Our research group has a long-term interest in bile acid-signaling and liver diseases including nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD)/nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), alcoholic fatty liver disease (ALD), cholestatic liver disease and cholangiocarcinoma (CCA). We first identified that conjugated bile acid-mediated activation of sphingosine-1 phosphate receptor 2 (S1PR2) and sphingosine kinase 2 (SphK2) not only plays a critical role in hepatic lipid metabolism but also contributes to cholangiocyte growth and proliferation.  In addition, we are also interested in endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress in drug-induced liver injury. Our goal is to identify the potential therapeutic targets for NAFLD/NASH, ALD, cholestatic liver diseases, CCA, and drug-induced liver injury.  The primary interests of our ongoing projects are as following:

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1. Conjugated bile acid-mediated activation of S1PR2 in cholestatic liver injury

2. The long non-coding RNA H19 (LnRNAH19) in cholestatic liver diseases

3. Bile acids and S1PR2/SphK2 in NAFLD

4. The role of SphK2 in ALD

5. Bile acids and S1P signaling in cholangiocarcinoma

6. Gut-Liver axis in liver diseases

7. The therapeutic effect of Berberine on NAFLD/NASH

8. ER stress in alcohol and HIV protease inhibitor-induced liver injury