Research Areas
1. To investigate the regulation of glucose and lipid metabolism and underlying mechanisms, the contribution of nutritional imbalance and chronic inflammation to obesity and related diseases (diabetes, hepatic steatosis), as well as neurodegenerative diseases; and seek therapeutic targets and reagents against these disorders.
2. To establish methods for detecting toxic contaminants in foods and examine their toxic effects.

Brief Biography
Dr. Le is the Head of the Laboratory of Nutrition and Inflammation Related Diseases at CAS Key Laboratory of Nutrition, Metabolism and Food Safety, Shanghai Institute of Nutrition and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS). She earned her medical degree in 1986 and obtained her Ph.D. in 1992 from the Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, China. She served as an associate professor and Vice Director of the Department of Physiology at the First Military Medical University from 1995 to 1998. She received postdoctoral training in Laboratory of Molecular Immunoregulation, National Cancer Institute at Frederick, National Institutes of Health, USA, from 1999 to 2004. She joined Institute for Nutritional Sciences in March 2004. Since 2017, the institution where Dr. Le works has been reformed and renamed as Shanghai Institute of Nutrition and Health, CAS. She was on the Elsevier’s annual list of China’s Most Cited Researchers from 2014 to 2018.

Selected Publications (*Corresponding Author)

1. Ouyang S, Zhuo S, Yang M, Zhu T, Yu S, Li Y, Ying H, Le Y*. Glycerol Kinase Drives Hepatic de novo Lipogenesis and Triglyceride Synthesis in Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver by Activating SREBP-1c Transcription, Upregulating DGAT1/2 Expression, and Promoting Glycerol Metabolism. Adv Sci (Weinh) 2024 Dec;11(46):e2401311
2. Zhu T, Zhao J, Zhuo S, Hu Z, Ouyang S, Wunier, Yu S, Chen Y, Li Y, Le Y*. High Fat Diet and High Cholesterol Diet Reduce Hepatic Vitamin D-25-Hydroxylase Expression and Serum 25-Hydroxyvitamin D3 Level through Elevating Circulating Cholesterol, Glucose, and Insulin Levels. Mol Nutr Food Res 2021 Nov;65(21):e2100220
3. Chen X, Zhuo S, Zhu T, Yao P, Yang M, Mei H, Li N, Ma F, Wang JM, Chen S, Ye RD, Li Y, Le Y*. Fpr2 Deficiency Alleviates Diet-Induced Insulin Resistance Through Reducing Body Weight Gain and Inhibiting Inflammation Mediated by Macrophage Chemotaxis and M1 Polarization. Diabetes 2019 Jun;68(6):1130-1142
4. Wan D, Fu Y, Le Y*, Zhang P, Ju J, Wang B, Zhang G, Wang Z, Su H, Wang L, Hou R*. Luteolin-7-glucoside Promotes Human Epidermal Stem Cell Proliferation by Upregulating β-Catenin, c-Myc, and Cyclin Expression. Stem Cells Int 2019 Jun 2;2019:1575480
5. Li N, Wang T, Li Z, Ye X, Deng B, Zhuo S, Yao P, Yang M, Mei H, Chen X, Zhu T, Chen S, Wang H, Wang J, Le Y*. Dorsomorphin induces cancer cell apoptosis and sensitizes cancer cells to HSP90 and proteasome inhibitors by reducing nuclear heat shock factor 1 levels. Cancer Biol Med 2019 May;16(2):220-233
6. Chen K, Tang P, Bao Z, He T, Xiang Y, Gong W, Yoshimura T, Le Y, Tessarollo L, Chen X, Wang JM. Deficiency in Fpr2 results in reduced numbers of Lin(-)cKit(+)Sca1(+) myeloid progenitor cells. J Biol Chem 2018 Aug 31;293(35):13452-13463
7. Yu Y, Bao Z, Wang X, Gong W, Chen H, Guan H, Le Y, Su S, Chen K, Wang JM. The G-Protein-Coupled Chemoattractant Receptor Fpr2 Exacerbates High Glucose-Mediated Proinflammatory Responses of Müller Glial Cells. Front Immunol 2017 Dec 19;8:1852
8. Yao PL, Zhuo S, Mei H, Chen XF, Li N, Zhu TF, Chen ST, Wang JM, Hou RX, Le YY*. Androgen alleviates neurotoxicity of β-amyloid peptide (Aβ) by promoting microglial clearance of Aβ and inhibiting microglial inflammatory response to Aβ. CNS Neurosci Ther 2017 Nov;23(11):855-865
9. Mei H, Yao P, Wang S, Li N, Zhu T, Chen X, Yang M, Zhuo S, Chen S, Wang JM, Wang H, Xie D, Wu Y, Le Y*. Chronic Low-Dose Cadmium Exposure Impairs Cutaneous Wound Healing With Defective Early Inflammatory Responses After Skin Injury. Toxicol Sci 2017 Oct 1;159(2):327-338
10. Zhuo S, Yang M, Zhao Y, Chen X, Zhang F, Li N, Yao P, Zhu T, Mei H, Wang S, Li Y, Chen S, Le Y*. MicroRNA-451 Negatively Regulates Hepatic Glucose Production and Glucose Homeostasis by Targeting Glycerol Kinase-Mediated Gluconeogenesis. Diabetes 2016 Nov;65(11):3276-3288
11. Zhang L, Wang H, Yang T, Su Z, Fang D, Wang Y, Fang J, Hou X, Le Y, Chen K, Wang JM, Su SB, Lin Q, Zhou Q. Formylpeptide receptor 1 mediates the tumorigenicity of human hepatocellular carcinoma cells. Oncoimmunology 2015 Aug 24;5(2):e1078055
12. Chen K, Xiang Y, Huang J, Gong W, Yoshimura T, Jiang Q, Tessarollo L, Le Y, Wang JM. The formylpeptide receptor 2 (Fpr2) and its endogenous ligand cathelin-related antimicrobial peptide (CRAMP) promote dendritic cell maturation. J Biol Chem 2014 Jun 20;289(25):17553-17563
13. Chen F, Qian LH, Deng B, Liu ZM, Zhao Y, Le YY*. Resveratrol protects vascular endothelial cells from high glucose-induced apoptosis through inhibition of NADPH oxidase activation-driven oxidative stress. CNS Neurosci Ther 2013 Sep;19(9):675-681
14. Zhang Y, Zhou B, Deng B, Zhang F, Wu J, Wang Y, Le Y*, Zhai Q*. Amyloid-β induces hepatic insulin resistance in vivo via JAK2. Diabetes 2013 Apr;62(4):1159-1166
15. Chen K, Liu M, Liu Y, Yoshimura T, Shen W, Le Y, Durum S, Gong W, Wang C, Gao JL, Murphy PM, Wang JM. Formylpeptide receptor-2 contributes to colonic epithelial homeostasis, inflammation, and tumorigenesis. J Clin Invest 2013 Apr;123(4):1694-1704
16. Mou H, Li Z, Yao P, Zhuo S, Luan W, Deng B, Qian L, Yang M, Mei H, Le Y*. Knockdown of FAM3B triggers cell apoptosis through p53-dependent pathway. Int J Biochem Cell Biol 2013 Mar;45(3):684-691
17. Li Z, Mou H, Wang T, Xue J, Deng B, Qian L, Zhou Y, Gong W, Wang JM, Wu G, Zhou CF, Fang J, Le Y*. A non-secretory form of FAM3B promotes invasion and metastasis of human colon cancer cells by upregulating Slug expression. Cancer Lett 2013 Jan 28;328(2):278-284
18. Zhang L, Pang S, Deng B, Qian L, Chen J, Zou J, Zheng J, Yang L, Zhang C, Chen X, Liu Z, Le Y*. High glucose induces renal mesangial cell proliferation and fibronectin expression through JNK/NF-κB/NADPH oxidase/ROS pathway, which is inhibited by resveratrol. Int J Biochem Cell Biol 2012 Apr;44(4):629-638.
19. Hou X, Wang O, Li Z, Mou H, Chen J, Deng B, Qian L, Liu X, Le Y*. Upregulation of pancreatic derived factor (FAM3B) expression in pancreatic β-cells by MCP-1 (CCL2). Mol Cell Endocrinol 2011 Aug 22;343(1-2):18-24.
20. Cai K, Qi D, Wang O, Chen J, Liu X, Deng B, Qian L, Liu X, Le Y*. TNF-α acutely upregulates amylin expression in murine pancreatic beta cells. Diabetologia 2011 Mar;54(3):617-626.
21. Pang S, Tang H, Zhuo S, Zang YQ, Le Y*. Regulation of fasting fuel metabolism by toll-like receptor 4. Diabetes 2010 Dec;59(12):3041-3048.
22. Kong Y, Ruan L, Qian L, Liu X, Le Y*. Norepinephrine promotes microglia to uptake and degrade amyloid beta peptide through upregulation of mouse formyl peptide receptor 2 and induction of insulin-degrading enzyme. J Neurosci 2010 Sep 1;30(35):11848-11857.
23. Qi D, Cai K, Wang O, Li Z, Chen J, Deng B, Qian L, Le Y*. Fatty acids induce amylin expression and secretion by pancreatic beta-cells. Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab 2010 Jan;298(1):E99-E107.
24. Ruan L, Kang Z, Pei G, Le Y*. Amyloid deposition and inflammation in APPswe/PS1dE9 mouse model of Alzheimer's disease. Curr Alzheimer Res 2009 Dec;6(6):531-540.
25. Wang O, Cai K, Pang S, Wang T, Qi D, Zhu Q, Ni Z, Le Y*. Mechanisms of glucose-induced expression of pancreatic-derived factor in pancreatic beta-cells. Endocrinology 2008 Feb;149(2):672-680.