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Yi-Shiuan Liu

Yi-Shiuan Liu

AppointmentsAssistant Professor

LabStem Cell Physiology and Mechanobiology Lab

EducationPh.D.

School/NationUniversity of Virginia / USA

Tel: 5095 / 5096

E-mail:  ysliu@mail.cgu.edu.tw

Research website: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3205-8963

Research outline

Mesenchymal stem/stromal cells (MSCs) are adult stem cells of stromal origin and can be derived from a variety of different sources. MSCs are capable of self-renewal and differentiation into diverse specialized cell types. Under proper chemical or physical stimulation, MSCs can differentiate into functional hepatocyte-like, osteoblast-like, or neuron-like cells. The therapeutic effects of MSC transplantation on damaged tissues are also through paracrine factors. In addition, with immunomodulatory properties, multipotent MSCs provide a great potential in cell therapy and regenerative medicine. Our research is mainly focused on the regulation of growth and differentiation of MSCs. The research themes are:

(1) The effects of mechanical forces on directed differentiation of MSCs, and the mechanotransduction related to stem cell differentiation. Transient receptor potential melastatin 7 (TRPM7) is one of the mechanosensors expressed in MSCs in response to shear stress and a mediator for osteogenic differentiation. TRPM7 is involved in many cellular processes including Mg2+ homeostasis, cell growth and migration, as well as cancer progression. It is a calcium permeable nonselective cation channel fused with a magnesium-sensitive kinase domain and forms a complex with cytoskeleton. However, the mechanotransduction initiated by TRPM7 remains elusive. The regulatory mechanism of TRPM7 and other mechanosensors upon mechanical stimuli as well as the downstream epigenetic modification of MSCs are under investigation.

(2) Development of microfluidic biochips for cell culture and drug screening. Microfluidic devices not only can provide better control over many system parameters, such as chemical and oxygen gradients, that are not easily fine-tuned in static cultures or in bioreactors, the devices also can provide the complex biomechanical microenvironment of living tissues to be recapitulated in vitro, such as fluid shear stress and cell patterning. Culturing stem cells on microfluidic devices mimicking lineage-specific biomechanical microenvironments has been shown to be beneficial in promoting differentiation.

(3) Cancer immunotherapy. Mesoporous silica nanoparticles loaded with anti-ICER small interfering RNA and decorated with oligopeptides spanning specific paratopes trapping CTLA-4 will be utilized to elicit antitumor immunity against melanoma. This is one of EuroNanoMed project in cooperation with Professor Zdeněk Sofer at University of Chemistry and Technology, Czech Republic.

Publications:

2015-present

  1.  Liu YS, Yang CY, Chiu PF, Lin HC, Lo CC, Lai AS, Chang CC, Lee OK. (2021) Machine Learning Analysis of Time-Dependent Features for Predicting Adverse Events During Hemodialysis Therapy: Model Development and Validation Study. J. Med. Internet. Res. 23: 27098.
  2. Kao TW, Chiou A, Lin KH, Liu YS, Lee OK. (2021) Alteration of 3D Matrix Stiffness Regulates Viscoelasticity of Human Mesenchymal Stem Cells. Int. J. Mol. Sci. 22: 2441.
  3. Yen MH, Chen YH, Liu YS#, Lee OK#. (2020) Alteration of Young’s modulus in mesenchymal stromal cells during osteogenesis measured by atomic force microscopy. Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun. 526: 827. (# corresponding authors)
  4. Kuo SW, Rimando MG, Liu YS#, Lee OK#. (2017) Intermittent Administration of Parathyroid Hormone 1-34 Enhances Osteogenesis of Human Mesenchymal Stem Cells by Regulating Protein Kinase Cδ. Int. J. Mol. Sci. 18: 2221.
  5. Tsao YT, Shih YY, Liu YA, Liu YS#, Lee OK#. (2017) SLC41A1 regulates the interaction of magnesium and mesenchymal stromal cells during osteogenic differentiation. Stem Cell Res. Ther. 8:39.
  6. Tsao YT, Huang YJ, Wu HH, Liu YA, Liu YS#, Lee OK#. (2017) Osteocalcin mediates biomineralization during osteogenic maturation in human mesenchymal stromal cells. Int. J. Mol. Sci. 18: 159.
  7. Rimando MG, Wu HH, Liu YA, Lee CW, Kuo SW, Lo YP, Tseng KF#, Liu YS#, Lee OK#.  (2016) Glucocorticoid receptor and Histone deacetylase 6 mediate the differential effect of dexamethasone during osteogenesis of mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs). Sci. Rep. 6:37371.
  8. Yen MH, Wu YY, Liu YS, Rimando MG, Ho JH, Lee OK. (2016) Efficient generation of hepatic cells from mesenchymal stromal cells by an innovative bio-microfluidic cell culture device. Stem Cell Res. Ther. 7:120.
  9. Chen YQ*, Liu YS*, Liu YA, Wu YC, Chiou A, Lee OK. (2016) Bio- chemical and physical characterizations of mesenchymal stromal cells along the time course of directed differentiation. Sci. Rep. 6:31547 (*equal contribution)
  10. Hsieh WT, Liu YS, Rimando MG, Lin KH, Lee OK. (2016) Matrix geometry and stiffness cooperatively regulate osteogenesis of mesenchymal stromal cells. Acta Biomaterialia. 32:210.
  11. Lo YP, Liu YS, Rimando MG, Ho JH, Lin KH, Lee OK. (2016) Three-dimensional spherical spatial boundary conditions differentially regulate osteogenic differentiation of mesenchymal stromal cells. Sci. Rep. 6:21253.
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