Research Bio
Congestive heart failure is a major health problem in developed countries and incidence increases as the population ages. Cardiac chamber dilatation and poor contractile performance is the structural and functional basis of heart pump dysfunction.
At the cellular level, chamber dilatation in cardiac failure is largely caused by excessive elongation of heart muscle cells with inadequate increase in cell diameter. The Li Laboratory is investigating the molecular mechanisms that regulate cardiac muscle cell shape change and structural remodeling during heart hypertrophy and failure.
Our findings have pointed to a key role for Wnt/beta-catenin signaling in the transition from heart hypertrophy to failure. Currently, we are searching for beta-catenin signaling targets and partners in heart muscle cells with the hope of identifying key molecules involved in the regulation of cardiac muscle cell shape for future therapeutic intervention.
The Li Laboratory found that mammalian heart muscle cells rapidly switched from proliferation to hypertrophy in neonatal period while the cells in other vertebrates like chicken continued to proliferate even in adults. Using animal models and explanted failing human hearts, we showed that Wnt/beta-catenin signaling, an important developmental pathway, was upregulated during heart failure. This pathway can be explored as a potential therapeutic target.
Another impediment for cardiac repair and recovery from injuries is that the main functional cells, cardiac myocytes, lack significant regenerative potential. By investigating the molecular mechanism that control the transition of heart muscle cells from hyperplasia to hypertrophy, we aim at finding key pathways for novel interventions to promote cardiac regeneration. We are especially interested in epigenetic changes during this neonatal transition.
Epigenetics is a new frontier in biology, with far-reaching implications. Modifications of DNA and DNA binding proteins without any change in primary DNA sequences play important roles in aging, cancer, and many chronic diseases. We have shown that epigenetic changes can be used to diagnose and classify cancers.
2013
Ye B, Ge Y, Perens G, Hong L, Xu H, Fishbein MC, Li F. "Canonical Wnt/?-catenin signaling in epicardial fibrosis of failed pediatric heart allografts with diastolic dysfunction." Cardiovascular pathology : the official journal of the Society for
Cardiovascular Pathology. 2013 22(1):54-7. Epub 2012 Apr 02. |
2013
Li Y, Zheng Y, Izumi K, Ishiguro H, Ye B, Li F, Miyamoto H. "Androgen activates ?-catenin signaling in bladder cancer cells." Endocrine-related cancer. 2013 20(3):293-304. Epub 2013 May 20. |
2013
Lazar JF, Compton M, Li F, Knight P. "Excising a Giant: Report of a 7-cm Coronary Artery Aneurysm." Texas Heart Institute journal / from the Texas Heart Institute of St.
Luke's Episcopal Hospital, Texas Children's Hospital. 2013 40(2):173-5. |
2012 Aug
Klunder A, Subik K, Ye B, Xu H, Li F. "Intimal sarcoma of the abdominal aorta presenting as a retroperitoneal mass." Pathology. 2012 Aug 0; 44(5):485-7. |
2012 Jan
Ye J, Hameed O, Findeis-Hosey J, Fan L, Li F, McMahon L, Yang Q, Wang H, Xu H. "Diagnostic utility of PAX8, TTF-1 and napsin A for discriminating metastatic carcinoma from primary adenocarcinoma of the lung." Biotechnic & histochemistry : official publication of the
Biological Stain Commission. 2012 Jan 0; 87(1):30-4. Epub 2011 Aug 15. |
