Li Yang, Associated Professor

Peking University Stem Cell Research Center, PI

Location: 312-313 (Lab), 314A (Office), Central Laboratory Building

Peking University Health Science Center

Email: liyang@hsc.pku.edu.cn OR yangli@pku.edu.cn

Research Interests

          Establishment of disease model of pluripotent stem cells

        Regulation mechanism of differentiation of pluripotent stem cells

        Immune cell differentiation of pluripotent stem cells for immunotherapy

       Personal Profile

        Dr. Li graduated from the Department of Bioengineering, Inner Mongolia Agricultural University in 2000 with a Bachelor's degree. In 2003, he obtained a Master's degree from the School of Life Sciences, Inner Mongolia University, majoring in Reproductive Biology. During his postgraduate studies, he studied under the guidance of Academician Bou Shorgan and focused on research in somatic cell nuclear transfer. In 2007, he graduated from the School of Basic Medical Sciences, Peking University, with a Doctor's degree in Stem Cell Biology, under the supervision of Professor Li Lingsong. Since his doctoral graduation, he has been working at Peking University. From 2014 to 2016 he was a Postdoctoral Fellow with Professor Zuniga-Pflucker Juan Carlos at the Sunnybrook Research Institute, University of Toronto, Canada. There, his research focused on the regulation of hematopoietic and immune cell differentiation from human pluripotent stem cells.

        His research group focuses on scientific research and in-depth clinical translation of regenerative medicine technologies centered on human pluripotent stem cells. He has published more than 20 peer review papers as the first author or corresponding author, with nearly 1,000 citations. He has obtained 2 authorized invention patents, which have been successfully transformed into market applications, yielding significant economic and social benefits. He has presided over or participated in the research of multiple projects, including the National Key Research and Development Program, the Key Special Project for Strategic International Scientific and Technological Innovation Cooperation of the Ministry of Science and Technology, the National Natural Science Foundation of China, and the Beijing Municipal Natural Science Foundation. As the second completed person, he won the Third Prize of the 2022 Chinese Medical Science and Technology Award and the First Prize of the 2023 Liaoning Provincial Science and Technology Progress Award.

Courses

Medical Cell Biology, Progress in Stem Cell

Research Team

Zhou Shixin (Co-PI)

Zhang Xiaoyan (Senior Technician)

Funding Support

1. Key Research Project of Beijing Municipal Natural Science Foundation (Z240019): Development of iPSC-derived CAR-NK Cells for Acute Myeloid Leukemia Based on the Regulatory Mechanisms of NK Cell Activation and Memory-like Differentiation, July 2024 - June 2028, Funding: 500,000 RMB, Core Researcher

2. General Program of National Natural Science Foundation of China (32371533): Study on the Regulation of Differentiation and Function of Human iPSC-CAR-NK Cells by Natural Product Salidroside and Its Application in Tumor Immunotherapy, January 2024 - December 2027, Funding: 600,000 RMB, Principal Investigator

3. Original Exploration Program of National Natural Science Foundation of China (82350105): Mechanism Exploration of Small Molecule Compounds Regulating the Differentiation and Development of NK Cells Derived from Human Pluripotent Stem Cells and Verification of Their Anti-Tumor Function, January 2024 - December 2026, Funding: 500,000 RMB, Core Researcher

4. National Key R&D Program of China (2022YFC2702704): Etiology and Clinical Prevention & Treatment of Spermatogenic Disorders, December 2022 - December 2025, Funding: 700,000 RMB, Core Researcher

5. Peking University - University of Michigan Clinical Medicine Translational Research Special Project (BMU2023JI002): Study on Gene Editing for the Treatment of Type II Usher Syndrome, January 2024 - January 2026, Funding: 680,000 RMB, Principal Investigator

6. Key Special Project of Strategic International Scientific and Technological Innovation Cooperation of the Ministry of Science and Technology (SQ2018YFE020530-04): Evaluation of In Vivo Behavior, Efficacy and Safety of Molecular Imaging-Guided Nanorobot Drugs, August 2019 - August 2022, Funding: 900,000 RMB, Principal Investigator

7. National Key R&D Program of China (2017YFA0104003): Induction of Somatic Cell Reprogramming Using Small Molecule Compounds to Obtain Functional Hepatocytes and Study on Its Molecular Mechanism, July 2017 - December 2021, Funding: 2,840,000 RMB, Core Researcher

8. General Program of National Natural Science Foundation of China (31571517): Establishment of a Directed T Cell Differentiation Model from Human X-SCID Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells and Study on the Pathogenesis and Treatment of the Disease, January 2016 - December 2019, Funding: 780,000 RMB, Principal Investigator

9. Beijing Municipal Natural Science Foundation (7192091): Preparation of Universal CAR-T Cells Using CRISPR and iPS Technologies for Tumor Immunotherapy, January 2019 - December 2021, Funding: 200,000 RMB, Principal Investigator

10. General Program of Beijing Municipal Natural Science Foundation (5112019): Identification of Oct4 Phosphorylation Sites and Study on Their Function in Cell Reprogramming, January 2011 - December 2013, Funding: 110,000 RMB, Principal Investigator

11. Youth Science Fund Project of National Natural Science Foundation of China (31000653): Identification of Oct4 Phosphorylation Sites and Study on Their Function in Cell Reprogramming and Embryonic Stem Cell Self-Renewal, January 2011 - December 2013, Funding: 200,000 RMB, Principal Investigator

12. Doctoral Program Fund of the Ministry of Education (20100001120044): Identification of Oct4 Phosphorylation Sites and Study on Their Function in Cell Reprogramming, January 2011 - December 2013, Funding: 36,000 RMB, Principal Investigator

Selected Publications *Correspondence

1. Huang Z, Liu R, Wubulikasimu Z, Zhao W, Huang J, Wang J, Fan R, Kong W, Cui Q, Li Y*, Zhou Y*. Comprehensive profiling of N6-methyladnosine (m6A) readouts reveals novel m6A readers that regulate human embryonic stem cell differentiation. Advanced Science.2026. 13(18):e10075（IF：14.1）

2. Cai R, Lu B, Zhao X*, Zhou S*, Li Y*. iPSC-derived NK Cells Engineered with CD226 Effectively Control of Acute Myeloid Leukemia. Experimental Hematology & Oncology. 2025. 14 : 93.（IF：13.5）

3. Chen L, Liu Y, Yu C, Cao P, Ma Y, Geng Y, Cai Y, Zhang Y, Liu J, Li Y*, Luan Q* .Induced pluripotent stem cell-derived mesenchymal stem cells (iMSCs) inhibit M1 macrophage polarization and reduce alveolar bone loss associated with periodontitis. Stem Cell Research & Therapy. 2025. 13: 162.（IF：7.3）

4. Liu R, Wubulikasimu Z, Cai R, Meng F, Cui Q, Zhou Y*, Li Y*. NAT10-mediated N4-acetylcytidine mRNA modification regulates self-renewal in human embryonic stem cells. Nucleic Acids Research. 2023. 51(16):8514–8531. （IF：14.9）

5. Meng F, Zhang S, Xie J, Zhou Y, Wu Q, Lu B, Zhou S*, Zhao X*, Li Y*. Leveraging CD16 fusion receptors to remodel the immune response for enhancing anti-tumor immunotherapy in iPSC-derived NK cells. Journal of Hematology & Oncology. 2023. 16: 62. （IF：28.5）

6. Deng L, Yi S, Yin X, Li Y*, Luan Q*. MFN2 knockdown promotes osteogenic differentiation of iPSC-MSCs through aerobic glycolysis mediated by the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway. Stem Cell Research & Therapy. 2022. 13: 162. （IF： 8.079 ）

7. Chen E, Brauer P, Martinez E, Huang X, Yu Y, Anderson M, Li Y*, Zuniga-Pflucker JC*. T-cell receptor β-selection is required at the CD4⁺CD8⁺ stage of human T cell development. The Journal of Immunology. 2021. 206(10): 2271-2276. （IF： 5.422 ）

8. Zhou S, Wu J, Huang X, Yu N, Zou X, Singh J, Bo Song B*, Li Y*. Cellular uptake of a cationic amphiphilic fluorophore in the form of assemblies via Clathrin-dependent endocytosis. Materials & Design.2021. 200: 109464. （IF： 9.417 ）

9. Yi S, Huang X, Zhou Y, Zhou S, Anderson M, Zuniga-Pflucker JC, Luan Q*, Li Y*. E2A regulates neural ectoderm fate specification in human embryonic stem cells. Development. 2020.147: dev190298. （IF：6.868 ）

10. Zhou S, Zhao H, Feng R, Ding L, Li Z, Deng C, He Q, Liu Y*, Song B*, Li Y*. Application of amphiphilic fluorophore-derived nanoparticles to provide contrast to human embryonic stem cells without affecting their pluripotency and to monitor their differentiation into neuron-like cells. Acta Biomaterialia. 2018.78:274-284. （IF：9.6）

11. Li Y, Brauer P, Jastaranpreet S, Xhiku S, Yoganathan K, Zuniga-Pflucker JC, Anderson M. Targeted disruption in TCF12 reveals HEB as an essential for human mesodermal specification and hematopoiesis. Stem Cell Reports. 2017. 999(3): 779-795. （IF：7.29）

12. Li Y, Qiu C, Tu J, Geng B, Yang J, Jiang T, Cui Q. HMDD v2.0: a database for experimentally supported human microRNA and disease association. Nucleic Acids Research. 2014. 42, D1070-1074. （IF：13.1）

13. Li Y, Tan J, Li L. Comparison of three methods for cryopreservation of human embryonic stem cells. Fertility and Sterility. 2010. 93(3):999-1005. （IF：7.0）