Profile picture for user xli369

Xia Liu, PhD

Connect

859-562-2791
xli369@uky.edu
760 Press Avenue, Research Building 2, Room 424, Lexington, KY 40536

Positions

  • Assistant Professor

College Unit(s)

Biography and Education

Biography

Website: xialiulab.com

Education

Ph.D. in Cancer Biology, Peking Union Medical College & Chinese Academy of Medical Science, China

Research

Metastasis is responsible for about 90% of cancer-related deaths. The research of my laboratory is focused on understanding the mechanisms of breast cancer metastasis, thereby discovering novel cancer biomarkers and therapeutic targets to improve the treatment for metastatic cancers. Currently, the research projects are mainly focused on understanding the role of neutrophils in breast cancer metastasis,  tumor-associated inflammation,  how tumor alters granulopoiesis, liquid biomarker discovery and developing novel strategy to improve the efficacy of immune checkpoint inhibitor  in TNBC.

Selected Publications

Research Articles:

  1. Li D, Hemati H, Park Y, Taftaf R, Zhang YB, Liu JP, Cristofanilli M, Liu X . Cell aggregation activates small GTPase Rac1 and induces CD44 cleavage by maintaining lipid rafts integrity. JBC, 2023, Oct 20;299(12):105377.
  2. Zheng CJ, Xu X, Wu MY, Xue L, Zhu JY, Xia HZ, Ding SY, FU SH, Wang XY, Wang Y, He GC, Liu X (co-corresponding author), Deng XY. Neutrophils in triple-negative breast cancer: an underestimated player with increasingly recognized importance. Breast Cancer Research. 2023, 25:88.
  3. Li D, Hemati H, Park Y, Taftaf R , Zhang YB , Liu JP , Cristofanilli M, Liu X. ICAM-1-suPAR-CD11b Axis Is a Novel Therapeutic Target for Metastatic Triple-Negative Breast Cancer. Cancers, 2023, 15(10): 2734.
  4. Ngule C , Hemati H ,  Ren XC ,  Obaleye O, Akinyemi A, Oyelami F , Xiong XF, Song JX , Liu X( co-corresponding author), Yang JM. Identification of a NACC1-Regulated Gene Signature Implicated in the Features of Triple-Negative Breast Cancer. Biomedicines, 2023, 11(4):1223. 
  5. Ramos EK, Tsai CF, Jia Y, Cao Y, Manu M, Taftaf R, Hoffmann AD, El-Shennawy L, Gritsenko MA, Adorno-Cruz V, Schuster EJ, Scholten D, Patel D, Liu X, Patel P, Wray B, Zhang Y, Zhang S, Moore RJ, Mathews JV, Schipma MJ, Liu T, Tokars VL, Cristofanilli M, Shi T, Shen Y, Dashzeveg NK, Liu H. Machine learning-assisted elucidation of CD81-CD44 interactions in promoting cancer stemness and extracellular vesicle integrity. Elife. 2022 Oct 4;11.
  6. Taftaf R, Liu X (co-first author), Singh S, Jia YZ, Dashzeveg NK, Hoffmann AD, El-Shennawy L, Ramos EK, Adorno-Cruz V, Schuster EJ, Scholten D, Patel D, Zhang YB, Davis AA, Reduzzi C, Cao Y, D’Amico P, Shen Y, Cristofanilli M, Muller WA, Varadan V, Liu HP. ICAM1 initiates CTC cluster formation and trans-endothelial migration in lung metastasis of breast cancer. Nature Communications. 2021 Aug 11;12(1):4867.
  7. Adorno-Cruz V, Hoffmann AD, Liu X, Dashzeveg NK, Taftaf R, Wray B, Keri RA, Liu H. ITGA2 promotes expression of ACLY and CCND1 in enhancing breast cancer stemness and metastasis. Genes Dis. 2021 Jul; 8(4): 493-508.
  8. Chen WJ, Patel D, Jia YZ, Yu ZH, Liu X, Shi HL, Liu HP. MARCH8 suppresses tumor metastasis and mediates degradation of STAT3 and CD44 in breast cancer cells.  Cancers, 2021 May 22;13(11):2550.
  9. Tsai CF, Zhang P, Scholten D, Martin K, Wang YT, Zhao R, Chrisler WB, Patel DB, Dou M, Jia Y, Reduzzi C, Liu X, Moore RJ, Burnum-Johnson KE, Lin MH, Hsu CC, Jacobs JM, Kagan J, Srivastava S, Rodland KD, Steven Wiley H, Qian WJ, Smith RD, Zhu Y, Cristofanilli M, Liu T, Liu H, Shi T. Surfactant-assisted one-pot sample preparation for label-free single-cell proteomics. Commun Biol. 2021 Mar 1;4(1):265.
  10. Liu X (co-corresponding author), Adorno-Cruz V, Chang YF, Jia Y, Kawaguchi M, Dashzeveg NK, Taftaf R, Ramos EK, Schuster EJ, El-Shennawy L, Patel D, Zhang Y, Cristofanilli M, Liu H. EGFR inhibition blocks cancer stem cell clustering and lung metastasis of triple negative breast cancer. Theranostics. 2021;11(13):6632-6643.
  11. Wu M, Ma M, Tan Z, Zheng H, Liu X (corresponding author). Neutrophil: A New Player in Metastatic Cancers. Front Immunol. 2020;11: 565165.
  12. Kawaguchi M, Dashzeveg N, Cao Y, Jia Y, Liu X (Lead corresponding author), Shen Y, Liu H. Extracellular Domains I and II of cell-surface glycoprotein CD44 mediate its trans-homophilic dimerization and tumor cluster aggregation. J Biol Chem. 2020, 295(9):2640-2649.
  13. Liu X (co-corresponding author), Taftaf R, Kawaguchi M, Chang YF, Chen W, Entenberg D, Zhang Y, Gerratana L, Huang S, Patel DB, Tsui E, Adorno-Cruz V, Chirieleison SM, Cao Y, Harney AS, Patel S, Patsialou A, Shen Y, Avril S, Gilmore HL, Lathia JD, Abbott DW, Cristofanilli M, Condeelis JS, Liu H. Homophilic CD44 interactions mediate tumor cell aggregation and polyclonal metastasis in patient-derived breast cancer models. Cancer Discovery. 2019, 9(1):96-113.
  14. Zhang YB, Patel D, Kawaguchi M, Cristofanilli M, Liu HP, Liu X. Lymphomagenesis in circulating tumor cell-derived xenograft models. BJSTR, May 15, 2019, 18(1), 13247- 13249.
  15. Wu M, Tan Z, Ma M, Tao S, Zheng H and Liu X. IKZF2 Driving Self- Renewal and Inhibiting Myeloid Differentiation through Chromatin Accessibility. Journal of Molecular and Genetic Medicine. April 16, 2019, 13:419.
  16. Chen WJ, Hoffmann AD, Liu HP, Liu X. Organotropism: new insights into molecular mechanisms of breast cancer metastasis. npj Precision Oncology. Feb 16, 2018.
  17. Liu X, Zheng H, Li X, Wang S, Meyerson HJ, Yang W, Neel BG, Qu CK. Gain-of-function mutations of Ptpn11 (Shp2) cause aberrant mitosis and increase susceptibility to DNA damage- induced malignancies. PNAS 2016,113 (4):984-9.
  18. Liu X, Zheng H, Yu WM, Cooper TM, Bunting KD, Qu CK. Maintenance of mouse hematopoietic stem cells ex vivo by reprogramming cellular metabolism. Blood. 2015, 125(10):1562-5.
  19. Yu WM, Liu X, Shen J, Jovanovic O, Pohl EE, Gerson SL, Finkel T, Broxmeyer HE, Qu CK. Metabolic regulation by the mitochondrial phosphatase PTPMT1 is required for hematopoietic stem cell differentiation. Cell Stem Cell. 2013, 12 (1):62-74.
  20. Liu X, Zheng H, Qu CK. Protein tyrosine phosphatase Shp2 (Ptpn11) plays an important role in maintenance of chromosome stability. Cancer Res. 2012, 72(20):5296-306.
  21. Liu A, Qu W, Liu X (co-corresponding author), Qu CK. Chromosomal instability in in vitro cultured mouse hematopoietic cells associated with oxidative stress. Am J Blood Res. 2012, 2(1):71-76.
  22. Xu D, Liu X (co-first authorship), Yu WM, Meyerson HJ, Guo C, Gerson SL, Qu CK. Non- lineage/stage-restricted effects of a gain-of-function mutation in tyrosine phosphatase Ptpn11 (Shp2) on malignant transformation of hematopoietic cells. J Exp Med. 2011, 208(10):1977- 88.
  23. Shen J, Liu X (co-first authorship), Yu WM, Liu J, Groot Nibbelink M, Guo C, Finkel T, Qu CK. A critical role of mitochondrial phosphatase Ptpmt1 in embryogenesis reveals a mitochondrial metabolic stress-induced differentiation checkpoint in embryonic stem cells. Mol Cell Biol. 2011, 31(24):4902-16.
  24. Liu X, Qu CK. Protein tyrosine phosphatase SHP-2 (PTPN11) in hematopoiesis and leukemogenesis. J Signal Transduct. 2011, 2011:195239.
  25. Liu X, Bian C, Ren K, Jin H, Li B, Shao RG. Lidamycin induces marked G2 cell cycle arrest in human colon carcinoma HT-29 cells through activation of p38 MAPK pathway. Oncol Rep. 2007, 17(3):597-603.
  26. Liu X, He HW, Feng Y, Zhang M, Ren KH, Shao RG. Difference of cell cycle arrests induced by Lidamycin in human breast cancer cells. Anti-cancer drugs. 2006, 17(2):173-179.
  27. Liu X, Su YM. The effects of phenolic alkaloids from Menispermum Dauricum on cell apoptosis and expressions of Bcl-2 and Bax in rats following cerebral ischemia- reperfusion. The proceedings of 7th Chinese section meeting of the international society for heart research. 2002.
  28. Tsai CF, Zhang P, Scholten D, Martin K, Wang YT, Zhao R, Chrisler WB, Patel DB, Dou M, Jia Y, Reduzzi C, Liu X, Moore RJ, Burnum-Johnson KE, Lin MH, Hsu CC, Jacobs JM, Kagan J, Srivastava S, Rodland KD, Steven Wiley H, Qian WJ, Smith RD, Zhu Y, Cristofanilli M, Liu T, Liu H, Shi T. Surfactant-assisted one-pot sample preparation for label-free single-cell proteomics. Commun Biol. 2021 Mar 1;4(1):265
  29. Qadir AS, Ceppi P, Brockway S, Law C, Mu L, Khodarev NN, Kim J, Zhao JC, Putzbach W, Murmann AE, Chen Z, Chen W, Liu X, Salomon AR, Liu H, Weichselbaum RR, Yu J, Peter ME. CD95/Fas increases stemness in cancer cells by inducing a STAT1-dependent type I interferonresponse. Cell Rep. 2017, 18(10):2373-2386.
  30. Hu Z, Wang X, Fang H, Liu Y, Chen D, Zhang Q, Liu X, Wei D, Qu C, Wang S. A tyrosine phosphatase SHP2 gain-of-function mutation enhances malignancy of breast carcinoma. Oncotarget. 2016, 7(5):5664-76.
  31. Adorno-Cruz V, Kibria G, Liu X, Doherty M, Junk D, Guan DY, Hubert C,Venere M, Mulkearns- Hubert E, Sinyuk M, Alvarado A, Caplan A,Rich J, Gerson S, Lathia J, Liu HP. Cancer stem cells: targeting the roots of cancer, seeds of metastasis, and sources of therapy resistance. Cancer Res. 2015, 75(6):924-9.
  32. Bockhorn J, Prat A, Chang YF, Liu X, Huang S, Shang M, Nwachukwu C, Gomez-Vega MJ, Harrell JC, Olopade OI, Perou CM, Liu H. Differentiation and loss of malignant character of spontaneous pulmonary metastases in patient-derived breast cancer models. Cancer Res. 2014, 74 (24):7406-17.
  33. Li Q, Hakimi P, Liu X, Yu WM, Ye F, Fujioka H, Raza S, Shankar E, Tang F, Dunwoodie SL, Danielpour D, Hoppel CL, Ramírez-Bergeron DL, Qu CK, Hanson RW, Yang YC. Cited2, a transcriptional modulator protein, regulates metabolism in murine embryonic stem cells. J Biol Chem. 2014, 289(1):251-63.
  34. Ceppi P, Hadji A, Kohlhapp FJ, Pattanayak A, Hau A, Liu X, Liu H, Murmann AE, Peter ME. CD95 and CD95L promote and protect cancer stem cells. Nat Commun. 2014, 5: 5238.
  35. Hnia K, Kretz C, Amoasii L, Böhm J, Liu X, Messaddeq N, Qu CK, Laporte J. Primary T- tubule and autophagy defects in the phosphoinositide phosphatase Jumpy/ MTMR14 knockout mice muscle. Adv Biol Regul. 2012, 52(1):98-107.
  36. Touchberry CD, Bales IK, Stone JK, Rohrberg TJ, Parelkar NK, Nguyen T, Fuentes O, Liu X, Qu CK, Andresen JJ, Valdivia HH, Brotto M, Wacker MJ. Phosphatidylinositol 3, 5- bisphosphate (PI(3,5)P2) potentiates cardiac contractility via activation of the ryanodine receptor. J Biol Chem. 2010, 285(51):40312-21.
  37. Jin H, Ren K, He HW, Liu X, Song DQ, Shao RG. The benzoylurea derivative F13 inhibits cell growth, migration and invasion through inducing expression of ERK1/2-mediated RECK in fibrosarcoma HT-1080 cells. Anticancer Drugs. 2010, 21(4):372-80.
  38. Ren K, Jin H, Bian C, He H, Liu X, Zhang S, Wang Y, Shao RG. MR-1 modulates proliferation and migration of human hepatoma HepG2 cells through myosin light chains-2 (MLC2)/focal adhesion kinase (FAK)/Akt signaling pathway. J Biol Chem. 2008, 283(51):35598-605.
  39. Bian CJ, Liu TG, Liu X, Shao RG. Functions of microRNAs in animals. J Med Mol Biol, 2005, 2(5): 359-362.
  40. Yang RQ, Su YM, Liu X. Protective effects of phenolic alkaloids from Menispermum Dauricum on experimental cerebral ischemia. Information on traditional Chinese medicine. 2002, 19(5):61.

 

 Book Chapters

  1. Chopra A, Liu X (co-first authorship), Liu HP. Cancer stem cells: metastasis and evasion from the host immune responses. Cancer stem cells: targeting the roots of cancer, seeds of metastasis, and sources of therapy resistance (chapter 13), 2016, 341-366.
  2. Liu X, Qu CK. SHP-2 tyrosine phosphatase: a potential target for controlling tumor metastasis. New developments in metastasis suppressor research (chapter XIV), 2007, 259-272.