Professional Experiences:
2014.11- present: Assistant Professor, Eye Institute of Xiamen University.
Research Focus：
Pathogenesis and treatment strategies of macular degenerative diseases
Age-related macular degeneration and hereditary macular degeneration are important causes of central retinal vision loss, all of which have become a heavy burden on families and society. The macular area of the retina is mainly composed of cones, and genetic research has found that a large number of genetic mutations may cause the death of cones, but whether these macular degeneration diseases initiated by different causes have common therapeutic targets is an unsolved problem. Our research group is committed to identifying and discovering common therapeutic targets in different macular degeneration diseases, and developing corresponding molecular targeted therapeutic drugs.
Underlying mechanisms and targeted therapies for retinal neuron regeneration
Unlike cold-blooded zebrafish and toads, adult mammals lack the ability to regenerate retinal neurons. Therefore, people cannot effectively repair damaged neuronal cells after retinal damage, which leads to permanent blindness. However, existing studies have shown that the gene expression pattern in retinal macroglia-Muller glial cells is highly similar to that of retinal precursor cells, and thus may have the potential to regenerate retinal neurons. In addition, multiomics analyses have also shown that the Hippo signaling pathway may play a key role to inhibit the transdifferentiation of mammalian Muller cells to neurons. Therefore, our group is committed to developing small molecule drug combinations based on Hippo inhibitors to promote the transdifferentiation of mammalian Muller cells to retinal photoreceptors or ganglion cells.
Selected publications:
（link to PubMed for all publications）
1. Cheng X, He D, Liao C, Lin S, Tang L, Wang YL, Hu J, Li W, Liu Z, Wu Y*, Liao Y*. IL-1/IL-1R signaling induced by all-trans-retinal contributes to complement alternative pathway activation in retinal pigment epithelium. J Cell Physiol. 2021 May;236(5):3660-3674. doi: 10.1002/jcp.30103. Epub 2020 Oct 9.
2. Liao Y#, Zhang H#, He D, Wang Y, Cai B, Chen J, Ma J, Liu Z, Wu Y*. Retinal pigment epithelium cell death is associated with NLRP3 inflammasome activation by all-trans retinal. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 2019 Jul 1;60(8):3034-3045. doi: 10.1167/iovs.18-26360.
3. Gao Z, Liao Y, Chen C, Liao C, He D, Chen J, Ma J, Liu Z, Wu Y*. Conversion of all-trans-retinal into all-trans-retinal dimer reflects an alternative metabolic/antidotal pathway of all-trans-retinal in the retina. J Biol Chem. 2018 Sep 14;293(37):14507-14519. doi: 10.1074/jbc.RA118.002447.
4. Zhao J, Liao Y, Chen J, Dong X, Gao Z, Zhang H, Wu X, Liu Z, Wu Y*. Aberrant buildup of all-trans-retinal dimer, a nonpyridinium bisretinoid lipofuscin fluorophore, contributes to the degeneration of the retinal pigment epithelium. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 2017 Feb 1;58(2):1063-1075. doi: 10.1167/iovs.16-20734.
5. Ye MJ, Liu CY, Liao RF*, Gu ZY, Zhao BY, Liao Y. SMILE and wavefront-guided LASIK out-compete other refractive surgeries in ameliorating the induction of high-order aberrations in anterior corneal surface. J Ophthalmol. 2016;2016:8702162. doi: 10.1155/2016/8702162.
6. Liao Y#, Chu HP#, Hu Z, Merkin JJ, Chen J, Liu Z, Degenhardt K, White E, Ryazanov AG*. Paradoxical roles of elongation factor-2 kinase in stem cell survival. J Biol Chem. 2016 Sep 9;291(37):19545-57. doi: 10.1074/jbc.M116.724856.
