Yongfeng He, PhD, is an instructor of cancer biology in medicine at Weill Cornell Medicine in New York, New York.

He, along with Giuseppe Gianccone, MD, PhD, professor of medicine and associate director of clinical research at the Sandra and Edward Meyer Cancer Center at Weill Cornell, identified the 

Giaconne was the first to idenfiy the mutation. Together, the 2 investigators determined that this single-point mutation in thymic epithelial cells can induce thymic tumors. 

Videos

Yongfeng He, PhD, discusses the identification of the GTF2I L424H mutation in mouse models of thymic cancer.

Dr. He Discusses Discovery of Cancer-Inducing Mutation in Thymic Epithelial Cells

He, along with Giuseppe Gianccone, MD, PhD, professor of medicine and associate director of clinical research at the Sandra and Edward Meyer Cancer Center at Weill Cornell, discovered that the presence of the 

 L424H mutation in thymic epithelial cells induced thymic tumors in mouse models. The mouse tumors shared many molecular characteristics with type B1 and B2 human thymic tumors.

 L424H is a transcription factor so it is unlikely to be a therapeutic target. However, this discovery may be the first step in developing a systemic treatment for patients with thymic cancers.

Yongfeng He, PhD, discusses how the presence of the GTF2I L424H mutation in thymic epithelial cells induced thymic tumors in mouse models.

Dr. He Discusses Potential Therapeutic Uses for GTF2I L424+ Thymic Cancers

Giuseppe Giaconne, MD, PhD, is professor of medicine and associate director of clinical research at the Sandra and Edward Meyer Cancer Center and Yongfeng He, PhD, is an instructor an instructor of cancer biology in medicine, both at Weill Cornell Medicine, in New York, New York.

Cancers of the thymus, a small organ located in the mediastinum above the heart, are uncommon and understudied. Giaconne and He both say it is difficult to attract attention and research funding for a disease that only affects 400 to 600 Americans annually.

Patient advocacy organizations have worked to raise awareness of thymic malignancies. They would like to see the development of a patient network that helps keep both physicians and patients abreast of new developments in treatment.

Giuseppe Giaconne, MD, PhD, and Yongfeng He, PhD, 
discuss how cancers of the thymus, a small organ located in the mediastinum above the heart, are uncommon and understudied. 

Yongfeng He, PhD

Articles

Dr. He Discusses Discovery of Cancer-Inducing Mutation in Thymic Epithelial Cells

Dr. He Discusses Potential Therapeutic Uses for GTF2I L424+ Thymic Cancers

Drs Giaccone and He on Raising Awareness in Thymic Cancers