About Xuhang Liu
Biography:
Dr. Xuhang Liu is an Assistant Professor of Oncology at the Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center's Department of Pharmacology & Therapeutics. Xuhang received a B.S. in Life Sciences from Peking University in China. He earned a Ph.D. in RNA biology from the University of Pennsylvania, where he studied the molecular mechanisms that control the biogenesis of microRNAs (miRNAs) in mammals under the supervision of Dr. Zissimos Mourelatos. During his Ph.D., Xuhang established the first biochemical assay for assembling the miRNA effector complex (miRISC) from precursor miRNAs (pre-miRNAs) and discovered a novel RNA-protein complex required for the production of Dicer-independent miRNAs (Molecular Cell, 2012). Additionally, Xuhang also developed the first library construction method for sequencing the pre-miRNA repertoire and revealed that a large fraction of pre-miRNAs had untemplated uridines at their 3' ends (Molecular Cell, 2014).
As a postdoctoral fellow, Xuhang combined his expertise in RNA biology with rigorous training in bioinformatics and cancer research from Dr. Sohail Tavazoie’s laboratory at the Rockefeller University to investigate the role of transfer RNA-derived fragments (tRFs), another important class of small regulatory RNAs, in breast cancer metastasis. Xuhang and his colleagues discovered the first metastasis-suppressing tRF and identified a novel small-RNA mediated suppression mechanism distinct from miRNA-directed gene silencing (Cell, 2015). More recently, Xuhang discovered the molecular mechanism underlying a pro-metastatic tRF that he identified in breast cancer (Molecular Cell, 2022). Xuhang's findings were highly recognized, with prestigious postdoctoral fellowships and awards including a US National Science Foundation award, a Bristol-Myers Squibb postdoctoral fellowship, and a postdoctoral scholarship from the Keystone Symposium.
Positions
- Assistant Professor of Oncology
- Department of Pharmacology & Therapeutics
Background
Education and Training:
- 2011 - PhD - RNA biology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
- 2004 - BS - Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China
Fellowship:
- 2022 - Cancer Biology - The Rockefeller University, New York, NY
Professional Memberships:
- RNA Society
- New York Academy of Sciences American Association for Cancer Research
Professional Experience:
- 2018-2022 - Research Associate, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY
- 2013-2018 - Postdoctoral Fellow, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY
- 2012-2013 - Postdoctoral Fellow, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
Honors & Awards:
- 2021 - US National Science Foundation Award, RNA Society Meeting
- 2016 - Charles H. Revson Senior Fellowship in Biomedical Science Finalist
- 2015 - Bristol-Myers Squibb Postdoctoral Fellowship
- 2014 - Keystone Symposium “RNA Silencing” Scholarship
Research
Research Overview:
The Liu laboratory employs a multidisciplinary approach that combines cutting-edge genomics and proteomics techniques, advanced bioinformatic analyses, in vivo mouse models, in vitro patient-derived xenograft organoids, and classical molecular biology and biochemistry, to discover key post-transcriptional mechanisms that govern metastasis and to translate the insights gained from these mechanistic studies into novel therapeutic strategies. The laboratory currently focuses on three areas:
First, elucidate the mechanism underlying Nucleolin oligomer-directed RNA stabilization, which drives breast cancer metastasis (Molecular Cell, 2022).
Second, identify RNA-binding proteins that control metastasis and develop therapeutics to target those pro-metastatic RNA-binding proteins.
Third, enhance the current mRNA therapeutic efficacy and develop next-generation RNA therapeutics for cancer treatments.
For more information about lab rotations, please contact Xuhang (xuhang.liu@RoswellPark.org) for discussion.
Publications
Liu, X, Mei, W, Padmanaban V, Alwaseem, H, Molina, H, Passarelli, MC, Tavora, B, Tavazoie, SF. A pro-metastatic tRNA fragment drives Nucleolin oligomerization and stabilization of bound metabolic mRNAs. 2022 Mol Cell 82(14):2604-2617. PMID: PMC9444141. (Comment in Mol Cell 82(14):2536-2538.)
Liu X, Zheng Q, Vrettso N, Maragkakis M, Alexiou P, Gregory BD, Mourelatos Z. A microRNA precursor surveillance system in quality control of microRNA synthesis. 2014 Mol Cell 55(6): 868-79. PMID: 25175028.
Liu X, Jin DY, McManus MT, Mourelatos Z. Precursor microRNA-programmed silencing complex assembly pathways in mammals. 2012 Mol Cell 46(4): 507-17. PMID: 22503104. (Comment in Mol Cell 46(4): 384-6.)
Goodarzi H, Liu X, Zhang S, Fish L, and Tavazoie SF. tRNA-derived RNA fragments suppress breast cancer progression through YBX1 displacement. 2015 Cell 161(4): 790-802. PMID: 25957686. (Comment in Nature Reviews Cancer 15(320).)
Alarcon CR, Goodarzi, H, Lee H, Liu X, Tavazoie S, and Tavazoie SF. hnRNPA2B1 is a mediator of m6A-dependent nuclear RNA processing events. 2015 Cell 162(6):1299-308. PMID: 26321680.