Faculty Index   Dr. Badylak   Dr. Becich   Dr. D. Becker   Dr. J. Becker   Dr. Billiar   Dr. Blair   Dr. Bostwick   Dr. Bowser   Dr. Chaillet   Dr. Chang   Dr. Cheng   Dr. Chu   Dr. Clemens   Dr. DeFrances   Dr. Delude   Dr. Demetris   Dr. Dong   Dr. Donnenberg   Dr. Duensing   Dr. Fox   Dr. Gandhi   Dr. Giannoukakis   Dr. Gnarra   Dr. Grandis   Dr. Hackam   Dr. Hebda   Dr. Huard   Dr. Kaminski   Dr. Katyal   Dr. Kelavkar   Dr. Klunk   Dr. Kulich   Dr. Lagasse   Dr. Latimer   Dr. Luyuan Li   Dr. Yong Li   Dr. Youhua Liu   Dr. Lokshin   Dr. Luo   Dr. Lyons-Weiler   Dr. Monga   Dr. Mars   Dr. Michalopoulos   Dr. Ochoa   Dr. O'Keefe   Dr. Oltvai   Dr. Oury   Dr. Pflug   Dr. Piganelli   Dr. Saunders   Dr. Shapiro   Dr. Stolz   Dr. Strom   Dr. Surti   Dr. Vodovotz   Dr. Vorp   Dr. Wang   Dr. Wells   Dr. Wenzel   Dr. Wiley   Dr. Wu, C   Dr. Wu, T   Dr. Yin   Dr. Yu   Dr. Zarnegar

Youhua Liu, Professor Ph.D, Peking Union Medical College, 1988 Email: liuy@upmc.edu Studies in Dr. Liu's laboratory are focused on dissecting the cellular and molecular pathways leading to chronic renal fibrosis, and exploring novel strategies for therapeutic interventions. Using a series of experimental approaches, we are addressing several fundamental issues in renal fibrosis, such as what types of cells produce a large amount of matrix proteins under pathologic conditions and how they are regulated. Current studies in our laboratory include: 1) to decipher the mechanism controlling the regulation of tubular epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT) in renal fibrogenesis; 2) to unravel the interactions and cross-talks of the intracellular signal pathways activated by anti-fibrotic hepatocyte growth factor and pro-fibrotic transforming growth factor-beta in kidney cells; 3) to develop novel therapeutic strategies aimed at ameliorating renal fibrosis and kidney dysfunction. Recent Publication Hu K, Yang J, Tanaka S, Gonias SL, Mars WM, and Liu Y. 2006. Tissue-type plasminogen activator acts as a cytokine that triggers intracellular signal transduction and induces matrix metalloproteinase-9 gene expression. J. Biol. Chem. 281: 2120-2127. Giannopoulou M, Iszkula SC, Dai C, Tan X, Yang J, Michalopoulos GK, and Liu Y. 2006. Distinctive role of Stat3 and Erk-1/2 activation in mediating interferon-gamma inhibition of TGF-beta1 action. Am. J. Physiol. Renal Physiol. 290: F1234-F1240. Xia J, Dai C, Michalopoulos GK, and Liu Y. 2006. Hepatocyte growth factor attenuates liver fibrosis induced by bile duct ligation. Am. J. Pathol. 168: 1500-1512. Li Y, Wen X, Spataro BC, Hu K, Dai C, and Liu Y. 2006. Hepatocyte growth factor is a downstream effector that mediates the anti-fibrotic action of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma agonists. J. Am. Soc. Nephrol. 17: 54-65. Dai C, Stolz DB, Bastacky SI, St-Arnaud R, Wu C, Dedhar S, and Liu Y. 2006. Essential role of integrin-linked kinase in podocyte biology: bridging the integrin and slit diaphragm signaling. J. Am. Soc. Nephrol. 17: 2164-2175. Tan R, Zhang J, Tan X, Zhang X, Yang J, and Liu Y. 2006. Downregulation of SnoN expression in obstructive nephropathy is mediated by an enhanced ubiquitin-dependent degradation. J. Am. Soc. Nephrol. 17: 2781-2791. Tan X, Li Y, and Liu Y. 2006. Paricalcitol attenuates renal interstitial fibrosis in obstructive nephropathy. J. Am. Soc. Nephrol. 17: 3382-3393. Liu Y. 2006. Renal fibrosis: New insights into the pathogenesis and therapeutics. Kidney Int. 69: 213-217. Apte U, Zeng G, Muller P, Tan X, Micsenyi A, Cipley B, Dai C, Liu Y, Kaestner KH, and Monga SP. 2006. Activation of Wnt/beta-catenin pathway during hepatocyte growth factor-induced hepatomegaly. Hepatology. 44: 992-1002. Li Y, Yang J, Luo JH, Dedhar S, and Liu Y. 2007. Tubular epithelial cell dedifferentiation is driven by the helix-loop-helix transcription inhibitor Id1. J. Am. Soc. Nephrol. 18: 449-460. Tan R, Zhang X, Yang J, Li Y, and Liu Y. 2007. Molecular basis for the cell type-specific induction of SnoN expression by hepatocyte growth factor. J. Am. Soc. Nephrol. 18: 2340-2349. Li Y, Dai C, Wu C, and Liu Y. 2007. PINCH-1 promotes tubular epithelial to mesenchymal transition by interacting with integrin-linked kinase. J. Am. Soc. Nephrol. 18: 2534-2543. Hu K, Wu C, Mars WM, and Liu Y. 2007. Tissue-type plasminogen activator promotes murine myofibroblast activation through LDL receptor-related protein 1-mediated integrin signaling. J. Clin. Invest. 117: 3821-3832. Poncelet AC, Schnaper HW, Tan R, Liu Y, and Runyan CE. 2007. Cell phenotype-specific down-regulation of Smad3 involves decreased gene activation as well as protein degradation. J. Biol. Chem. 282: 15534-15540. Zhang J, Yang J, and Liu Y. 2008. Role of Bcl-xL induction in HGF-mediated renal epithelial cell survival after oxidant stress. Int. J. Clin. Exp. Pathol. 1: 242-253. Li Y, Kang YS, Dai C, Kiss LP, Wen X, and Liu Y. 2008. Epithelial to mesenchymal transition is a potential pathway leading to podocyte dysfunction and proteinuria. Am. J. Pathol. 172: 299-308. Hu K, Lin L, Tan X, Yang J, Bu G, Mars WM, and Liu Y. 2008. tPA protects renal interstitial fibroblasts and myofibroblasts from apoptosis. J. Am. Soc. Nephrol. 19: 503-514. Tan R, He W, Lin X, Kiss LP, and Liu Y. 2008. Smad ubiquitination regulatory factor-2 in the fibrotic kidney: regulation, target specificity and functional implication. Am. J. Physiol. Renal Physiol. 294: F1076-F1083. Giannopoulou M, Dai C, Tan X, Wen X, Michalopoulos GK, and Liu Y. 2008. Hepatocyte growth factor exerts its anti-inflammatory action by disrupting nuclear factor-kB signaling. Am. J. Pathol. 173: 30-41. Hu K, Mars WM, and Liu Y. 2008. Novel actions of tissue-type plasminogen activator in chronic kidney disease. Front. Biosci. 13: 5174-5186. Tan X, Wen X, and Liu Y. 2008. Paricalcitol inhibits renal inflammation by promoting vitamin D receptor-mediated sequestration of NF-kB signaling. J. Am. Soc. Nephrol. 19: 1741-1752.