Dr. Tong Ming Liu’s research focuses on advancing gene and cell therapy through innovative studies on human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) and induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs). His work explores the mechanisms governing mesenchymal stem cell stemness, potency, and ageing, with the goal of improving the therapeutic efficacy and manufacturing quality of MSC-based treatments. A central aspect of his research is identifying and characterizing critical quality attributes (CQAs) in MSC manufacturing to ensure consistent and safe clinical applications. Dr. Liu also investigates disease modeling of bone and cartilage disorders using iPSC-derived MSCs to facilitate drug screening and gene correction strategies. His recent projects include the development of optimized media for iPSC, iPSC-MSC, and MSC culture, as well as identifying novel biomarkers to select high-quality MSCs for regenerative medicine. Through his studies, he aims to enhance the scalability, functionality, and translational potential of stem cell therapies. His findings have been recognized in scientific forums such as the EVANTICA Symposium and Singapore Cell and Gene Therapy Conference, underscoring his contribution to the development of efficient MSC-derived extracellular vesicle (MSC-EV) optimization and regenerative therapy innovations.
Featured Publications:
Liu, T. M.*, Tew, W., Yang, Z., Lim, B., Hui, J. H. P., Lee, E. H., Loh, Y.-H., & Cool, S. (2025). Understanding the molecular basis of mesenchymal stem cell stemness: Implications for clinical applications. Cell Death & Disease, 16(1), 778.
Liu, T. M.* (2025). MSC-EVs: Pioneering the next generation of biomedical applications. World Journal of Stem Cells, 17(6), 108197.
Liu, T. M.*, & Wu, Y. (2023). Advancing gene and cell therapy using human mesenchymal stem cells. Frontiers in Cell and Developmental Biology, 11, 1294460.
Shou, Y., Liu, L., Le, Z., Lee, K. L., Li, X., Koh, D. Z., Wang, Y., Liu, T. M., Yang, Z., Lim, C. T., Cheung, C., & Tay, A. (2023). Mechano-responsive hydrogel for directing stem cell manufacturing and therapy. Bioactive Materials, 24, 387–400.
Liu, T. M.* (2021). Application of mesenchymal stem cells derived from human pluripotent stem cells in regenerative medicine. World Journal of Stem Cells, 13(12), 1826–1844.
Srinivasan, A., Sathiyanathan, P., Yin, L., Liu, T. M., Lam, A., Ravikumar, M., Smith, R. A. A., Loh, H. P., Zhang, Y., Ling, L., Ng, S. K., Yang, Y. S., Lezhava, A., Hui, J., Oh, S., & Cool, S. M. (2022). Strategies to enhance immunomodulatory properties and reduce heterogeneity in mesenchymal stromal cells during ex vivo expansion. Cytotherapy, 24(5), 456–472.
Liu, T. M.*, Yildirim, E. D., Li, P., Fang, H. T., Denslin, V., Kumar, V., Loh, Y.-H., Lee, E. H., Cool, S. M., Teh, B. T., Hui, J. H., Lim, B., & Shyh-Chang, N. (2020). Ascorbate and iron are required for the specification and long-term self-renewal of human skeletal mesenchymal stromal cells. Stem Cell Reports, 14(2), 210–225.