Selected Publications#
1. Yu J, Feng Q, Wong SH, Zhang D, Liang QY, Qin Y, Tang L, Zhao H, Stenvang J, Li Y, Wang X, Xu X, Chen N, Wu WK, Al-Aama J, Nielsen HJ, Kiilerich P, Jensen BA, Yau TO, Lan Z, Jia H, Li J, Xiao L, Lam TY, Ng SC, Cheng AS, Wong VW, Chan FK, Xu X, Yang H, Madsen L, Datz C, Tilg H, Wang J, Brünner N, Kristiansen K, Arumugam M*, Sung JJ*, Wang J*. Metagenomic analysis of faecal microbiome as a tool towards targeted non-invasive biomarkers for colorectal cancer. Gut. 2017 Jan;66(1):70-78. [IF: 31.793]].
This is the first study to discover and validate the abnormality of fecal microbiome in colorectal cancer. This work has been greatly acknowledged and valued by experts around the globe with a total citation of 493 in high-impact SCI journals including Nature, Nature Medicine, and Nature Reviews Gastroenterology & Hepatology.
2. Liu D, Wong CC, Fu L, Chen H, Zhao L, Li C, Zhou Y, Zhang Y, Xu W, Yang Y, Wu B, Cheng G, Lai PB, Wong N, Sung JJY, Yu J* (*corresp author). Squalene epoxidase drives NAFLD-induced hepatocellular carcinoma and is a pharmaceutical target. Sci Transl Med. 2018 Apr 18;10(437). [IF: 17.1610]].
This is the first to report the pathogenic mechanism of squalene monooxygenase (SQLE) in promoting NAFLD-HCC, and the therapeutic potential of targeting SQLE against this disease. This publication was selected as the cover article of Sci Transl Med with more than 111 citations in high-impact journals such as Cell and Cell Metabolism. This work was commented by the journal editors, stating that “our findings could provide new insights to the development of NAFLD-HCC treatment”. The chief editor and editors of Nature Reviews Gastroenterology & Hepatology also respectively commented on our study (Nat Rev Gastroenterol Hepatol 2018;15:390; Nat Rev Gastroenterol Hepatol 2019;16:80), and they appraised the work as a major milestone for the research on risk factors and therapeutic targets of NAFLD-HCC. Prof. Rohit Loomba, director of The Fatty Liver Research Center, University of California San Diego, US, highlighted our publication in his review “Mechanisms and disease consequences of
non-alcoholic fatty liver disease) (Cell 2021;184:2537-64).
3. Coker OO, Dai Z, Nie Y, Zhao G, Cao L, Nakatsu G, Wu WK, Wong SH, Chen Z, Sung JJY, Yu J*(corresp author). Mucosal microbiome dysbiosis in gastric carcinogenesis. Gut. 2018 Jun;67(6):1024-1032. [IF: 31.793]].
Our team is the first to reveal the altered gastric mucosal microbiome in the development of gastric cancer, and its association with H. pylori. This work has been greatly acknowledged and valued by experts around the globe, being cited for 267 times in high-impact journals including Nature, Cell Discovery, and Gastroenterology. Particularly, in the commentary section “Fighting cancer with microbes” in Nature, the editors discussed our major findings in detail with high evaluation, stating that our work provides solid evidence on the crucial role of gastric commensal microbes beyond H. pylori in gastric tumorigenesis, and their potential as targets for early diagnosis, prognosis, and therapeutics (Nature 2020;577(7792):S16-8).
4. Nakatsu G, Zhou H, Wu WKK, Wong SH, Coker OO, Dai Z, Li X, Szeto CH, Sugimura N, Yuen-Tung Lam T, Chi-Shing Yu A, Wang X, Chen Z, Chi-Sang Wong M, Ng SC, Chan MTV, Chan PKS, Leung Chan FK, Jao-Yiu Sung J, Yu J*(corresp author). Alterations in Enteric Virome Associate With Colorectal Cancer and Survival Outcomes. Gastroenterology. 2018 Aug;155(2):529-541.e5. [IF: 33.883]].
This is the first report to characterize gut virome in colorectal cancer. This work has been greatly acknowledged and valued by experts around the globe, being cited for 147 times in high-impact SCI journals including Nature, Nature Reviews Microbiology, Nature Reviews Gastroenterology & Hepatology, and Lancet Oncology. Prof. Edward Giovannucci from Harvard School of Public Health, US, stated that our findings confirm the importance of gut non-bacterial microbes in colorectal cancer which is worthy for further investigations (Nat Rev Gastroenterol Hepatol 2019; 16:713-32).
5. Long X, Wong CC, Li T, Chu E, Szeto CH, Go MMY, Coker O, Chan A, Chan F, Sung JJY, Yu J*(*corresp author). Peptostreptococcus anaerobius promotes colorectal carcinogenesis and modulates tumor-immunity by activating PI3K/Akt signaling via its PCWBR2 adhesin. Nat Microbiol. 2019 Dec;4(12):2319-2330. [IF: 30.964]].
Our team is the first to identify that Peptostreptococcus anaerobius is a novel bacterial species promoting colorectal cancer, and uncover its protumorigenic mechanism. This work has been greatly acknowledged and valued by experts around the globe with being cited for 131 times in high-impact SCI journals including Nature, Nature Genetics, Cancer Discovery, and Science Translational Medicine. In the review of Prof. Fiona Powrie, Oxford University, UK which introduces host-microbes interactions in colorectal tumorigenesis, our results were elaborated in detail as an important work (Nature 2020;585:509-17).
6. Zhao R, Coker OO, Wu J, Zhou Y, Zhao L, Nakatsu G, Bian X, Wei H, Chan AW, Sung JJ, Chan FK, El-Omar E, Yu J*(corresp author). Aspirin Reduces Colorectal Tumor Development in Mice and Gut Microbes Reduce its Bioavailability and Chemopreventive Effects. Gastroenterology. 2020 Sep;159(3):969–983. e4. [IF: 33.883]].
We first discovered that an aerobic bacterial species Lysinibacillus sphaericus could degrade aspirin and reduce its treatment efficacy against colorectal cancer. Prof Katrina Ray, the chief editor of Nature Reviews Gastroenterology & Hepatology, wrote a commentary based on our findings, and acknowledged that our work firstly reveals the capability of gut microbiome to alter bioavailability of aspirin and influence its effectiveness in colorectal cancer prevention (Nat Rev Gastroenterol Hepatol 2020;17:383).
7. Liang JQ*, Li T, Nakatsu G, Chen YX, Yau TO, Chu E, Wong S, Szeto CH, Ng SC, Chan FKL, Fang JY, Sung JJY, Yu J* (*corresp author). A novel faecal Lachnoclostridium marker for the non-invasive diagnosis of colorectal adenoma and cancer. Gut. 2020 Jul;69(7):1248-1257. [IF: 31.793]].
We are the first to identify fecal bacterial markers for early diagnosis of colorectal adenoma and adenocarcinoma. Based on these studies, we developed the “Fecal Bacterial Gene M3 Detection Kit” which is the first tool in the world to detect fecal bacterial genes for colorectal cancer diagnosis. This kit has now been clinically applied in Hong Kong and Southeast Asia. Notably, the kit can precisely identify patients with adenomas and early colorectal cancer, allowing them to receive colonoscopy screening in advance, and thereby reducing the reliance on the FIT test which has very poor sensitivity of detection. Meanwhile, the kit also reduces the potential risk associated with invasive screening, eventually decreasing financial burden of the medical system.
8. Chen H, Gao S, Liu W, Wong C-C, Wu J, Wu J, Liu D, Gou H, Kang W, Zhai J, Li C, Su H, Wang S, Soares F, Han J, He HH, Yu J*(corresp author). RNA m6 A methyltransferase METTL3 facilitates colorectal cancer by activating m6 A-GLUT1-mTORC1 axis and is a therapeutic target. Gastroenterology 2021 Mar;160(4):1284-1300.e16. [IF: 33.883]].
Our team is the first to identify that METTL3 promotes the development of colorectal cancer through activating the m6A-GLUT1-mTORC1 signalling pathway. This work has been cited for 43 times in high-impact journals including Molecular Cell, Nature Communications, and Science Advances.
9. Zhang X, Coker OO, Chu ES, Fu K, Lau HCH, Wang YX, Chan AWH, Wei H, Yang X, Sung JJY, Yu J*(corresp author). Dietary cholesterol drives fatty liver-associated liver cancer by modulating gut microbiota and metabolites. Gut. 2021 Apr;70(4):761-774. [IF: 31.793]].
We are the first to reveal that diet with high cholesterol content could lead to microbial dysbiosis and alteration in gut metabolites, thereby contributing to the development of NAFLD-HCC (Gut 2021;70:761-74). This work has been cited for 148 times in high-impact journals including Nature Medicine and Nature Reviews Immunology, and was selected by Web of Science as a highly cited article. Based on our findings, Prof. Emmanuel L. Gautier in The French Institute of Health and Medical Research stated that “our discovery is of great importance as there is now solid evidence on how high-cholesterol diet promotes the progression of NAFLD-HCC” (Nat Rev Immunol 2022;22:429-43).
10. Yu J. Obesity, Fatty Liver and Liver Cancer (Publisher:, Springer Nature, Heidelberg, Germany). Pub. date: July 2018.
This book offers a timely and comprehensive overview on NAFLD, NASH and HCC, and provides perspectives on future strategies for their detection, prevention and treatment.
