Expert Profile: Jialiang Liang | Research Directory

Professional Summary

My primary research aims to develop novel therapeutic approaches (including gene-based or cell-based methods) for treating ischemic heart disease. Specifically, I focus on regenerating cardiomyocytes and vascular cells through engineering stem/progenitor cells or direct cellular reprogramming. Additionally, I investigate the molecular and epigenetic mechanisms of cell fate conversion using next-generation sequencing techniques.

Education

PhD: Southern Medical University Guangzhou, China,

Positions and Work Experience

2018 -2022 Research Scientist, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH

2022 -To Present Research Assistant Professor, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH

Research Support

Grant: #15POST25150010 Investigators:Liang, Jialiang 07-01-2015 -06-30-2016 American Heart Association - Great Rivers Affiliate The role of tunneling nanotubes in human iPSC-derived endothelial cells in angiogenesis of the infarcted heart Role:PI $45,000.00 Awarded Level:Private Non-Profit

Grant: #18CDA34110223 Investigators:Liang, Jialiang 07-01-2018 -06-30-2021 American Heart Association - National Chapter Conversion of fibroblasts into cardiovascular progenitors using CRISPR technology for heart regeneration Role:PI $77,000.00 Active Level:Private Non-Profit

Grant: #R01HL157456 Investigators:Fan, Guochang; Liang, Jialiang; Wang, Hongsheng; Wang, Yi-Gang 04-01-2021 -03-31-2025 National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute CRISPR-induced cardiovascular progenitor cells to repair myocardial infarction Role:multi-PI

Grant: #AHA 968781 Investigators:Liang, Jialiang 07-01-2022 -06-30-2025 American Heart Association - National Chapter In vivo rewiring a fibrosis pathway for therapeutic cardiac reprogramming Role:PI 100000.00 Awarded Level:Non Profit

Grant: #1R21HL177541-01 Investigators:Liang, Jialiang; Niu, Liang; Wang, Yi-Gang 12-01-2024 -11-30-2026 National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute Engineering RNA biodevices for precise modulation of fibroblasts to boost cardiac reprogramming Role:PI 0.00

Grant: #26BTPA1622800 04-01-2026 -03-31-2027 American Heart Association - National Chapter Rewiring fibrotic signaling using engineered RNA-responsive riboswitches Role:PI 100000.00 Awarded Level:Non Profit

Grant: #R01HL183489 Investigators:Liang, Jialiang; Wang, Yi-Gang; Xu, Meifeng; Niu, Liang 07-07-2026 -05-31-2030 National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute Targeted rewiring of a fibrosis driver to enhance cardiac reprogramming Role:PI Type:Grant

Publications

Peer Reviewed Publications

Jiang, Lin; Liang, Jialiang; Huang, Wei; Ma, Jianyong; Park, Ki Ho; Wu, Zhichao; Chen, Peng; Zhu, Hua; Ma, Jian-Jie; Cai, Wenfeng; Paul, Christian; Niu, Liang; Fan, Guo-Chang; Wang, Hong-Sheng; Kanisicak, Onur; Xu, Meifeng; Wang, Yigang (2022). CRISPR activation of endogenous genes reprograms fibroblasts into cardiovascular progenitor cells for myocardial infarction therapy. Molecular therapy : the journal of the American Society of Gene Therapy, 30 (1) , 54-74More Information

Wu, Zhichao; Liang, Jialiang; Huang, Wei; Jiang, Lin; Paul, Christian; Lin, Bonnie; Zheng, Junmeng; Wang, Yigang (2021). Prompt Graft Cooling Enhances Cardioprotection during Heart Transplantation Procedures through the Regulation of Mitophagy. Cells, 10 (11) More Information

Wu, Zhichao; Liang, Jialiang; Huang, Wei; Jiang, Lin; Paul, Christian; Gao, Xiang; Alam, Perwez; Kanisicak, Onur; Xu, Meifeng; Wang, Yigang (2021). Immunomodulatory effects of mesenchymal stem cells for the treatment of cardiac allograft rejection. Experimental biology and medicine (Maywood, N.J.), 246 (7) , 851-860More Information

Jiang, Lin; Liang, Jialiang; Huang, Wei; Wu, Zhichao; Paul, Christian; Wang, Yigang (2020). Strategies and Challenges to Improve Cellular Programming-Based Approaches for Heart Regeneration Therapy. International journal of molecular sciences, 21 (20) More Information

Liang, Jialiang; Huang, Wei; Jiang, Lin; Paul, Christian; Li, Xiangnan; Wang, Yigang (2019). Concise Review: Reduction of Adverse Cardiac Scarring Facilitates Pluripotent Stem Cell-Based Therapy for Myocardial Infarction. Stem cells (Dayton, Ohio), 37 (7) , 844-854More Information

Huang, Wei; Liang, Jialiang; Feng, Yuliang; Jia, Zhanfeng; Jiang, Lin; Cai, Wenfeng; Paul, Christian; Gu, Jianguo G; Stambrook, Peter J; Millard, Ronald W; Zhu, Xiao-Lan; Zhu, Ping; Wang, Yigang (2018). Heterogeneity of adult masseter muscle satellite cells with cardiomyocyte differentiation potential. Experimental cell research, 371 (1) , 20-30More Information

Huang, Wei; Feng, Yuliang; Liang, Jialiang; Yu, Hao; Wang, Cheng; Wang, Boyu; Wang, Mingyang; Jiang, Lin; Meng, Wei; Cai, Wenfeng; Medvedovic, Mario; Chen, Jenny; Paul, Christian; Davidson, W Sean; Sadayappan, Sakthivel; Stambrook, Peter J; Yu, Xi-Yong; Wang, Yigang (2018). Loss of microRNA-128 promotes cardiomyocyte proliferation and heart regeneration. Nature communications, 9 (1) , 700More Information

Ma, Ruilian; Liang, Jialiang; Huang, Wei; Guo, Linlin; Cai, Wenfeng; Wang, Lei; Paul, Christian; Yang, Huang-Tian; Kim, Ha Won; Wang, Yigang (2018). Electrical Stimulation Enhances Cardiac Differentiation of Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells for Myocardial Infarction Therapy. Antioxidants & redox signaling, 28 (5) , 371-384More Information

Liang, Jialiang; Huang, Wei; Cai, Wenfeng; Wang, Lei; Guo, Linlin; Paul, Christian; Yu, Xi-Yong; Wang, Yigang (2017). Inhibition of microRNA-495 Enhances Therapeutic Angiogenesis of Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells. Stem cells (Dayton, Ohio), 35 (2) , 337-350More Information

Liang, Jialiang; Huang, Wei; Yu, Xiyong; Ashraf, Atif; Wary, Kishore K; Xu, Meifeng; Millard, Ronald W; Ashraf, Muhammad; Wang, Yigang (2012). Suicide gene reveals the myocardial neovascularization role of mesenchymal stem cells overexpressing CXCR4 (MSC(CXCR4)). PloS one, 7 (9) , e46158More Information

Wu, Zhichao; Huang, Wei; He, Xingyu; Dutta, Suchandrima; Paul, Christian; Fan, Guo-Chang; Kanisicak, Onur; Xu, Meifeng; Liang, Jialiang; Wang, Yigang (2023). Myocardial IGF2R is a critical mediator of inflammation and fibrosis after ischemia-reperfusion injury. bioRxiv : the preprint server for biologyMore Information

He, Xingyu; Liang, Jialiang; Paul, Christian; Huang, Wei; Dutta, Suchandrima; Wang, Yigang (2022). Advances in Cellular Reprogramming-Based Approaches for Heart Regenerative Repair. Cells, 11 (23) More Information

Cai, Wen-Feng; Kang, Kai; Huang, Wei; Liang, Jia-Liang; Feng, Yu-Liang; Liu, Guan-Sheng; Chang, De-Hua; Wen, Zhi-Li; Paul, Christian; Xu, Meifeng; Millard, Ronald W; Wang, Yigang (2015). CXCR4 attenuates cardiomyocytes mitochondrial dysfunction to resist ischaemia-reperfusion injury. Journal of cellular and molecular medicine, 19 (8) , 1825-35More Information

Yu, Xi-Yong; Geng, Yong-Jian; Liang, Jia-Liang; Zhang, Saidan; Lei, He-Ping; Zhong, Shi-Long; Lin, Qiu-Xiong; Shan, Zhi-Xin; Lin, Shu-Guang; Li, Yangxin (2012). High levels of glucose induce "metabolic memory" in cardiomyocyte via epigenetic histone H3 lysine 9 methylation. Molecular biology reports, 39 (9) , 8891-8More Information

Liang, Jia-Liang; Feng, Zhi-Kuan; Liu, Xiao-Ying; Lin, Qiu-Xiong; Fu, Yong-Heng; Shan, Zhi-Xin; Zhu, Jie-Ning; Lin, Shu-Guang; Yu, Xi-Yong (2011). Effect of impaired glucose tolerance on cardiac dysfunction in a rat model of prediabetes. Chinese medical journal, 124 (5) , 734-9

Yu, Xi-Yong; Chen, Hong-Mei; Liang, Jia-Liang; Lin, Qiu-Xiong; Tan, Hong-Hong; Fu, Yong-Heng; Liu, Xiao-Ying; Shan, Zhi-Xin; Li, Xiao-Hong; Yang, Hua-Zhang; Yang, Min; Li, Yangxin; Lin, Shu-Guang (2011). Hyperglycemic myocardial damage is mediated by proinflammatory cytokine: macrophage migration inhibitory factor. PloS one, 6 (1) , e16239More Information

He, Xingyu; Dutta, Suchandrima; Desai, Darshini; Zhong, Sheng; Liu, William; Chen, Sophie; Huang, Wei; Ahmad, Waqas; Liang, Jialiang; Wang, Yigang (2026). Oxygen-generating Microparticles Enhance Viability and Functionality of Human Pluripotent Stem Cell-derived Cardiomyocytes for Myocardial Infarction Therapy. Stem cell reviews and reports, 22 (6) , 2846-2862More Information

Yu, Xi-Yong; Geng, Yong-Jian; Liang, Jia-Liang; Lin, Qiu-Xiong; Lin, Shu-Guang; Zhang, Saidan; Li, Yangxin (2010). High levels of glucose induce apoptosis in cardiomyocyte via epigenetic regulation of the insulin-like growth factor receptor. Experimental cell research, 316 (17) , 2903-9More Information

Dutta, Suchandrima; Chen, Sophie; Ahmad, Waqas; Huang, Wei; Wang, Yigang; Liang, Jialiang (2026). In vivo CRISPR-mediated activation of cardiogenic genes to reprogram cardiac fibroblasts. Frontiers in cell and developmental biology, 14, 1812941More Information

Liang, Jia-Liang; Xiao, Ding-Zhang; Liu, Xiao-Ying; Lin, Qiu-Xiong; Shan, Zhi-Xin; Zhu, Jie-Ning; Lin, Shu-Guang; Yu, Xi-Yong (2010). High glucose induces apoptosis in AC16 human cardiomyocytes via macrophage migration inhibitory factor and c-Jun N-terminal kinase. Clinical and experimental pharmacology & physiology, 37 (10) , 969-73More Information

Ahmad, Waqas; Dutta, Suchandrima; He, Xingyu; Chen, Sophie; Saleem, Muhammad Zubair; Wang, Yigang; Liang, Jialiang (2025). In Vivo Targeted Reprogramming of Cardiac Fibroblasts for Heart Regeneration: Advances and Therapeutic Potential. Bioengineering (Basel, Switzerland), 12 (9) More Information

He, Xingyu; Dutta, Suchandrima; Liang, Jialiang; Paul, Christian; Huang, Wei; Xu, Meifeng; Chang, Vivian; Wang, Yigang (2023). Direct Cellular Reprogramming Techniques for Cardiovascular Regenerative Therapeutics. Canadian journal of physiology and pharmacologyMore Information

He, Xingyu; Good, Angela; Kalou, Wael; Ahmad, Waqas; Dutta, Suchandrima; Chen, Sophie; Lin, Charles Noah; Chella Krishnan, Karthickeyan; Fan, Yanbo; Huang, Wei; Liang, Jialiang; Wang, Yigang (2024). Current Advances and Future Directions of Pluripotent Stem Cells-Derived Engineered Heart Tissue for Treatment of Cardiovascular Diseases. Cells, 13 (24) More Information

Park, Ki Ho; He, Xingyu; Jiang, Lin; Zhu, Hua; Liang, Jialiang; Wang, Yigang; Ma, Jianjie (2023). Activation of MG53 Enhances Cell Survival and Engraftment of Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell-Derived Cardiomyocytes in Injured Hearts. Stem cell reviews and reports, 19 (7) , 2420-2428More Information

Liang, Jialiang; He, Xingyu; Wang, Yigang (2024). Cardiomyocyte proliferation and regeneration in congenital heart disease. Pediatric discovery, 2 (3) More Information

Cai, Wen-Feng; Jiang, Lin; Liang, Jialiang; Dutta, Suchandrima; Huang, Wei; He, Xingyu; Wu, Zhichao; Paul, Christian; Gao, Xiang; Xu, Meifeng; Kanisicak, Onur; Zheng, Junmeng; Wang, Yigang (2024). HAX1-Overexpression Augments Cardioprotective Efficacy of Stem Cell-Based Therapy Through Mediating Hippo-Yap Signaling. Stem cell reviews and reports, 20 (6) , 1569-1586More Information