Location:
Lianhui Sun, Ph.D.
Young Investigator
Email: [email protected]
Research Focus: Cellular Metabolism and Tumor Immunoregulation
Education
2009–2015
Ph.D. in Biomedical Sciences Institute of Life Medicine, East China Normal University
2005–2009
B.S. in Life Sciences School of Life Sciences, Linyi University
Professional Experience
2025–Present
Young Investigator
Songjiang Institute, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine / Institute for Cell and Gene Therapy
2024–2025
Associate Researcher
Clinical Translational Research Institute, Shanghai General Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine
2015–2024
Assistant Researcher
Clinical Translational Research Institute, Shanghai General Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine
Principal Investigator Profile
Dr. Lianhui Sun is an Independent Principal Investigator and Master’s Supervisor. She received her Ph.D. from East China Normal University in 2015 and joined the Clinical Translational Research Institute at Shanghai General Hospital in the same year. In March 2025, she established her independent research group at the Songjiang Institute of Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine. Her research focuses on brain tumors and brain metastases (e.g. glioblastoma, lung/breast cancer brain metastases), aiming to identify novel therapeutic targets and strategies through mechanistic studies on cellular metabolism and tumor immune microenvironment regulation. She has published multiple first/corresponding-author papers in high-impact journals (Nature Communications, Current Biology [featured in Nature Reviews], Cell Reports, Advanced Science [cover article]), and holds 3 national invention patents. She has led projects funded by the NSFC Young Scientists Fund and General Program, and has been honored with the Shanghai Municipal Science and Technology Commission Program and Shandong Taishan Scholars Young Expert Program. Dr. Sun serves as a Committee Member of the Beijing Association for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Education and a Youth Editorial Board Member of Exploration.
Lianhui Sun
The lab investigates brain tumors and brain metastases (e.g., glioblastoma, lung/breast cancer brain metastases) with two synergistic goals:
Uncover mechanisms linking cellular metabolism and tumor immune microenvironment regulation
Translate discoveries into early screening technologies and molecular biomarkers for drug resistance/recurrence
Core Themes
Theme 1: Protein Post-translational Modifications
Decipher functional alterations of metabolic proteins and their pathophysiological implications.
Theme 2: Tumor-Immune Microenvironment Crosstalk
Elucidate signaling networks driving immune microenvironment remodeling.
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1. Xiadi He, Qiwei Wang, Xin Cheng, Weihua Wang, Yutong Li, Yabing Nan, Jiang Wu, Bingqiu Xiu, Tao Jiang, Johann S. Bergholz, Hao Gu, Fuhui Chen, Guangjian Fan, Lianhui Sun, Shaozhen Xie, Junjie Zou, Sheng Lin, Yun Wei, James Lee, John M. Asara, Ke Zhang, Lewis C. Cantley, and Jean J. Zhao. Lysine vitcylation is a vitamin C-derived protein modification that enhances STAT1-mediated immune response. Cell, 2025, 188, 1-20.
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2. Lianhui Sun#, Guangjian Fan#, Zhuqing Zhang#, Dong Chang, Xiaoyu Zhang, Tongqing Zhang, Jichuan Geng, Xiaoxia Zhang, Menghan Lin, Chen Hu, Jiaqi Zhou, Mengxue Wang, Liu Cao, Mary Zhang, Baokun He, Shengping Zhang* and Chuangui Wang*. Phosphorylation of SIRT7 by ATM causes DNA mismatch repair downregulation and adaptive mutability during chemotherapy. Cell Reports, 2025, 44, 115269.
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3. Boyu Yang#, Shiyun Liu#, Tianming Cheng#, Xijian Liu, Jian Song, Xuanhao Li, Fangzhou Zhao, Jingcheng Lv, Meishan Zhao, Mingjun Shi, Jun Li, Yanchun Quan, Guangjian Fan*, Song Guo Zheng*, Bangmin Han*, Lianhui Sun*. Combination of porous Se@SiO2 nanospheres and docetaxel exhibits anti-castration-resistant prostate cancer activity by downregulating ATG14-dependent autophagy. Nano Today, 59 (2024) 102499.
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4. Jian Chen#, Deping Zhao#, Yupeng Wang#, Ming Liu, Yuan Zhang, Tingting Feng, Chao Xiao, Huan Song, Rui Miao, Li Xu, Hongwei Chen, Xiaoying Qiu, Yi Xu, Jingxuan Xu, Zelin Cui, Wei Wang, Yanchun Quan, Yifeng Zhu, Chen Huang, Song Guo Zheng, Jianyuan Zhao*, Ting Zhu*, Lianhui Sun*, Guangjian Fan *. Lactylated Apolipoprotein C-II Induces Immunotherapy Resistance by Promoting Extracellular Lipolysis. Advanced Science, 2024.2406333.
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5. Lianhui Sun#, Yuan Zhang#, Boyu Yang#, Simiao Sun, Pengshan Zhang, Zai Luo, Tingting Feng, Zelin Cui, Ting Zhu, Yuming Li, Zhengjun Qiu, Guanjian Fan*, and Huang Chen*. Lactylation of METTL16 promotes cuproptosis via m6A-modification on FDX1 mRNA in gastric cancer. Nature Communications, 2023 Oct 14:6523.
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6. Lianhui Sun#, Xing Wang#, Lixiao Chen#, Zheng Gao, Songhui Xu, Chen Hu, Guangjian Fan, Baoxin Wang, Tingting Feng*, Wang Wang*, Xinjiang Ying*. CPT1A mediates chemoresistance in human hypopharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma via ATG16L1-dependent cellular autophagy. Cell insight, 2023. Oct 11;2(6):100127.
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7. Lei Chen, Minglei Sha, Feiteng Chen, Chenyi Jiang, Deng Li, Chaoliang Xu, Deshen Pan, Zijie Xu, Qilin Tang, Shujie Xia, Lianhui Sun*, Guangjian Fan*, Yi Shao*. Upregulation of KLF14 expression attenuates kidney fibrosis by inducing PPARα-mediated fatty acid oxidation. Free Radic Bio Med. 2021 Feb 1; 195:132-144.
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8. Guangjian Fan#, Lianhui Sun#, Ling Meng #, Chen Hu, Xing Wang, Zhan Shi, Congli Hu, Yang Han, Qingqing Yang, Liu Cao, Xiaohong Zhang, Yan Zhang, Xianmin Song, Shujie Xia, Baokun He, Shengping Zhang*, Chuangui Wang*. The ATM and ATR kinases regulate centrosome clustering and tumor recurrence by targeting KIFC1 phosphorylation. Nature Communications. (2021) 12: 20.
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9. Jin Cheng#, Sijia He#, Min Wang, Ling Zhou, Zhengxiang Zhang, Xiao Feng, Yang Yu, Jingjing Ma, Chenyun Dai, Shengping Zhang, Lianhui Sun, Yanping Gong, Yiwei Wang, Minghui Zhao, Yuntao Luo, Xinjian Liu, Ling Tian, Chuanyuan Li*, Qian Huang*. Caspase-3/PKCδ/Akt/VEGF-A Signaling Pathway Mediates Tumor Repopulation during Radiotherapy. Clinical Cancer Research, 2019 Mar 19; 18:3001.
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10. Sijia He#, Jin Cheng#, Lianhui Sun#, Yiwei Wang, Chuangui Wang, Xinjian Liu, Zhengxiang Zhang, Minghui Zhao, Yuntao Luo, Ling Tian*, Chuanyuan Li*and Qian Huang*. HMGB1 released by irradiated tumor cells promotes living tumor cell proliferation via paracrine effect. Cell Death and Disease. 2018 May 29; 9:648.
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11. Peipei Shan#, Guangjian Fan#, Lianhui Sun#, Jinqin Liu, Weifang Wang, Chen Hu, Xiaohong Zhang, Qiwei Zhai, Xiaoyu Song, Liu Cao, Yongping Cui, Shengping Zhang* and Chuangui Wang*. SirT1 functions as a master regulator of poly (A) RNA transport under stress conditions. Current biology. 2017 Aug 7; 27:1-14.
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12. Lianhui Sun#, Guangjian Fan#, Peipei Shan#, Xiaoying Qiu, Shuxian Dong, Lujian Liao, Chunlei Yu, Tingting Wang, Xiaoyang Gu, Qian Li, Xiaoyu Song, Liu Cao, Xiaotao Li, Yongping Cui, Shengping Zhang* and Chuangui Wang*. Regulation of energy homeostasis by the ubiquitin-independent REGγ proteasome. Nature Communications, 2016 Aug 11; 7:12497.
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13. Guangjian Fan#, Lianhui Sun#, Peipei Shan#, Xianying Zhang, Jinliang Huan, Xiaohong Zhang, Dali Li, Tingting Wang, Tingting Wei, Xiaohong Zhang, Xiaoyang Gu, Liangfang Yao, Yang Xuan, Zhaoyuan Hou, Yongping Cui, Liu Cao, Xiaotao Li, Shengping Zhang* and Chuangui Wang*. Loss of KLF14 triggers centrosome amplification and tumorigenesis. Nature Communications, 2015 Oct 6; 6:8450.
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14. Shuxian Dong#, Caifeng Jia#, Shengping Zhang#, Guangjian Fan, Yubing Li, Peipei Shan, Lianhui Sun, Wenzhen Xiao, Lei Li, Yi Zheng, Jinqin Liu, Haibing Wei, Chen Hu, Wen Zhang, Y. Eugene Chin, Qiwei Zhai, Qiao Li, Jian Liu, Fuli Jia, Qianxing Mo, Dean P. Edwards, Shixia Huang, Lawrence Chan, Bert W. O’Malley, Xiaotao Li*, and Chuangui Wang*. The REGγ Proteasome Regulates Hepatic Lipid Metabolism through Inhibition of Autophagy. Cell Metabolism, 2013 Sep 3;18(3):380-91.
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15. Shibiao Wu, Jingjing Su, Lianhui Sun, Wenxuan Wang, Yun Zhao, Hui Li, Shengping Zhang, Guanghui Dai, Chuangui Wang, and Jinfeng Hu. Triterpenoids and Steroids from the Fruits of Melia toosendan and Their Cytotoxic Effects on Two Human Cancer Cell Lines. J Nat Prod. 2010 Nov 29;73 (11):1898-906.