My lab is interested in understanding how the immune system responds to a variety of insults (e.g. bacteria, viruses, tumors) to control human diseases (e.g. infectious diseases and cancer). Increasing evidence has implicated that metabolism plays a crucial role in shaping immune cell phenotype and function. Our studies aim to investigate the interactions between metabolism and innate immune response in the settings of lung infection and cancer.
Research Information
Research Interests
Our lab studies how cellular metabolism regulates immune cell fate and function. Metabolic processes do more than provide energy and biosynthetic building blocks; they also play important regulatory roles in shaping immune cell states and functions. However, how metabolic processes influence distinct cell fate decisions and what determines the specificity of these effects remain incompletely understood.
We investigate these questions primarily in monocytes and macrophages, whose remarkable plasticity and responsiveness to environmental cues make them valuable systems for studying metabolic regulation in diverse biological contexts. By combining molecular and cellular approaches with in vitro and in vivo models, we aim to uncover fundamental principles that explain how and under what conditions cellular metabolism regulates cell fate and function. Ultimately, we hope these insights will deepen our understanding of the role of cellular metabolism in human disease and provide a foundation for developing new therapeutic strategies.
Publications
- Yang N, He HH, Liu X. Lactate Dehydrogenase A-Dependent Redox Control of Selective mRNA Translation Directs Monocyte Fate Commitment. Immunity, S1074-7613(26)00397-3 (2026)
- Liu X, Boyer MA, Holmgren AM, Shin S.
Legionella-Infected Macrophages Engage the Alveolar Epithelium to Metabolically Reprogram Myeloid Cells and Promote Antibacterial
Cell Host Microbe, 28(5):683–698 (2020) - Liu X and Shin S.
Listening In: Plasmacytoid DC, Monocyte-Derived DC, and Neutrophil Crosstalk in Antifungal Defense.
Cell Host Microbe, 28(1):9-11 (2020) - Liu X and Shin S.
Viewing Legionella Pneumophila Pathogenesis through an Immunological Lens.
J Mol Biol, 431(21):4321-4344 (2019) - Liu X, Luo D, Yang N.
Cytosolic Low Molecular Weight FGF2 Orchestrates RIG-I-Mediated Innate Immune Response.
J Immunol, 195(10):4943-52 (2015) - Zhao Q*, Liu X*, Zhang D, Zhang L, Luo D.
Hexa-Acylated LPS-Lipid A Deploys the Appropriate Level of Fibrin to Confer Protection through Myd88.
Int J Infect Dis, 33:142-8 (2015) *co-first authors. - Liu X, Lai C, Wang K, Xing L, Yang P, Duan Q, Wang X.
A Functional Role of Fibroblast Growth Factor Receptor 1 (FGFR1) in the Suppression of Influenza A Virus Replication.
PloS One, 10(4):e0124651 (2015) - Liu X, Yang N, Tang J, Liu S, Luo D, Duan Q, Wang X.
Downregulation of Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme 2 by the Neuraminidase Protein of Influenza A (H1N1) Virus.
Virus Res, 185:64-71 (2014) - Yang P, Deng J, Li C, Zhang P, Xing L, Li Z, Wang W, Zhao Y, Yan Y, Gu H, Liu X, Zhao Z, Zhang S, Wang X, Jiang C.
Characterization of the 2009 Pandemic A/Beijing/501/2009 H1N1 Influenza Strain in Human Airway Epithelial Cells and Ferrets.
PloS One, 7(9): e4618 (2012)