Department of Medicine
Faculty Profiles by Division

Division of Pulmonary, Allergy, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine

Faculty Profiles
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photo Yuan Liu, PhD

Pulmonary, Allergy and Critical Care Medicine

Division of Pulmonary, Allergy, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine Medicine

Email: yul119@pitt.edu

Phone: 412-383-8732
Contact
Office: 556 Bridgeside Point 1
100 Technology Drive
Pittsburgh, PA 15219
 
Phone: 412-383-8732
Fax: 412-383-9055
E-mail: yul119@pitt.edu
Administrative Assistant:
Andrea Radziminski, MA
Address: Rm 571.2, Bridgeside Point I
100 Technology Drive
Pittsburgh, PA 15219
Email: amr340@pitt.edu
Phone: 412-383-0843
Fax: 412-383-9055
Education and Training
Education
PhD, Nagoya University, 2010
MS, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, 2007
Research Interest
The ubiquitin proteasome system (UPS) is a complex, hierarchical, and regulated cellular system that dominates selective protein degradation to modulate the abundance and activity of proteins in the cell. The majority of mammalian proteins are controlled by the UPS through the ATP-dependent enzymatic cascade, including the ubiquitin activating enzyme (E1), the ubiquitin conjugating enzyme (E2), and the ubiquitin ligase (E3). Dr. Liu has a long-standing research interest in UPS, especially ubiquitin ligase E3s. Liu Laboratory focuses on understanding the regulatory mechanisms of ubiquitin-mediated protein degradation and developing small molecule therapeutics to treat lung inflammatory injury and age-associated disorders. Through targeting the ubiquitin E3s, Dr. Liu has developed a series of small molecule activators of AMPK, TFEB, NAMPT to boost metabolism, autophagy, and NAD+ production, respectively, which proves potent in animals. These projects and new chemical entities have been licensed to biopharmaceutical companies for commercial development to treat age-related diseases and they are currently ready for clinical trials. The ongoing projects mainly concentrate on developing small molecule transcription factor degraders to treat malignancies.
Publications
For my complete bibliography, Click Here.
Selected Publications:
Liu, Y., Lear, T., Iannone, O., Shiva, S., Corey, C., Rajbhandari, S., Jerome, J., Chen, BB., Mallampalli, RK. The Proapoptotic F-box Protein Fbxl7 Regulates Mitochondrial Function by Mediating the Ubiquitylation and Proteasomal Degradation of Survivin. Journal of Biological Chemistry. 2015; May 8;290(19): 11843-52.
Lear, T., Dunn, SR., McKelvey, AC., Mir, A., Evankovich, J., Chen, BB., Liu, Y. RING finger protein 113A Regulates C-X-C Chemokine Receptor Type 4 Stability and Signaling. American Journal of Physiology-Cell Physiology. 2017; Nov 1;313(5): C584-C592.
Tong, Y., Lear, TB., Evankovich, J., Chen, Y., Londino, JD., Myerburg, MM., Zhang, Y., Popescu, ID., McDyer, JF., McVerry, BJ., Lockwood, KC., Jurczak, MJ, Liu, Y., Chen, BB. The RNFT2/IL-3Ra axis regulates IL-3 signaling and innate immunity. JCI Insight. 2020; Feb 13;5(3).
Chen, Y., Evankovich, JW., Lear, TB., Tuncer, F., Kennerdell, JR., Camarco, DP., Shishido, MS., Liu, Y., Chen, BB. A small molecule NRF2 activator BC-1901S ameliorates inflammation through DCAF1/NRF2 axis. Redox Biology. 2020; May;32:101485.
Liu, Y., Lear, T., Verma, M., Wang, KZ., Otero, PA., McKelvey, AC., Dunn, SR., Steer, E., Bateman, NW., Wu, C., Jiang, Y., Weathington, NM., Rojas, M., Chu, CT., Chen, BB., Mallampalli, RK. Chemical inhibition of FBXO7 reduces inflammation and confers neuroprotection by stabilizing the mitochondrial kinase PINK1. JCI Insight. 2020; Jun 4;5(11).
Liu, Y., Jurczak, MJ., Lear, T., Lin, B., Larsen, MB., Kennerdell, JR., Chen, Y., Huckestein, BR., Nguyen, MK., Tuncer, F., Jiang, Y., Monga, SP., O’Donnell, CP., Finkel, T., Chen, BB., Mallampalli, RK. A Fbxo48 inhibitor prevents pAMPKa degradation and ameliorates insulin resistance. Nature Chemical Biology. 2021; Mar;17(3): 298-306.
Chen, Y., Lear, TB., Evankovich, JW., Larsen, MB., Lin, B., Alfaras, I., Kennerdell, JR., Salminen, L., Camarco, DP., Lockwood, KC., Tuncer, F., Liu, J., Myerburg, MM., McDyer, JF., Liu, Y., Finkel, T., Chen, BB. A high-throughput screen for TMPRSS2 expression identifies FDA-approved compounds that can limit SARS-CoV-2 entry. Nature Communications. 2021; Jun 23;12(1): 3907.
Lear, TB., Chen, BB., Liu, Y. COVID-19 Therapeutics: Challenges and Opportunities. Lung Biology and Pathophysiology (1st ed.). 2024; Chapter 11. Zhao, Y. (Ed.). CRC Press.
Sponsored Research/Activities
Title: DCAF7/HDAC4/TFEB Axis in Acute Lung Injury
Role: Principal Investigator
Funding Agency: National Heart, Lung, & Blood Institute
Grant Number: R01 HL142777
Start Year: 2018
End Year: 2023
Title: Systematic Investigation of Protein Ubiquitination in ARDS
Role: Co-Investigator
Funding Agency: National Heart, Lung, & Blood Institute
Grant Number: R35 HL139850
Start Year: 2018
End Year: 2024
Title: F box-Induced Acute Lung Injury and Parkin
Role: Co-Investigator
Funding Agency: National Heart, Lung, & Blood Institute
Grant Number: R01 HL096376
Start Year: 2016
End Year: 2020
Notable Achievements
Patent: Novel anti-neoplastic and anti-inflammatory DCN1 inhibitor (US 62/300,451)
Patent: Composition and methods for treating cancer and inflammatory diseases (US 62/325,842)
Patent: Small molecule Ampk activators (US 62/404,592)
Patent: Chemical inhibition of the E3 Ligase subunit Fbxo7 confers neuroprotection and anti-inflammatory activity by stabilizing mitochondria (US 62/527,492)
PITT Innovator Award, 2019
PITT Innovator Award, 2023

Division Websites

Cardiology

Endocrinology and Metabolism

Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition

General Internal Medicine

Geriatric Medicine
Hematology/Oncology

Infectious Diseases

Pulmonary, Allergy and Critical Care Medicine

Renal-Electrolyte

Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology

Contact

Department of Medicine
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3550 Terrace Street
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Email:  chairoff@pitt.edu
Phone:  412-648-9636
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