Yung-Feng Liao-Institute of Cellular and Organismic Biology, Academia Sinica

Lab IntroductionOpenClose

The Laboratory of Molecular Neurobiology of Institute of Cellular and Organismic Biology was established in October 2002. We have been investigating the molecular mechanisms underlying the pathogenic activity of γ-secretase in Alzheimer’s disease. We also study the molecular machinery governing the tumorigenesis of neuroblastoma and the differentiation of neural progenitor cells. In recent years, the laboratory of molecular neurobiology has ventured into identifying novel pharmacological targets for Alzheimer’s disease by employing advanced molecular and cellular technologies to unveil proteinopathy-induced neurodegeneration and related neurological disorders. We have a particular interest in the role of autophagy dysfunction in propagating proteinopathies in Alzheimer’s disease. These studies utilize cellular and transgenic mouse models to delineate the mechanistic insights to the pathogenesis of Alzheimer’s disease, and to establish the rationales for the development of novel therapeutic techniques. We have applied similar strategies for the study of neuroblastoma. Several novel proteins whose functional aberrations contribute to the tumorigenesis of neuroblastoma have been identified through multi-disciplinary approaches. Similarly, the cellular and mouse models of neuroblastoma are readily available in the lab and have been instrumental in our efforts for validating the biological effects of novel prognostic markers and therapeutic approaches for neuroblastoma.

Honor and AwardOpenClose

Honors and Awards:

2018, Research Award, Taiwan Dementia Society. (台灣臨床失智症學會學術獎)
2017, Travel Fellowship, Alzheimer’s Association International Conference 2017 (AAIC 2017), London, United Kingdom.
2012, Asian Registration Scholarship from the Japanese Society of Anti-Aging Medicine, Keystone Symposium: S2, Aging and Diseases of Aging in Tokyo, Japan.
2011, Funding for Science and Technology Personnel Engaging in Short-term Foreign Research (Genome-scale Pooled shRNA Screens for Novel Modulators of gamma-Secretase), National Science Council, Taiwan.
2010, The ANRA Poster Award for the best poster in the Biological category, the 14th meeting of Advances in Neuroblastoma Research (ANR 2010), June 20~23, 2010, Stockholm, Sweden. “The interaction between GRP75 and retinoic acid receptor-/retinoid X receptor  is essential for retinoic acid-induced neuronal differentiation of neuroblastoma cells”
2009, The SIOP Awards – Clinical Trials, the 41st Congress of the International Society of Paediatric Oncology (SIOP 2009), Sao Paulo, Brazil. “Notch signaling pathway is prognostic relevant and as a therapeutic target in neuroblastoma”
2009, Collaborative Research Project in shRNA Screen, National RNAi Core Facility (NRPGM-NSC, Taiwan) and Broad Institute (The RNAi Consortium 2), Cambridge, MA.
2007, Young Investigator Awards, Alzheimer’s Drug Discovery Foundation, the 8th International Conference on Alzheimer’s Disease Drug Discovery in New York, NY.
2004, Travel Fellowship, the 9th International Related Disorders in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Extramural Services

2011/01 – 2011/12, Associate Editor, Editorial Board, Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease.
2017/01 – present, Member, Editorial Board, Science Matters.
2021/01 – present, Associate Editor, Editorial Board, Frontiers in Pharmacology.
2021/03 – present, Member, Editorial Board, Biomolecules (Molecular Pathology section).

Lab MemberOpenClose

Name	Job Title	Telephone	Email	Remark
Yung-Feng Liao	Research Fellow	02-27871514	yliao@gate.sinica.edu.tw	Lab Head
Yun-Wen Chen	Project Technician	02-27899535	YWC120302@gate.sinica.edu.tw	Lab Manager
Yu-Tzu Chang	Research Assistant	02-2789-9535	yucih@yahoo.com.tw
Ju-Yun Chou	Research Assistant	02-27899535	r04b21021@ntu.edu.tw
Feng-Han Chou	Research Assistant	02-27899535	k1153992@gmail.com
Yi-Weng Chen	Research Assistant	02-27899535	ywchen.amanda@gmail.com
Po-Fan Wu	PhD Student	02-27899535	wu80813@gmail.com
Zheng-Haw Nim	PhD Student	02-27899535	zheng.nim.15@alumni.ucl.ac.uk

PublicationOpenClose

1: Liao, Y.-F.*, Wang, B.-J., Cheng, H.-T., Kuo, L.-H., Wolfe, M. S. (2004) TNF-a, IL-1b, and IFN-g stimulate g-secretase- mediated cleavage of amyloid precursor protein through a JNK-dependent MAPK pathway. J. Biol. Chem. 279, 49523- 49532.

2: Bakshi, P., Liao, Y.-F., Gao, J., Ni, J., Stein, R., Yeh, L.-A., Wolfe, M.S. (2005) A high-throughput screen to identify inhibitors of amyloid b-protein precursor processing. J. Biomol. Screen. 10, 1-12.

3: Liao, Y.-F.*, Wang, B.-J., Hsu, W.-M., Lee, H., Liao, C.-Y., Wu, S.-Y., Cheng, H.-T., and Hu, M.-K. (2007) Unnatural amino acid-substituted (hydroxyethyl)urea peptidomimetics inhibit gamma-secretase and promote the neuronal differentiation of neuroblastoma cells. Mol. Pharmacol., 71, 588-601.

4: M.-K. Hu*, Y.-F. Liao*, J.-F. Chen, B.-J. Wang, H.-C. Lin, K.-P. Lee (2008) New 1,2,3,4-Tetrahydroisoquinoline Derivatives as Modulators of Proteolytic Cleavage of Amyloid Precursor Proteins. Bioorg. Med. Chem., 16, 1957-1965.

5: Y.-T. Tung, W.-M. Hsu, B.-J. Wang, S.-Y. Wu, C.-T. Yen, M.-K. Hu*, and Y.-F. Liao* (2008) Sodium selenite inhibits g- secretase activity through activation of ERK. Neurosci. Lett., 440, 38-43.

6: W.-M. Hsu, H. Lee, H.-F. Juan, Y.-Y. Shih, B.-J. Wang, C.-Y. Pan, Y.-M. Jeng, H.-H. Chang, M.-Y. Lu, K.-H. Lin, H.-S. Lai, W.-J. Chen, Y.-G. Tsay*, Y.-F. Liao*, and F.-J. Hsieh* (2008) Identification of GRP75 as an Independent Favorable Prognostic Marker of Neuroblastoma by a Proteomics Analysis. Clin. Cancer Res., In press.

7: L.-H. Kuo, M.-K. Hu, W.-M. Hsu, Y.-T. Tung, W.-W. Tsai, C.-T. Yen, and Y.-F. Liao* (2008) TNF-α-elicited stimulation of γ-secretase is mediated by JNK-dependent phosphorylation of presenilin and nicastrin. (submitted)

Laboratory of Molecular Neurobiology｜Institute of Cellular and Organismic Biology, Academia Sinica

Laboratory of Molecular Neurobiology

Honors and Awards:

Extramural Services

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