Tuoen Liu, M.D., Ph.D.

Tuoen Liu, MD, PhD

Tuoen Liu, M.D., Ph.D.
Associate Professor
Biomedical Sciences

Office: (304) 647-6427
Fax: (304) 793-6884

Education and Training

M.D.: Central South University Xiangya School of Medicine, China

Ph.D.: Idaho State University

Postdoctoral training: Washington University in St Louis

Research Interests

Overall, the research area in our lab includes pharmacology, genetics, hematology and oncology.

Specifically, we are interested in:

  • investigating molecular mechanisms and anti-cancer effects of heat shock proteins
  • studying the genetics in hematopoiesis and hematological malignancies, such as myelodysplastic syndromes and acute myeloid leukemia
  • discovering new chemotherapy agents and their pharmacological activity for cancer treatment, such as blood cancer and breast cancer

Lab Members:

Christopher Butler

Awards and Honors

  • 2022: AOA-OMED research poster 2nd place award
  • 2020: WVSOM Osteopathic Principles and Practice (OPP) integration teaching award
  • 2018: WVSOM Atlas Club Golden Key teaching award
  • 2014: ASH (American Society of Hematology) abstract achievement award for the 56th ASH annual meeting
  • 2010: BYU-Idaho student whom I mentored won the 3rd place of student poster presentation at the 9th INBRE annual conference
  • 2010: Third prize of poster presentation at the American Society for Microbiology Intermountain Branch 2010 annual meeting
  • 2009: Outstanding poster award in Idaho INBRE 8th annual research conference
  • 2008: Outstanding poster award in Idaho INBRE 7th annual research conference

Selected Peer-Reviewed Publications

  • Christopher Butler, Morgan Dunmire, Jaebok Choi, Gabor Szalai, Anissa Johnson, Wei Lei, Xin Chen, Liang Liu, Wei Li, Matthew J. Walter, Tuoen Liu*. HSPA9/mortalin inhibition disrupts erythroid maturation through a TP53-dependent mechanism in human CD34+ hematopoietic progenitor cells. Cell Stress and Chaperones. 2024 April; 29(2): 300-311. (PMID: 38508444)
  • Hongjun Jin, Yifan Qiu, Lei Bi, Guolong Huang, Zhijun Li, Huiyi Wei, Guocong Li, Junjie Wei, Kai Liao, Min Yang, Peizhen Ye, Yongshan Liu, Xianxian Zhao, Yuyi Hou, Yanfang Shen, Renwei Zhou, Tuoen Liu, Henry Hoi Yee Tong, Lu Wang. Positron emission tomography imaging of the P2X7 receptor with a novel tracer, [18F]GSK1482160, in a transgenic mouse model of Alzheimer's disease and healthy non-human primates. Brain-X. 2024 March; Volume2, Issue1, e55. 
  • Kristin Stover, Kimberly Cowley, Gillian Gaunt, Olivia George, Kristy Henson, Tuoen Liu, Christopher Pankey. Comparison of on-campus and virtual self-assessment outcomes for incoming Appalachian STEM undergraduates’ first research experience. Online Learning. 2024 Mar; 28(1): 196-215.
  • William Sebastian, Lauren Forchette, Kelsey Donoughe, Yibei Lun, Anisha Verma, Tuoen Liu*. Genetics, treatment, and new technologies of hormone receptor-positive breast cancer. Cancers, 2023; 15(4): 1303. (PMID: 36831644)
  • Jixiang Zhou, Tuoen Liu, Hongjuan Xu; Yong Wang, Tianhe Yang, Ling Liu. LncRNA FIRRE promotes the proliferation and metastasis of hepatocellular carcinoma by regulating the expression of PXN through interacting with MBNL3. Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications. 2022 Oct; 625: 188-195. (PMID: 35988459)
  • Lauren Forchette, William Sebastian, Tuoen Liu*. A comprehensive review of the COVID-19 virology, vaccines, and therapeutics. Current Medical Science, 2021 Dec; 41(6): 1037-1051. (PMID: 34241776)
  • Xiang Wang, Chong Yu, Guojun Chen, Yi Hong, Bin Zhou, Jin Ge, Tuoen Liu*. Iliac vein stenting guided by intravascular ultrasound without iodinated contrast medium. Vasa. 2021 Jan; 50(1):68-73. (PMID: 32552609)
  • Tuoen Liu, Tanzir Ahmed, Kilannin Krysiak, Cara Lunn Shirai, Jin Shao, Ryan Nunley, Richard Bucala, Andrew McKenzie, Matthew Ndonwi, Matthew J. Walter. Haploinsufficiency of multiple del(5q) genes induce B cell abnormalities in mice. Leukemia Research. 2020 Sep; 96:106428. (PMID: 32739655)
  • Anthony Aswad, Tuoen Liu*, Targeting heat shock protein 90 for anti-cancer drug development. Advances in Cancer Research, 2021; 152: 179-204. (PMID: 34353437)
  • Christopher Butler, Samuel Sprowls, Gabor Szalai, Benjamin Straight, Shea Hatcher, Evan Tyree, Michael Yost, William J. Kohler, Benjamin Wolff, Emily Putnam, Paul Lockman, Tuoen Liu*. Hypomethylating agent azacitidine is effective in treating brain metastasis triple negative breast cancer through regulation of DNA methylation of the keratin 18 gene. Translational Oncology. 2020 Jun; 13(6):100775. (PMID: 32408199)
  • Guanghui Li, Tuoen Liu, Xianfang Shao, Zhijun Liu, Jianhui Duan, Raj Akileh, Shousong Cao, Dadi Jin. Fifteen-degree clavicular hook plate achieves better clinical outcomes in the treatment of acromioclavicular joint dislocation. Journal of International Medical Research. 2018 Nov; 46(11):4547-4559. (PMID: 30092651)
  • Guanghui Li, Dadi Jin, Xianfang Shao, Zhijun Liu, Jianhui Duan, Gang Li, Raj Akileh, Shousong Cao, Tuoen Liu*. Effect of cannulated screws with deep circumflex iliac artery-bone grafting in the treatment of femoral neck fracture in young adults. Injury. 2018 Aug; 49(8):1587-1593. (PMID: 29929779)
  • Tuoen Liu, Kilannin Krysiak, Cara Lunn Shirai, Sanghyun Kim, Jin Shao, Matthew Ndonwi, Matthew J. Walter. Knockdown of HSPA9 induces TP53-dependent apoptosis in human CD34+ hematopoietic progenitor cells. PLOS One. 2017 Feb 8; 12(2):e0170470. (PMID: 28178280)
  • Jianming Wu, Tuoen Liu*, Zechary Rios, Qibing Mei, Xiukun Lin, Shousong Cao. Heat shock proteins and cancer. Trends in Pharmacological Sciences. 2017 Mar; 38(3):226-256. (PMID: 28012700)
  • Zhen Li, Verona V. Nicolae, Raj Akileh, Tuoen Liu*. A Brief Review of Oyster Associated Microbiota. Microbiology Research Journal International, 2017; 20(5): 1-14.
  • Sudhir Singh, Scott R. Manson, Heedoo Lee, Yeawon Kim, Tuoen Liu, Qiusha Guo, Julio Geminiani, Paul Austin, Ying Maggie Chen. Tubular overexpression of angiopoietin-1 attenuates renal fibrosis. PLOS One. 2016 Jul; 11(7):e0158908. (PMID: 27454431)
  • Cara Lunn Shirai, James N. Ley, Brian S. White, Sanghyun Kim, Justin Tibbitts, Jin Shao, Matthew Ndonwi, Brian Wadugu, Eric J. Duncavage, Theresa Okeyo-Owuor, Tuoen Liu, Malachi Griffith, Sean McGrath, Vincent Magrini, Robert S. Fulton, Catrina Fronick, Michelle O'Laughlin, Timothy A. Graubert, Matthew J. Walter. Mutant U2AF1 expression alters hematopoiesis and pre-mRNA splicing in vivo. Cancer Cell. 2015 May; 27(5): 631-643. (PMID: 25965570)
  • Kilannin Krysiak, Justin F. Tibbitts, Jin Shao, Tuoen Liu, Matthew Ndonwi, Matthew J. Walter. Reduced levels of Hspa9 attenuates Stat5 activation in mouse B-cells. Experimental Hematology. 2015 Apr; 43(4):319–330.e10. (PMID: 25550197)
  • Tuoen Liu, Ratan Singh, Zechary Rios, Alok Bhushan, Mengxiong Li, Peter P. Sheridan, Shawn E. Bearden, James C.K. Lai, Senyo Agbenowu, Shousong Cao, Christopher K. Daniels. Tyrosine phosphorylation of HSC70 and its interaction with RFC mediates methotrexate resistance in murine L1210 leukemia cells. Cancer Letters. 2015 Feb; 357(1):231-241. (PMID: 25444929)
  • Tuoen Liu, Zhiqiang Fei, Kalyan J Gangavarapu, Senyo Agbenowu, Alok Bhushan, James C.K. Lai, Christopher K Daniels, Shousong Cao. Interleukin-6 and JAK2/STAT3 signaling mediate the reversion of dexamethasone resistance after dexamethasone withdrawal in 7TD1 multiple myeloma cells. Leukemia Research. 2013 Oct; 37(10):1332-8. (PMID: 23871159)
  • Tuoen Liu, Saini Ashwini, James C.K. Lai, Alok Bhushan, Shousong Cao and Christopher K. Daniels. Identification and characterization of a 66-68 kDa protein in murine leukemia L1210 cells. Cell Stress & Chaperones, 2013 Mar; 18(2):223-34. (PMID: 23090015)
  • Tuoen Liu, Christopher K. Daniels, Shousong Cao. Comprehensive Review on the HSC70 Functions, Interactions with related molecules and involvement in clinical diseases and therapeutical potential. Pharmacology & Therapeutics. 2012 Dec; 136(3):354-74. (PMID: 22960394)
  • Tuoen Liu, Zechary Rios, Peter P. Sheridan, Alok Bhushan, James C.K. Lai, Christopher K. Daniels. Cloning of the HSPa8 Gene from L1210 murine leukemia cells, expression and purification of the HSC70 protein in Escherichia Coli cells using an affinity chromatography technique. Journal of the Idaho Academy of Science. 2011 Dec; Volume 47, Issue 2.
  • Ling Ding, Fangfang Bi, Huan Yang, Bo Xiao, Liu Tuoen, Ge Xiong, Yueqiang Hu, and Jinghui Liang. Clinical and pathological analysis of three cases of lipid storage myopathy. Stroke and Nervous Disease. 2006 Apr; Vol.13, No.2: 120-122.

* (asterix) defines corresponding author

Selected Peer-Reviewed Book Chapters

  • Zhen Liu and Tuoen Liu. Chapter title “Oyster-Associated Microbiota”. Book title “Recent Advances in Biological Research” (Editors: Mohamed Fawzy Ramadan Hassanie and Telat Yanik; 2019; Volume 1; Publisher: Book Publisher International; ISBN 978-81-934224-4-1)
  • Tuoen Liu and Shousong Cao. Chapter title “Heat shock protein 70 and cancer”. Book title “Heat Shock Protein 70 in Human Diseases and Disorders” (Chief Editors: Alexzander A. A. Asea and Punit Kaur; 2018; Volume 14; Publisher: Springer International Publishers; ISSN 1877-1246)