CIMR-Chuan-Yuan Li

Research Group

Chuan-Yuan Li

chuanli(at)cimrbj.ac.cn

Distinguished Investigator

chuanli(at)cimrbj.ac.cn

B.S. in Applied Chemistry, University of Science and Technology of China

Ph.D. in Cancer Biology, Harvard University, USA

Work Experience

2023-present

Distinguished Investigator and Director, Institute for Molecular and Cellular Therapeutics, Chinese Institutes for Medical Research, Beijing, China

2023-present

Chair Professor, Capital Medical University, China

2011-2023

Vice Chair for Research, Department of Dermatology, Duke University School of Medicine, USA

2011-2023

Professor of Dermatology, Pharmacology and Cancer Biology, Duke University School of Medicine, USA

2006-2011

Professor of Cancer Biology and Pharmacology, and Vice Chair for Research, Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Colorado School of Medicine, USA

1997-2006

Assistant, Associate, and Full Professor in Radiation Biology, Pharmacology and Cancer Biology, Duke University Medical Center, USA

Research Direction

The main research direction of the lab is to understand the driving mechanisms of oncogenic transformation and tumor resistance to therapy， such as immunotherapy, in order to develop better therapeutics to improve cancer prevention and treatment.

Major Research Projects

1. Understanding the mechanisms of immune surveillance and and escape during carcinogenesis and cancer immunotherapy.

2. The discovery of novel therapeutic targets and the development of therapeutics to enhance cancer immunotherapy.

3. The development of cell and gene therapy for cancer and autoimmune disease based on synthetic biology and genetic engineering.

4. Cell death mechanisms and their involvement in cancer cell plasticity and resistance to therapy.

Major Contributions

1. Discovery of PCSK9’s important role cancer immunotherapy (Nature, 2020)

2. Revealing the unexpected facilitative role of apoptotic factors in carcinogenesis(Molecular Cell, 2015; Elife, 2017)

3. Discovery of Caspase 3&7’s roles in the “Phoenix Rising” pathway of tissue repair and relapse after therapy(Science Signaling, 2010; Nature Medicine, 2011)

4. Revealing the critical roles of Caspase 3 & 8 in fibroblast reprogramming into iPSC cells(Cell Stem Cell, 2010)

5. Discovery of a novel mechanism of nitric oxide regulation of HIF-1α activity in the tumor microenvironment(Molecular Cell, 2007)

Representative Publications *：Co-first author; #：Co-corresponding author

Pan D, Bao X, Hu M, Jiao, Li F，Li CY. SETDB1 restrains endogenous retrovirus expression and antitumor immunity during radiotherapy. Cancer Research, 2022, 82:2748-2760. DOI: 10.1158/0008-5472.CAN-21-3523

Hu M*, Zhou M*, Bao X, Pan D, Jiao M, Liu X, Li F, Li CY. ATM inhibition enhances cancer immunotherapy by promoting mtDNA leakage and cGAS/STING activation. Journal of CIinical Investigation, 2021, 131: e139333. DOI: 10.1172/JCI139333

Liu X*, Bao X*, Hu M, Chang H, Jiao M, Cheng J, Xie L, Huang Q, Li F, Li CY. Inhibition of PCSK9 potentiates immune checkpoint therapy for cancer. Nature, 2020, 588: 693-698. DOI: 10.1038/s41586-020-2911-7

Liu X, Li F, Huang Q, Zhang Z, Zhou L, Deng Y, Zhou M, Fleenor DE, Wang H, Kastan MB, Li CY. Self-inflicted DNA double-strand breaks sustain tumorigenicity and stemness of cancer cells. Cell Research, 2017, 27: 764-783. DOI: 10.1038/cr.2017.41

Cartwright IM, Liu X, Zhou M, Li F, Li CY. Essential roles of Caspase-3 in facilitating Myc-induced genetic instability and carcinogenesis. Elife, 2017, 6: e26371. DOI: 10.7554/eLife.26371

Liu X, He Y, Li F, Huang Q, Kato TA, Hall RP, Li CY. Caspase-3 promotes genetic instability and carcinogenesis. Molecular Cell, 2015, 58: 284-296. DOI: 10.1016/j.molcel.2015.03.003

Liu X, Li F, Stubblefield EA, Blanchard B, Richards TL, Larson GA, He Y, Huang Q, Tan AC, Zhang D, Benke TA, Sladek JR, Zahniser NR, Li CY. Direct reprogramming of human fibroblasts into dopaminergic neuron-like cells. Cell Research, 2012, 22: 321-332. DOI: 10.1038/cr.2011.181

Huang Q, Li F, Liu X, Li W, Shi W, Liu FF, O'Sullivan B, He Z, Peng Y, Tan AC, Zhou L, Shen J, Han G, Wang XJ, Thorburn J, Thorburn A, Jimeno A, Raben D, Bedford JS, Li CY. Caspase 3-mediated stimulation of tumor cell repopulation during cancer radiotherapy. Nature Medicine, 2011, 17: 860-866. DOI: 10.1038/nm.2385

Li F, He Z, Shen J, Huang Q, Li W, Liu X, He Y, Wolf F, Li CY. Apoptotic caspases regulate the induction of iPSCs from human fibroblasts. Cell Stem Cell, 7: 508-520. DOI: 10.1016/j.stem.2010.09.003

Li F, Huang Q, Chen J, Peng Y, Roop DR, Bedford JS, Li CY. Apoptotic cells activate the "phoenix rising" pathway to promote wound healing and tissue regeneration. Science Signaling, 2010, 3: ra13. DOI: 10.1126/scisignal.2000634