Olin Liang, PhD

Assistant Professor

Division of Hematology/Oncology
Rhode Island Hospital
Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University
One Hoppin Str. CORO West 5th Floor Room 5.21B
Providence, RI 02903

Tel: 617-816-8885
olin_liang@brown.edu

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Bio

Dr. Olin Liang is currently an Assistant Professor at the Center for Regenerative Medicine at Rhode Island Hospital and Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University. Dr. Liang completed his PhD thesis in Microbiology at thaOlin D. Liang, PhD, is a graduate of Lund University in Sweden. He received rigorous training in molecular and cell biology in leading laboratories of renowned investigators at Boston Children’s Hospital, Harvard Stem Cell Institute and Harvard Medical School. He joined the Rhode Island Hospital in 2013 and is currently an Assistant Professor of Medicine at the Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University.

Dr. Liang is interested in many areas of scientific inquiry including stem and progenitor cell biology, cardiopulmonary vascular biology, and bone marrow hematopoiesis. His research encompasses a wide range of advanced in vitro and in vivo approaches as well as interrogation of clinical samples. A number of peer-reviewed publications including several seminal papers have resulted from his scientific endeavor.

Dr. Liang collaborates with other investigators across the Brown campus, RIH and Providence VA and participates in research training of undergraduate and graduate students as well as clinical fellows.

Dr. Liang’s lab has been supported by grants from the National Institutes of Health (R01 HL112860, R01 HL123965, R01 DK112808, P20 GM119943, P20 GM103652, and T32 HL116249), and the Rhode Island Foundation (Medical Research Fund Nr. 20144121).

COBRE Abstract

The Role of Endothelial to Hematopoietic Transition in Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension
Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is a severe and frequently fatal disease that is either idiopathic, familial or secondary. The hallmark of PAH is the development of elevated pulmonary vascular resistance, leading to increased right ventricular pressure and ultimately progression to heart failure and death. Although current intervention offers relief from symptoms and prolonged survival, there is no cure for this disease. Improving treatment strategies requires a thorough understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying the pathophysiology of PAH despite the multifactorial nature of the disease. The primary objective of this pilot proposal is to determine whether a developmental process called endothelial to hematopoietic transition (EHT) may play a role in the pathogenesis of PAH. To test this hypothesis, we propose the following specific aims: Aim 1: To identify potential endothelial to hematopoietic transition in pulmonary arterial hypertension by lineage tracing. Aim 2: To test whether blocking endothelial to hematopoietic transition can alleviate pulmonary arterial hypertension. Successful completion of this pilot study will provide significant preliminary data for a NIH research project grant (R01) application, where molecular mechanisms of EHT can be further investigated and potential therapeutic targets for PAH can be identified. Our long-term goal is to gain a better understanding of potential pathogenic mechanisms leading to PAH, which may provide novel therapies for treatment and prevention of this devastating cardiopulmonary vascular disease.

Publications

1. Liang OD, Lu J, Nombela-Arrieta C, Zhong J, Zhao L, Pivarnik G, Mondal S, Chai L, Silberstein LE, Luo HR. Deficiency of lipid phosphatase SHIP enables long-term reconstitution of hematopoietic inductive bone marrow microenvironment. Dev Cell. 2013 May 28;25(4):333-49.
PubMed Link: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23725762

2. Liang OD, Kleibrink BE, Schuette-Nuetgen K, Khatwa UU, Mfarrej B, Subramaniam M. Green tea epigallo-catechin-galleate ameliorates the development of obliterative airway disease. Exp Lung Res. 2011 Sep;37(7):435-44.
PubMed Link: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21787235

3. Vergadi E, Chang MS, Lee C, Liang OD, Liu X, Fernandez-Gonzalez A, Mitsialis SA, Kourembanas S. Early macrophage recruitment and alternative activation are critical for the later development of hypoxia-induced pulmonary hypertension. Circulation. 2011 May 10;123(18):1986-95.
PubMed Link: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21518986

4. Liang OD, Mitsialis SA, Chang MS, Vergadi E, Lee C, Aslam M, Fernandez-Gonzalez A, Liu X, Baveja R, Kourembanas S. Mesenchymal stromal cells expressing heme oxygenase-1 reverse pulmonary hypertension. Stem Cells. 2011 Jan;29(1):99-107.
PubMed Link: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20957739

5. Fredenburgh LE, Liang OD, Macias AA, Polte TR, Liu X, Riascos DF, Chung SW, Schissel SL, Ingber DE, Mitsialis SA, Kourembanas S, Perrella MA. Absence of cyclooxygenase-2 exacerbates hypoxia-induced pulmonary hypertension and enhances contractility of vascular smooth muscle cells. Circulation. 2008 Apr 22;117(16):2114-22.
PubMed Link: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18391113

6. Gnecchi M, He H, Liang OD, Melo LG, Morello F, Mu H, Noiseux N, Zhang L, Pratt RE, Ingwall JS, Dzau VJ. Paracrine action accounts for marked protection of ischemic heart by Akt-modified mesenchymal stem cells. Nat Med. 2005 Apr;11(4):367-8.

7. Chorzalska, A., Ahsan, N., Rao, R. S. P., Yu, X., Morgan, J., Tepper, A., Hines, S., Zhang, P., Treaba, D., Zhao, T., Olszewski, A., Reagan, J., Liang, O., Gruppuso, P., Dubielecka, P. 2018. Overexpression of Tpl2 is linked to imatinib resistance and activation of MEK-ERK and NF-κB pathways in a model of Chronic Myeloid Leukemia. Molecular Oncology 2018 Feb 27. doi: 10.1002/1878-0261.12186. [Epub ahead of print].

8. Liang, O.D.*, So, E.-Y., Egan, P. C., Goldberg, L. R., Aliotta, J. M., Wu K. Q., Dubielecka, P, M., Ventetuolo, C. E., Reginato, A. M., Quesenberry, P. J., and Klinger, J. R. 2017. Endothelial to Hematopoietic Transition Contributes to Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension. Cardiovascular Research. 113:1560-1573. * Corresponding author

9.Wu, K. Q., Muratore, C. S., So, E.-Y., Sun, C., Dubielecka, P. M., Reginato, A. M., Liang, O. D.* 2017. M1 Macrophage-Induced Endothelial-to-Mesenchymal Transition Promotes Infantile Hemangioma Regression. American Journal of Pathology 187:2102-2111. * Corresponding author

10.Aliotta, J. M., Pereira, M., Wen, S., Dooner, M. S, Del Tatto, M., Papa, E., Cheng, Y., Goldberg, L., Ventetuolo, C. E., Liang, O., Klinger, J. R., Quesenberry, P. J. 2017. Bone Marrow Endothelial Progenitor Cells Are the Cellular Mediators of Pulmonary Hypertension in the Murine Monocrotaline Injury Model. Stem Cells Translational Medicine 6:1595-1606.

11.Chorzalska, A., Flores, K. J., Roder, K., Tepper, A., Ahsan, N., Rao, R. S., Olszewski, A. J., Yu, X., Terentyev, D., Morgan, J., Treaba, D. O., Zhao, T., Liang, O., Gruppuso, P., Dubielecka, P. 2017. Long-term exposure to imatinib mesylate downregulates Hippo pathway and activates YAP in a model of chronic myelogenous leukemia. Stem Cells and Development 26(9):656-77.

PubMed Link: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15812508

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Olin Liang, PhD

Olin Liang, PhD

Ocean State Research Institute

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