesis, and immune cell remodeling in lung, pancreatic, and colorectal cancers. Biomed Pharmacother. 176:116825.
8. Yang YE, Hu MH, Zeng YC, Tseng YL, Chen YY, Su WC, Chang CP*, Yi-Ching Wang*. 2024. IL-33/NF-κB/ST2L/Rab37 positive-feedback loop promotes M2 macrophage to limit chemotherapeutic efficacy in lung cancer. Cell Death Dis. 15, 356.
9. Liu H, Shih YH, Wang WL, Chang WL, Yi-Ching Wang*. 2023. UBE1C is upregulated and promotes neddylation of p53 in lung cancer. FASEB J. 37(10):e23181.
10. Chang WL, Hsieh CH, Kuo IY, Lin CH, Huang YL, Yi-Ching Wang*. Nutlin-3 acts as a DNA methyltransferase inhibitor to sensitize esophageal cancer to chemoradiation. Mol Carcinog. 62:277–287.
11. Hsieh CH, Kuan WH, Chang WL, Kuo IY, Liu H, Shieh DB, Liu H, Tan B, Yi-Ching Wang*. 2022. Dysregulation of SOX17/NRF2 axis confers chemoradiotherapy resistance and emerges as a novel therapeutic target in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma. J Biomed Sci. 29(1):90.
12. Kuo IY, Hsieh CH, Kuo WT, Chang CP*, Yi-Ching Wang*. Recent advances in conventional and unconventional vesicular secretion pathways in the tumor microenvironment. J. Biomed. Sci. 29(1):56. (invited review)
13. Yang PS, Yu MH, Hou YC, Chang CP, Lin SC, Kuo IY, Su PC, Cheng HC, Su WC, Shan YS*, Yi-Ching Wang*. 2022. Targeting protumor factor chitinase-3-like-1 secreted by Rab37 vesicles for cancer immunotherapy. Theranostics 12(1):340-361. (cover article of January 2022 issue)
14. Kuo IY, Yang YE, Yang PS, Tsai YJ, Tzeng HT, Cheng HC, Kuo WT, Su WC, Chang CP*, Wang YC*. 2021. Converged Rab37/IL-6 trafficking and STAT3/PD-1 transcription axes elicit an immunosuppressive lung tumor microenvironment. Theranostics 11(14):7029-7044. (cover article of May 2021 issue)
15. Hsieh CHs, Hsieh HC, Shih FS, Wang PW, Yang LX, Shieh DB*, Wang YC*. 2021. An innovative NRF2 nano-modulator induces lung cancer ferroptosis and elicits an immunostimulatory tumor microenvironment. Theranostics 11(14):7072-7091. (cover article of May 2021 issue)