Distinguished Professor and Chair Emeritus

Dr Liu

Department of Dermatology
UC Davis School of Medicine
Research III 3100D
4645 Second Avenue
Sacramento, CA 95817

 

Biography

  • Undergraduate Education: National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan, B.S. 1970
  • Graduate Education: University of Chicago, Chicago Illinois, Ph.D. 1976
  • Medical Education: University of Miami School of Medicine, Miami, Florida, M.D. 1987
  • Residency: UC San Diego, San Diego, California 1990-93, Dermatology
  • American Board of Dermatology. 1993

Professional Memberships 

  • Association of American Physicians
  • American Academy of Dermatology
  • American Association for the Advancement of Science
  • American Association of Immunologists
  • American Chemical Society
  • American Society for Clinical Investigation
  • American Society for Investigative Pathology
  • Society of Investigative Dermatology

Positions and Employment

1979-1982 Assistant Member, Department of Cellular and Developmental Immunology,
Research Institute of Scripps Clinic, La Jolla, California
1982-1990 Associate Member/Member, Department of Immunology,
Med. Biology Institute, La Jolla, California
1990-1996 Associate Member/Head, Allergy Research Section, Dept. of Molecular &
Experimental Medicine, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, California
1993-2001 Member, Division of Dermatology and Cutaneous Surgery,
Scripps Clinic, La Jolla, California
1996-2001 Member and Head, Division of Allergy,
La Jolla Institute for Allergy and Immunology
2001-Present Professor and Chair, Department of Dermatology,
University of California, Davis, California

 

 

Dr Liu Research Lab Team

 

Daniel Hsu  Daniel Hsu 
Project Scientist
916-734-8393
dkhsu@ucdavis.edu
Research Interest: galectin inhibitors as drugs for inflammatory disease and cancer, gene markers in skin and liver disease
Ri-Yao Yang  Ri-Yao Yang 
Project Scientist
916-734-8504
ryyang@ucdavis.edu
Research Interest: galectin-12 in adipose lipolysis and inflammation
Huan Yuan Chen 

Huan-Yuan Chen
Project Scientist
916-734-8326
hnchen@ucdavis.edu
Research Interest: roles of galectin-3 in T cells and mast cells, anti-IgE therapeutic mechanism

Lan Yu 

Lan Yu 
Staff
916-734-8544
lyu@ucdavis.edu

Kang-Hsin Wang 

Kang-Hsin Wang 
Specialist
kswang@ucdavis.edu
Research Interest: Food Allergy

 

 

Liu Lab - Galectins, Allergy & inflammation 

The Chair of the Department, Dr. Fu-Tong Liu is internationally known for being a pioneer and leading investigator in the studies of the galectin family members, which play key roles in many physiological and pathological processes. Under Dr. Liu's leadership the department has grown rapidly in size and prestige. His current research is focused on the role of galectins in allergic inflammation, innate immunity, cancer progression, and wound healing. His research group also studies molecular and cellular mechanisms of allergic skin inflammation. Dr. Liu is interested in all areas of medical dermatology and has a particular interest in eczema, mast cell-mediated diseases (including urticaria and mastocytosis), and immunobullous disease.

Sano, H., Hsu, D.K., Yu, L., Apgar, J.R. Kuwabara, I., Yamanaka, T., Hirashima, M., Liu, F.-T. Human galectin-3 is a novel chemoattractant for monocytes and macrophages. J Immunol 165:2156-2164, 2000.

Hsu, D.K., Yang, R.-Y., Pan, Z., Yu, L., Salomon, D.R., Fung-Leung W.-P., and Liu, F.-T. Targeted disruption of the galectin-3 gene results in attenuated peritoneal inflammatory responses. Am J Pathol. 156:1073-1083, 2000.

Zuberi, R.I., Apgar,J.R., Chen, S.-S. and Liu, F.-T. A role for IgE in airway secretions: IgE immune complexes are more potent inducers than antigen alone of airway inflammation in a murine model. J Immunol. 164:2667-2673, 2000.

Yang, R.-Y., Hsu, D.K., Yu, L., Ni, J., and Liu, F.-T. Cell cycle regulation by galectin-12, a new member of the galectin superfamily. J Biol Chem 276:20252-20261, 2001.

Kuwabara, I., Kuwabara, Y., Yang, R.-Y., Schuler, M., Green, D.R., Hsu, D.K., and Liu, F.-T. Galectin-7 (PIG1:p53-induced gene 1) exhibits pro-apoptotic function through JNK activation and mitochondrial cytochrome c release. J. Biol. Chem. 277:3487-3497, 2002.

Liu, F.-T., Patterson, R.J., and Wang, J.L. Intracellular functions of galectins. Biochim Biophys Acta 1572:263-273, 2002.

Mayr, S.I, Zuberi, R.I., Zhang, M., de Sousa-Hitzler, J., Ngo, K., Kuwabara, Y., Yu, L., Fung-Leung, W.-P., and Liu, F.-T. IgE-dependent mast cell activation potentiates airway responses in murine asthma models. J. Immunol. 169:2061-8, 2002.

Sano, H., Hsu, D.K., Apgar,J.R., Yu, L., Sharma, B.B., Kuwabara, I., Izui, S., and Liu, F.-T. Critical role of galectin-3 in phagocytosis by macrophages. J. Clin. Invest. 112:389-97. 2003.

Yang, R.Y., Hsu, D.K., Yu, L., Chen, H.-Y., and Liu, F.-T. Galectin-12 is Required for Adipogenic Signaling and Adipocyte Differentiation. J. Biol. Chem. 279:29761-6, 2004.

Ueda, S., Kuwabara, I. and Liu, F.-T. Suppressive effect of galectin-7 on tumor growth. Cancer Research, 64:5672-6, 2004.

Zuberi, R. Hsu, D.K., Kalayci, O., Chen, H.-Y., Sheldon, H.K., Yu, L., Apgar, J., Kawakami, T., Lilly, C.M., and Liu, F.-T. Critical role for galectin-3 in airway inflammation and bronchial hyperresponsiveness in a murine model of asthma. Am J Path, 165:2045-53, 2004.

Liu, F.-T. and Rabinovich, G.A. Galectins as novel modulators of tumor progression. Nature Reviews Cancer, 5:29-41, 2005.

Bernardes, E.S., Silva, N.M., Mineo, J.R., Loyola, A.M., Hsu, D.K., Liu, F.-T., Chammas, R., and Roque-Barreira, M.C. Toxoplasma gondii infection reveals a dual role for galectin-3 on innate and adaptive immune response. Am J Pathol 168:1910-20, 2006.

Chen, H.-Y., Sharma, B.B, Yu, L., Zuberi, R., Weng, I.-C., Kawakami, Y., Kawakami, T., Hsu, D.K., and Liu, F.-T. Role of galectin-3 in mast cell functions. Galectin-3-deficient mast cells exhibit impaired mediator release and defective JNK expression. J Immunol 177:4991-7, 2006.

Rabinovich, G.A., Liu, F.-T., Hirashima, M., and Anderson, A. An emerging role for galectins in tuning the inflammatory response: Lessons from experimental models of autoimmunity and cancer. Scand J Immunol 66:143-58, 2007.

Saegusa, J., Hsu, D.K., Liu, W., Kuwabara, I., Kuwabara, Y., Yu, L., and Liu, F.-T. Galectin-3 protects keratinocytes from UVB-induced apoptosis by enhancing AKT activation and suppressing ERK activation. J Invest Dermatol. 128:2403-11, 2008.

Yang, R.-Y., Rabinovich, G.A., Liu, F.-T. Galectins: Structures, functions and therapeutic potential. Exp Rev Mol Med. 10:e17, 2008.

Hsu, D.K., Chen, H.-Y., Yu, L., Chernyavsky, A.I., Grando, S.A., and Liu, F.-T. Endogenous galectin-3 is localized in membrane lipid rafts and regulates migration of dendritic cells. J Invest Dermatol, 129:573-83, 2009.

Saegusa, J., Hsu, D.K., Chen, H.-Y., Yu, L., Fermin, A., Fung, M.A., and Liu, F.-T. Galectin-3 is critical for the development of the allergic inflammatory response in a mouse model of atopic dermatitis. Am J Pathol 174:922-931, 2009.

Hsu, D.K., Chen, H.-Y., and Liu, F.-T. Galectin-3 regulates T cells. Immunol Rev 230: 114-127, 2009.

Chen, H-Y., Fermin, A., Vardhana, S., Weng, I-C., Lo, K.F.R., Chang, E-Y., Maverakis, E., Yang, R.Y., Hsu, D.K., Dustin, M., and Liu, F.-T. Galectin-3 negatively regulates TCR-mediated CD4+ T cell activation at the immunological synapse. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA in press, 2009.