Hongjin Liu | Cancer Cell Biology | Research Excellence Award

Dr. Hongjin Liu | Cancer Cell Biology | Research Excellence Award

National Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer Hospital & Shenzhen Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College | China

Hongjin Liu is a medical oncologist whose research centers on cancer biology, therapeutic resistance, and tumorigenesis. His work spans molecular oncology, hepatocellular carcinoma, and mechanisms of somatic mutagenesis across human tissues. He has contributed to high-impact studies published in Nature and Signal Transduction and Targeted Therapy, including investigations uncovering the landscape of somatic mutations in normal tissues and the critical role of VAV2 in DNA repair and radiotherapy resistance. His research also explores noncoding RNA–mediated regulatory networks in liver cancer, notably identifying the oncogenic function of ELF3-AS1 through its modulation of the miR-98-5p/CPSF4 axis. Collectively, his publications provide important insights into genomic instability, tumor microenvironment dynamics, and potential molecular targets for improving therapeutic outcomes. His translational research aims to bridge molecular mechanisms with clinical oncology to support precision cancer treatment and advance strategies for overcoming therapy resistance.

Profile: Orcid

Featured Publications: 

1. Ge, P., Niu, S., Fang, M., Xu, Q., Zhang, W., Xu, J., Yang, F., Wang, Y., Shi, T., & Liu, H. (2025). ELF3-AS1 promotes the carcinogenesis of hepatocellular carcinoma cells by inhibiting miR-98-5p/CPSF4 axis. Nucleosides, Nucleotides & Nucleic Acids.

2. Zhang, W., Liu, Z., Liu, H., Huang, Z., Huang, X., Xu, L., Che, X., & Zhan, Z. (2025). The impact of immune checkpoint inhibitors on prognosis in unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma treated with TACE and lenvatinib: A meta-analysis. Frontiers in Immunology.

3. Liu, W., Miao, C., Zhang, S., Liu, Y., Niu, X., Xi, Y., Guo, W., Chu, J., Lin, A., Liu, H., Yang, X., Chen, X., Zhong, C., Ma, Y., Wang, Y., Zhu, S., Liu, S., Tan, W., Lin, D., & Wu, C. (2021). VAV2 is required for DNA repair and implicated in cancer radiotherapy resistance. Signal Transduction and Targeted Therapy, 6(9), 2906–2919.

4. Li, R., Di, L., Li, J., Fan, W., Liu, Y., Guo, W., Liu, W., Liu, L., Li, Q., Chen, L., Chen, Y., Miao, C., Liu, H., Wang, Y., Ma, Y., Xu, D., Lin, D., Huang, Y., Wang, J., Bai, F., & Wu, C. (2021). A body map of somatic mutagenesis in morphologically normal human tissues. Nature, 597(7876), 398–403.

5. Chen, Y., Zeng, Q., Liu, X., Fu, J., Zeng, Z., Zhao, Z., Liu, Z., Bai, W., Dong, Z., & Liu, H. (2018). LINE-1 ORF-1p enhances the transcription factor activity of pregnenolone X receptor and promotes sorafenib resistance in hepatocellular carcinoma cells. Cancer Management and Research, 10, 6345–6358.

Yanqi Dang | Cancer Cell Biology | Editorial Board Member

Mr. Yanqi Dang | Cancer Cell Biology | Editorial Board Member

Institute of Digestive Diseases, Longhua Hospital, China-Canada Center of Research for Digestive Diseases, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 200032 | China

The researcher focuses on the epigenetic regulation of metabolic diseases and tumorigenesis, with major contributions in colorectal cancer (CRC) diagnostics, mechanisms, and traditional Chinese medicine (TCM)-based interventions. In early CRC detection, the team performed transfer RNA (tRNA) sequencing and identified two key tRFs—tRF-Tyr-GTA-081 (downregulated) and tRF-Ala-AGC-060 (upregulated)—whose combined diagnostic model demonstrated strong performance for colorectal neoplastic lesions and cancer, outperforming traditional markers such as CEA and CA199. Multi-omics analyses of mRNAs, miRNAs and circRNAs identified three circRNAs with predictive value for adenoma–carcinoma transition. Through DNA hydroxymethylation sequencing, ZW10 emerged as a prognostic-related marker, and its circulating hydroxymethylation level showed high accuracy for early CRC detection. Mechanistic studies revealed that METTL3 regulates CRB3 in an m6A-dependent manner to modulate HIPPO signaling, while DNMT3B- and TET2-mediated epigenetic modifications jointly control PGC-1α to promote CRC progression. In therapeutic research, Scutellaria baicalensis Tang, Sijunzi Tang, and related monomers are under investigation for anti-CRC effects. In metabolic disease research, Ling-Gui-Zhu-Gan decoction and cinnamaldehyde were shown to improve steatosis and insulin resistance in NAFLD, supporting the TCM concept of “phlegm-beverage.” Current studies focus on lean NAFLD, demonstrating that METTL14 regulates TIM3 to influence disease development, and that GJLZ decoction alleviates steatosis and inflammation by enhancing this pathway.

Profile: Scopus

Featured Publications:

Ma, J., …, & al. (2025). Regulation of histone H3K27 methylation in inflammation and cancer.