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Yu-Jui Yvonne Wan
Summary
Dr. Yu-Jui Yvonne Wan research program has been focusing on the role of retinoic acid receptors and other nuclear receptors in regulating liver health and diseases. The liver is the major retinoic acid target organ.Retinoic acid’s precursor (vitamin A) is stored in the liver, where the highest level of retinol binding protein and receptor (RXRα) is produced. Using the liver-specific RXRα-deficient mouse model that his laboratory has developed, he identified the novel role of retinoid-mediated pathways in lipid, carbohydrate, xenobiotic, and amino acid metabolism and homeostasis in health and various diseased states. In addition, he discovered other novel roles of hepatic RXRα in alcohol detoxification, steatosis, steatohepatitis, inflammation, as well as liver regeneration. These findings unequivocally established the functional significance of hepatic RXRα in regulating liver physiology and pathology.