Yuyan Han

Postdoctoral Fellow, MD Anderson Cancer Center,
Area of Study: Cancer genetics

PhD, Texas A&M University, 2014.
Area of Study: Medical Science

MS, Tongji University, 2010.
Area of Study: Biomedical Engineering

BS, Tongji University, 2007.
Area of Study: Biotechnology

Postdoctoral Fellow, MD Anderson Cancer Center
(2015-2018)

Biology instructor(Adjunct), Houston Community College
(2015-present)

Assistant Research Scientist, Texas A&M University
(2014-2015)

Efficacy of CBG intervention to reduce NASH progression

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is one of the leading causes of chronic liver disease that can progress into a more advanced form- non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) featuring inflammation and fibrosis.Non-psychoactive cannabinoids cannabidiol (CBD) and cannabigerol (CBG) has shown anti-inflammatory effect in other diseases, but their therapeutic effect in NAFLD/NASH is unknown. The goal of this project is to evaluate the efficacy of CBG with or without CBD intervention to reduce NAFLD/NASH.

THE THERAPEUTIC POTENTIAL OF CANNABINERGOL, IONIC BETULINIC ACID DERIVATIVES, AND CREATINE IN HEPATOCELULLAR CARCINOMA AND CHOLANGIOCARCINOMA

Hepatocellular carcinoma is a deadly, end-state pathology associated with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). While treatments exist today for this deadly disease; they come with a laundry list of negative effects. From debilitating patient side effects to combatting multi-drug resistance, the aim of this study is to improve patient outcomes suffering from this disease. Liver cancer compromises 1/5 of worldwide cancer incidence and is especially malignant. NAFLD presents a high-risk factor for liver cancer progression, and presently 200 million individuals worldwide face this specific risk factor. We will evaluate Cannabinergol (CBG), Ionic Betulinic acid derivatives (IBAD), and Creatine (CR) for their effects against hepatoma and cholangiocarcinoma cell lines. CBG is a cannabinoid and compromises a minor, non-psychoactive constituent. It shows promise as a cancer-specific inhibitor of growth and inducer of cell death, while also promoting lipogenic pathways. We have seen CBG inhibit hepatitis progression in previous animal studies. IBAD is a major constituent of many trees, mainly birch. Used holistically for thousands of years, this compound has shown promise recently as an anti-cancer agent. Novel ionic derivatives have been formulated that improve the solubility of betulinic acid without sacrificing the functionality of the molecule; these are less explored. CR is a well known athletic supplement, that supports intracellular energy, pH, and acts as an antioxidant. Creatine has recently shown to be a possible intervention for chemotherapy; with muscle, heart, and liver boosting effects. We have previously explored creatine as a positive intervention for toxicity induced by chemotherapy treatment doxorubicin. Our specific objectives are; 1.) Establish the cytotoxic potential of cannabigerol (CBG), ionic betulinic acid derivatives (IBAD), and creatine in vitro hepatoma and cholangiocarcinoma cell lines and 2.) Explore the synergistic potential of creatine with the novel (CBG, IBAD) and traditional (vincristine, doxorubicin) chemotherapeutics.

Areas of Interest:

My research interests are in the areas of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), obesity, circadian rhythm, epigenetics and cancer biology.

• Han Y, Junfeng Xu, Jeri Kim, Xifeng Wu, Jian Gu; Methylation of subtelomeric repeat D4Z4 in peripheral blood leukocytes is associated with biochemical recurrence in localized prostate cancer patients, Carcinogenesis. 2017 Aug; 38 (8) : 821–826, https://doi.org/10.1093/carcin/bgx064 PMID: 28854562
• Han Y, Junfeng Xu, Jeri Kim, Xifeng Wu, Jian Gu; LINE-1 methylation in peripheral blood leukocytes and clinical characteristics and prognosis of prostate cancer patients, Oncotarget. 2017 Oct; 8:94020-9402, https://doi.org/10.18632/oncotarget.21511
• Han Y, Demorrow S, Invernizzi P, Jing Q, Glaser S, Renzi A, Meng F, Venter J, Bernuzzi F, White M, Francis H, Lleo A, Marzioni M, Onori P, Alvaro D, Torzilli G, Gaudio E, Alpini G. Melatonin exerts by an autocrine loop antiproliferative effects in cholangiocarcinoma: its synthesis is reduced favoring cholangiocarcinoma growth. Am J Physiol Gastrointest Liver Physiol. 2011 Oct;301(4):G623-33. https://doi.org/10.1152/ajpgi.00118.2011 PMID: 21778461
• Han Y, Glaser S, Meng F, Francis H, Marzioni M, McDaniel K, Alvaro D, Venter J, Carpino G, Onori P, Gaudio E, Alpini G, Franchitto A. Recent advances in the morphological and functional heterogeneity of the biliary epithelium. Exp Biol Med (Maywood). 2013 May;238(5):549-65. https://doi.org/10.1177/1535370213489926 Review. PMID: 23856906
• Han Y, Onori P, Meng F, DeMorrow S, Venter J, Francis H, Franchitto A, Ray D, Kennedy L, Greene JF, Renzi A, Mancinelli R, Gaudio E, Glaser S, Alpini G. Prolonged exposure of cholestatic rats to complete dark inhibits biliary hyperplasia and liver fibrosis. Am J Physiol Gastrointest Liver Physiol. 2014 Sep 11. https://doi.org/10.1039/c4cc04835k PMID: 25214401
• Han Y*, Francis H*, McDaniel K*, Liu X, Kennedy L, Yang F, McCarra J, Zhou T, Glaser S, Venter J, Huang L, Levine P, Lai JM, Liu CG, Alpini G, Meng F. Regulation of the extrinsic apoptotic pathway by microRNA-21 in alcoholic liver injury. J Biol Chem. 2014 Oct 3. https://doi.org/10.1074/jbc.M114.602383 PMID: 25118289 (Equal contribution first-author)
• Han Y, Meng F, Venter J, Wu N, Wan Y, Standeford H, Francis H, Meininger C, Greene J Jr, Trzeciakowski JP, Ehrlich L, Glaser S, Alpini G. miR-34a-dependent overexpression of Per1 decreases cholangiocarcinoma growth. J Hepatol. 2016 Jun;64(6):1295-304. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhep.2016.02.024 Epub 2016 Feb 24. PMID: 26923637