Li WANG

• Pathophysiology, mechanistic understanding, and interventions for metabolism-associated diseases, with a specific focus on obesity, diabetes, chronic inflammation, vascular disease, and cancer metabolism.
• The developmental regulation of adipose tissue and the crosstalk between fat tissue and other metabolic regulatory tissues.
• Regulation of tissue microenvironment homeostasis in human diseases.

1. Lifen Wang, Hongxia Xu, Tianyu Liu, Donglaing Zhu, Liping Chen, Tzu-ming Liu, Shuhai Lin, Xueyi Liu, Hao Feng, Li Wang*, Li-jun Di*. CtBP Promoted P4HB Mediates SLC7A11 Maturation to Confer Ferroptosis Resistance in Triple-Negative Breast Cancer. J EXP CLIN CANC RES. 16 May2026.
2. Ping Tang, Lixin Tai, Hongxia Xu, Dongliang Zhu, Jiajia Li, Hao Feng, Jinghui Cui, Shuhai Lin, Li-jun Di, Li Wang*. Adipocyte-Derived Exosomal miR-5099 Mitigates M1 Macrophage Polarization and Adipose Inflammation via c-Met/NF-κB axis to Improve Metabolic Health. Adv Sci (Weinh).2026 Feb 21:e18902
3. Hu,J.,Ge,T.,Zhu,Q.,Yao,Y.,Liu,S.,Wang,L,Wang,Y.#,Jia,R.#,andZhuang,A.Association between the Oxidative Balance Score and Risk of Microvascular Complications in Type 2 Diabetes A Prospective UK Biobank Cohort Study. Diabetes Obes Metab 2026.
4. Wang L*, Li JJ, Tang P, Zhu DL, Tai LX, Tsukiko Miyata, James R Woodgett, Di LJ*. GSK3β Deficiency Expands obese Adipose Vasculature to Mitigate Metabolic Circulation Research, 2025 Jan 3;136(1):91-111
5. Lixin Tai, Dongliang Zhu, Ping Tang, Jiajia Li,Junyi Li, Peipei Li, Zhonghua Tao, Haipeng Lei, Kai Miao, Hong-xia Wang, Shuhai Lin, Dou Man, Han-Ming Shen, Chuxia Deng, Li Wang, Li-jun Di, Reciprocal Stabilization of CtBP and TRIM28 by forming complex promotes cancer metastasis via repressing autophagy. Nature Structural & Molecular Biology, 2025 Aug;32(8):1408-1423,
6. Man Dou, Dongliang Zhu, Guozhen Cui, Haixia Li, Lijun Di, Li Wang*. Euphorbia helioscopia L. exhibits promising therapeutic effects on hemangioendothelioma and melanoma through angiogenesis inhibition. Phytomedicine, 2024 Jul:129:155666,
7. Jingjing Li, Yuan Wang, Li Wang, Dapeng Hao, Peipei Li, Minxia Su, Zhiqiang Zhao, Tianyu Liu, Lixin Tai, Jinjian Lu, Li-Jun Di. Metabolic modulation of CtBP dimeric status impacts the repression of DNA damage repair genes and the platinum sensitivity of ovarian cancer. Int J Biol Sci. . 2023 Apr 9;19(7):2081-2096
8. Wang, L., Li, J., and Di, LJ (2022) Glycogen Synthesis and Beyond, a ComprehensiveReview of GSK3 as a Key Regulator of Metabolic Pathways and a Therapeutic Target for Treating Metabolic Diseases. Med Res Rev, DOI:10.1002/med.21867
9. Peipei Li, Li Wang, Junning Yang, Li-Jun Di &Jingjing Li. Applications of the CRISPR-Cas system for infectious disease diagnostics. Expert Review of Molecular Diagnostics, 2021,21:7, 723-732,
10. Yuan Wang, Jiajia Li, Jingjing Li, Peipei Li, Li Wang, Lijun Di, An Enhancer-Based Analysis Revealed a New Function of Androgen Receptor in Tumor Cell Immune Evasion. Front Genet, 2020 Dec 2;11:595550. doi: 10.3389/fgene.2020.595550. eCollection 2020.
11. Li P, Wang L, Di, L. Applications of Protein Fragment Complementation Assays for Analyzing Biomolecular Interactions and Biochemical Networks in Living Cells. J Proteome Res, 2019, 18. pp. 2987-2998
12. Hao DP, Li JJ, Wang, JL, Zhao, ZQ, Wang, L*, Di, L*. Non-classical estrogen signaling in ovarian cancer improves chemo-sensitivity and patients outcome. Theranostics, 2019, 9. pp. 3952-3965. (*Co-corresponding authors)
13. Hao DP, Wang, GY, Wang L, Di, L. Reactive versus Constitutive: Reconcile the Controversial Results about the Prognostic Value of PD-L1 Expression in cancer. Int J Biol Sci, 2019, 15. pp. 1933-1941.
14. Li PP, Meng Y, Wang Y, Li JJ, Wang L*, Di, L*.. Nuclear localization of Desmoplakin and its involvement in telomere maintenance. Int J Biol Sci, 2019, 15. pp. 2350-2362. (*co-responding authors)
15. Zhou, X, Wang, A, WANG, L, YIN, J, Wang, L., Di, L., Shan, L, WU, X. A Danshensu-Tetramethylpyrazine Conjugate DT-010 Overcomes Multidrug Resistance in Human Breast Cancer. Front Pharmacol, 2019, 10. pp. 1-11.
16. Li Wang*, Yuan Wang, Chao Zhang, Jingjing Li, Yuan Meng, Man Dou, Constance Tom Noguchi, Lijun Di. Inhibiting Glycogen Synthase Kinase 3 Reverses Obesity-Induced White Adipose Tissue Inflammation by Regulating Apoptosis Inhibitor of Macrophage/CD5L-Mediated Macrophage Migration. Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis, and Vascular Biology 2018 Sep;38(9):2103-2116
17. Wang L*, Wang Y, Meng Y, Zhang C, Di L*. Gsk3-activated stat5 regulates expression of sfrps to modulate adipogenesis. FASEB J. 2018:fj201701314R
18. Wang Li; Li JJ; Guo Liyu; Li Peipei; Zhao Zhiqiang; Zhou Haisheng; Di Lijun. Molecular link between glucose and glutamine consumption in cancer cells mediated by CtBP and SIRT4. Oncogenesis. 2018 Mar 13;7(3):26.
19. Zhao ZQ, Hao DP, Wang L, Li JJ, Meng Y, Li PP, Wang Y, Zhang C, Haisheng Zhou, Kevin Gardner, Di Li-jun, CtBP promotes metastasis of Breast cancer through repressing Cholesterol and activating TGF-b signaling. Oncogene, 2018 Accepted
20. Hao DP, Liu J, Chen M, Li JJ, Wang L, Li XB, Zhao Q, Li-jun Di, Immunogenomic analyses of advanced serous ovarian cancer reveal immune score is a strong prognostic factor and an indicator of chemo-sensitivity. Clin Cancer Res.2018 Aug 1;24(15):3560-3571. doi: 10.1158/1078-0432. Clin Cancer Res. Epub 2018 Apr 16.
21. Hao D, Li J, Jia S, Meng Y, Zhang C, Wang L, Di LJ. Integrated Analysis Reveals Tubal- and Ovarian-Originated Serous Ovarian Cancer and Predicts Differential Therapeutic Responses. Clin Cancer Res. 2017 Dec 1;23(23):7400-7411.
22. Liang Wang, Judy Y. Chan, Xinhua Zhou, Guozhen Cui, Zhixiang Yan, Li Wang, Ru Yan, Lijun Di, Yuqiang Wang, Maggie P. Hoi1, Luchen Shan and Simon M. Lee. A Novel Agent Enhances the Chemotherapeutic Efficacy of Doxorubicin in MCF-7 Breast Cancer Cells. Pharmacol., 10 August 2016.
23. Zhao ZQ, Wang L & Di LJ. Compartmentation of metabolites in regulating epigenome of cancer. Molecular Medicine, 2016
24. Wang L, Di LJ. Wnt/β-catenin mediates AICAR effect in increasing GATA3 expression and inhibiting adipogenesis. J Biol Chem. 2015 VOL. 290, NO. 32, pp. 19458–19468
25. Wang L, Zhou H, Wang Y, Cui, G, Di LJ. CtBP maintains cancer cell growth and metabolic homeostasis via regulating SIRT4. Cell Death & Disease. 2015 Jan 29;6:e1620.
26. Wang L*, Li-Jun Di. BRCA1 And Estrogen/Estrogen Receptor In Breast Cancer: Where They Interact? International Journal of Biological Sciences. 2014; 10(5):566-575
27. Li Wang*, Lijun Di, Constance Tom Noguchi. Erythropoietin, a novel versatile player regulating energy metabolism beyond the erythroid system. International Journal of Biological Sciences. 2014 Aug 23;10(8):921-39
28. Li Wang, Ruifeng Teng, Lijun Di, Heather Rogers, Hong Wu, Jeffrey B. Kopp and Constance Tom Noguchi1. PPARα and Sirt1 mediate erythropoietin action in increasing metabolic activity and browning of white adipocytes to protect against obesity and metabolic disorders. Diabetes, 2013, Dec;62(12):4122-31
29. Li Wang, Yi Jia, Heather Rogers, Suming Huang, Constance Tom Noguchi. GATA-4 and TAL1 regulate myogenic differentiation and erythropoietin response via cross talk with Sirt1. J Biol Chem ，2012 Aug 31;287(36):30157-69
30. Heather Rogers #, Li Wang# (#co-first author), Xiaobing Yu, Mawadda Al-naeeli, Kairong Cui, Keji Zhao, James J Bieker, Josef Prchal, Suming Huang, Babette Weksler and Constance Tom Noguchi. T-cell Acute Leukemia 1 (TAL1) regulation of erythropoietin receptor and association with excessive erythrocytosis. J Biol Chem, 2012 Oct 26;287(44):36720-31

* corresponding author

Book Chapter

1. Wang L. The author of the fifth chapter: The Molecular Mechanism of Magnesium Absorption in Plants, Nutrition Molecular Mechanism and Signal Transduction in Plants(book) 2nd edition(in Chinese), Science Press- Scientific Pubishing Center, Beijing,P.R. China.ISBN:7030166957. 2006
2. Li P, Meng Y, Wang L, Di L. BioID: A Proximity-Dependent Labeling Approach 2 in Proteomics Study Functional Proteomics : Functions and methods. Springer. ISBN 9781588299710. 2018

Invited Conference Oral Presentation

1. Wang L. GSK3 inhibitors reverse fat inflammation during diet-induced obesity. 2017, Inflammation – Basic Mechanisms & Related Diseases conference, 2017
2. Wang L. GSK3β activity that can be regulated by AICAR via stimulated AKT in preadipocytes is involved in the regulation of adipogenesis, glucose metabolism and insulin action in adipocytes, Chinese Society of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology meeting, 2016
3. Wang L. AICAR increases GATA3 expression and regulates Wnt/ß-catenin pathway to inhibit adipogenesis. Lipid Metabolism and Human Metabolic Disorders, 2015

FDCT/0117/2018/A3 (Co-PI)
NSFC 81772980 (member)

UMDF-TISF-I/2026/004/FHS (PI)

SRG2025-00017-FHS (PI)