Academic Experience
2018-present, Principle investigator, Shanghai Institute of Immunity and Infection, CAS
2016-2018, Instructor, Harvard Medical School
2014-2016, Postdoctoral fellow, Harvard Medical School (Charles A King Fellowship)
2012-2014, Postdoctoral fellow, Shanghai Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, CAS
Education
2007-2012, Ph.D., Shanghai Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, CAS
2003-2007, B.S., East China Normal University (ECNU)
Our lab focuses on host immune response and the associated human diseases (such as sepsis, systemic lupus erythematosus, vitiligo and cancer). By using cell-based infection models and animal diseases models, we have been trying to reveal the underlying molecular and cellular mechanisms and provide insights for the treatment of the associated human diseases. Based on our expertise and experience, our lab will further (1) investigate the molecular mechanisms underlying pyroptosis and inflammasome signaling pathways; (2) identify and test non-canonical inflammasome inhibitors as a novel strategy for preventing or treating sepsis; (3) assess the roles of other members in gasdermin family in protecting host against infection and cancer. These studies will further deepen our understanding of host immune responses against infection and anti-tumor, and provide new therapeutic strategies for the treatment of these diseases.
Selected Publications (*First author, #Corresponding author)
01. Bai Y, Min R, Chen P, Mei S, Deng F, Zheng Z, Jiang C, Miao R, Wu Z, Zhang P, Pan Y, Lieberman J# and Liu X#. Disulfiram blocks inflammatory TLR4 signaling by targeting MD-2. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2023, 120(31): e2306399120.
02. Deng W, Bai Y, Deng F, Pan Y, Mei S, Zheng Z, Min R, Wu Z, Li W, Miao R, Zhang Z, Kupper T, Lieberman J and Liu X#. Streptococcal pyrogenic exotoxin B cleaves GSDMA and triggers pyroptosis. Nature. 2022; 602:496-502.
03. Zheng Z, Deng W, Bai Y, Miao R, Mei S, Zhang Z, Pan Y, Wang Y, Min R, Deng F, Wu Z, Li W, Chen P, Ma T, Lou X, Lieberman J# and Liu X#. The lysosomal Rag-Ragulator complex licenses RIPK1- and Caspase-8-mediated pyroptosis by Yersinia. Science. 2021; 372, eabg0269.
04. Liu X#, Xia S, Zhang Z, Wu H#, Lieberman J#. Channeling inflammation: gasdermins in physiology and disease. Nat Rev Drug Discov. 2021; 20:384-405.
05. Hu J*, Liu X*#, Xia S, Zhang Z, Zhang Y, Zhao J, Ruan J, Luo X, Lou X, Bai Y, Wang J, Hollingsworth L, Magupalli V, Zhao L, Luo H, Kim J, Lieberman J# and Wu H#. Disulfiram inhibits pyroptosis by blocking gasdermin D pore formation. Nat Immunol. 2020; (7):736-745.
06. Liu X#, Lieberman J#. Knocking 'em Dead: Pore-Forming Proteins in Immune Defense. Annu Rev Immunol. 2020; 38:455-485.
07. Zhang Z, Zhang Y, Xia S, Kong Q, Li S, Liu X, Junqueira C, Meza-Sosa K, Mok T, Ansara J, Sengupta S, Yao Y, Wu H, Lieberman J. Gasdermin E suppresses tumor growth by activating anti-tumor immunity. Nature. 2020; 579(7799):415-420.
08. Cui S, Yu Q, Chu L, Cui Y, Ding M, Wang Q, Wang H, Chen Y, Liu X#, Wang C#. Nuclear cGAS Functions Non-canonically to Enhance Antiviral Immunity via Recruiting Methyltransferase Prmt5. Cell Rep. 2020; 33(10):108490.
09. Liu X, Fu R, Pan Y, Meza-Sosa K, Zhang Z and Lieberman J*. PNPT1 Release from Mitochondria during Apoptosis Triggers Decay of Poly(A) RNAs. Cell. 2018; 174(1):187-201.e12.
10. Ruan J, Xia S, Liu X, Lieberman J, and Wu H. Cryo-EM structure of the Gasdermin A3 membrane pore. Nature. 2018; 557(7703):62-67.
11. Li S, Hong Z, Wang Z, Li F, Mei J, Huang L, Lou X, Zhao S, Song L, Chen W, Wang Q, Liu H, Cai Y, Yu H, Xu H, Zeng G, Wang Q, Zhu J, Liu X#, Tan N#, and Wang C#. The Cyclopeptide Astin C Specifically Inhibits the Innate Immune CDN Sensor STING. Cell Rep. 2018; 25(12):3405-3421.e7.
12. Liu X and Lieberman J. How ICE lights the pyroptosis fire. Cell Death Differ. 2017; 24(2):197-199.
13. Pan Y, Tian T, Park C, Lofftus S, Mei S, Liu X, Luo C, O’Malley J, Gehad A, Teague J, Divito S, Fuhlbrigge R, Puigserver P, Krueger J, Hotamisligil G, Clark R, Kupper T. Survival of tissue-resident memory T cells requires exogenous lipid uptake and metabolism. Nature. 2017; 543(7644):252-256.
14. Liu X, Zhang Z, Ruan J, Pan Y, Magupalli V, Wu H, and Lieberman J. Inflammasome-activated Gasdermin D causes pyroptosis by forming membrane pores. Nature. 2016; 535(7610):153-8.
15. Wittrup A, Ai A, Liu X, Hamar P, Trifonova R, Charisse K, Manoharan M, Kirchhausen T, and Lieberman J. Visualizing lipid-formulated siRNA release from endosomes and target gene knockdown. Nat Biotechnol. 2015; 33(8):870-6.
16. Wang Q*, Liu X*#, Cui Y, Tang Y, Chen W, Li S, Yu H, Pan Y, and Wang C#. The E3 ubiquitin ligase AMFR and INSIG1 bridge the activation of TBK1 kinase by modifying the adaptor STING. Immunity. 2014; 41(6):919-33. Cover Article.
Principal Investigator: LIU Xing
Research Associate/Assistant: LOU Xiwen, KANG He
Postdoctoral Fellows: DENG Wanyan, ZHENG Zengzhang, LI Wu, CHEN Pengcheng, DENG Yang
Ph. D. Candidates: BAI Yang, DENG Fan, MIN Rui, WU Zeyu, ZHANG Chao