Research-Investigators details

This is some text inside oJun Yu is a Professor of Department of Medicine and Therapeutics, Assistant Dean of Faculty of Medicine, Director of the Research Laboratory of Institute of Digestive Disease, and Associate Director of State Key Laboratory of Digestive Disease, The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK). She serves as Council Member of American Gastrointestinal Association (AGA) Oncology and Council Member of AGA Microbiome and Microbial Diseases, USA; Council Member of Cancer Microbiome Consortium UK; Associate Chairman of HK Scientist Association; Chang Jiang Scholar Chair Professor China; Associate Chairman of China Cancer Microbiome Association; Deputy Chief Editor of J of Gastrolenterol Hepatol, Associate Editor for Oncogene, Editor for Gut, Scientific Reports etc. Prof Yu obtained her MD and PhD at Tongji Medical University in 1994 and then she embarked on gastrointestinal specialist in the Second Affiliated Hospital at Beijing University, followed by postdoctoral fellowship in Technical University of Dresden and University of Magdeburg, Germany, and worked as a Senior Research Officer at University of Sydney, Australia. She has been a CUHK faculty member since 2005. She has over 410 peer-reviewed publications (h index=67). She has 59 patents approved (20) and filed (39) in US, Europe and China. She obtained 30 prestigious awards, including Top 10 People in Global Intestinal Bacteria Study-Enthusiasm Daily 2019 List; Science and Technology Progress Awards of HLHL Fund 2018; AGA Council Oncology Research Mentor Award 2017; The WuXi PharmaTech Life Science and Chemistry Award 2017; The State Natural Science Award 2016; The State Scientific and Technological Progress Award (Innovation Team) 2016; Croucher Senior Research Fellowship 2016; The State Science and Technology Progress Award 2012, etc.f a div block.

Research Summary

Gastrointestinal (GI) diseases, including GI tract cancers and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) are major diseases in Hong Kong and they cause significant morbidity and mortality. The multidisciplinary team of scientists and clinicians led by Jun Yu specialises in GI basic research, focusing on 1) understanding the role of gut microbial dysbiosis; 2) genetic, epigenetic and epitranscriptomic mechanisms in the pathogenesis of GI cancers and NAFLD; as well as translational research including 3) identification of probiotic bacteria that suppress disease development; and 4) the discovery of molecular diagnostic markers and therapeutic targets of GI cancers and NAFLD.

Selected Publications

Genomic and epigenomic alterations in gastrointestinal (GI) cancer
Gut microbiome, bacteria/host interaction during cancer development
Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and liver cancer in relation to the mechanisms and therapeutic targets
Biomarkers for early detection and treatment of GI cancer

Selected Awards

Lau HCH, Kranenburg O, Xiao H, Yu J. Organoid models of gastrointestinal cancers in basic and translational research. Nature Reviews Gastroenterology & Hepatology. 2020 Feb 25. doi: 10.1038/s41575-019-0255-2. [Epub ahead of print] Review. [IF for 2018: 23.57].
Long X, Wong CC, Li T, Chu E, Szeto CH, Go MMY, Coker O, Chan A, Chan F, Sung JJY, Yu J. Peptostreptococcus anaerobius promotes colorectal carcinogenesis and modulates tumor-immunity by activating PI3K/Akt signaling via its PCWBR2 adhesin. Nature Microbiology. 2019 Dec;4(12):2319-2330. [IF for 2018: 14.300].
Wong SH, Yu J. Gut microbiota in colorectal cancer: mechanisms of action and clinical applications. Nature Reviews Gastroenterology & Hepatology. 2019 Nov;16(11):690-704. Review. [IF for 2018: 23.57].
Zhang X, Fan L, Wu J, Xu H, Leung WY, Fu K, Wu J, Liu K, Kwan M, Yang X, Han J, Ren J, Yu J. Macrophage p38α promotes nutritional steatohepatitis through M1 polarization. Journal Of Hepatology. 2019 Jul;71(1):163-174. [IF for 2018: 18.946].
Zhang J, Tsoi H, Li X, Wang H, Gao J, Wang K, Go MY, Ng SC, Chan FK, Sung JJ, Yu J. Carbonic anhydrase iv inhibits colon cancer development by inhibiting the wnt signalling pathway through targeting the wtap(wt1)tbl1 axis. Gut. 2015. [Epub ahead of print].
Liang JQ, Teoh N, Xu L, Pok S, Li X, Chu ESH, Chiu J, Dong L, Arfianti E, Haigh WG, Yeh MM, Ioannou GN, Sung JJY, Farrell G, Yu J. Dietary cholesterol promotes steatohepatitis related hepatocellular carcinoma through dysregulated metabolism and calcium signaling. Nature Communications. 2018 Oct 26;9(1):4490. [IF for 2018: 11.878].
Nakatsu G, Zhou H, Wu WKK, Wong SH, Coker OO, Dai Z, Li X, Szeto CH, Sugimura N, Yuen-Tung Lam T, Chi-Shing Yu A, Wang X, Chen Z, Chi-Sang Wong M, Ng SC, Chan MTV, Chan PKS, Leung Chan FK, Jao-Yiu Sung J, Yu J. Alterations in Enteric Virome Associate With Colorectal Cancer and Survival Outcomes. Gastroenterology. 2018 Aug;155(2):529-541.e5. [IF for 2018: 19.233].
Sun W, Zhang Y, Wong KC, Liu K, Yang Y, Wu B, Tong JH, Chan AW, Chan HL, Yu J. Increased expression of GATA Zinc Finger Domain Containing 1 via gene amplification promotes liver cancer by directly inducing PRL3. Hepatology. 2018 Jun;67(6):2302-2319. [IF for 2018: 14.971].
Coker OO, Dai Z, Nie Y, Zhao G, Cao L, Nakatsu G, Wu WK, Wong SH, Chen Z, Sung JJY, Yu J. Mucosal microbiome dysbiosis in gastric carcinogenesis. Gut. 2018 Jun;67(6):1024-1032. [IF for 2018:17.943].
Dai Z, Coker OO, Nakatsu G, Wu WKK, Zhao L, Chen Z, Chan FKL, Kristiansen K, Sung JJY, Wong SH, Yu J. Multi-cohort analysis of colorectal cancer metagenome identified altered bacteria across populations and universal bacterial markers. Microbiome. 2018 Apr 11;6(1):70. [IF for 2018: 10.465].
Liu D, Wong CC, Fu L, Chen H, Zhao L, Li C, Zhou Y, Zhang Y, Xu W, Yang Y, Wu B, Cheng G, Lai PB, Wong N, Sung JJY, Yu J. Squalene epoxidase drives NAFLD-induced hepatocellular carcinoma and is a pharmaceutical target. Science Translational Medicine. 2018 Apr 18;10(437). (Cover Story). [IF for 2018: 17.161].
Wong SH, Zhao L, Zhang X, Nakatsu G, Han J, Xu W, Xiao X, Kwong TN, Tsoi H, Wu WK, Benhua Z, Chan FK, Sung JJ, Wei H, Yu J. Gavage of Fecal Samples From Patients with Colorectal Cancer Promotes Intestinal Carcinogenesis in Germ-free and Conventional Mice. Gastroenterology. 2017 Dec;153(6):1621-1633.e6. [IF for 2018: 19.233].
Xu W, Zhang X, Wu JL, Fu L, Liu K, Liu D, Chen GG, Lai PB, Wong N, Yu J. O-GlcNAc transferase promotes fatty liver-associated liver cancer through inducing palmitic acid and activating endoplasmic reticulum stress. Journal Of Hepatology. 2017 Aug;67(2):310-320. [with Editorial in the same issue on J Hepatol.]. [IF for 2018: 18.946].
Tsoi H, Chu ES, Zhang X, Sheng J, Nakatsu D, Ng SC, Chan AW, Chan FK, Sung JJ, Yu J. Peptostreptococcus anaerobius Induces Intracellular Cholesterol Biosynthesis in Colon Cells to Induce Proliferation and Causes Dysplasia in Mice. Gastroenterology. 2017 May;152(6)-:1419-1433.e5. [IF for 2018: 19.233].
Wong CC, Qian Y, Li X, Xu J, Kang W, Tong JH, To KF, Jin Y, Li W, Chen H, Go MY, Wu JL, Cheng KW, Ng SS, Sung JJ, Cai Z, Yu J. SLC25A22 Promotes Proliferation and Survival of Colorectal Cancer Cells With KRAS Mutations, and Xenograft Tumor Progression in Mice, via Intracellular Synthesis of Aspartate. Gastroenterology. 2016 Nov;151(5):945-960. [IF for 2018: 19.233].

Patents

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