Dr. LI Cun

PhD

Research Assistant Professor

Email: licun@hku.hk

ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3003-0000

HKU Scholars Hub: https://repository.hku.hk/cris/rp/rp02783

Google Scholar: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=5RNt7DgAAAAJ&hl=zh-TW

Biography

Dr. Li focuses on investigating the pathogenesis and virus-host interaction of emerging viral pathogens in human organoids. He has published over 30 papers (first authored, co-first authored, or co-authored) in peer-reviewed journals, including Nature Medicine, Sciences Advances, PNAS, Nature Communications, EMBO Molecular Medicine, Journal of Virology, Journal of Biological Chemistry, Emerging Microbes & Infections, and Journal of Infectious Diseases.

Research focus

  1. Coronaviruses and influenza virus.
  2. Exploring the novel host factors essential for virus infection and host target for antiviral therapy in organoid.

selected publications

  1. Li C., Huang J., Yu Y., Wan Z., Chiu M. C., Liu X., Zhang S., Cai J. P., Chu H., Li G., Chan J. F., To K. K., Yang Z., Jiang S., Yuen K. Y., Clevers H., Zhou J. Human airway and nasal organoids reveal escalating replicative fitness of SARS-CoV-2 emerging variants. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A, 120(17), 2023. e2300376120. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2300376120.
  2. Chiu M. C., Li C.#, Liu X., Yu Y., Huang J., Wan Z., Xiao D., Chu H., Cai J.-P., Zhou B., Sit K.-Y., Au W.-K., Wong K. K.-Y., Li G., Chan J. F.-W., To K. K.-W., Chen Z., Jiang S., Clevers H., Yuen K. Y., Zhou, J. A bipotential organoid model of respiratory epithelium recapitulates high infectivity of SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant. Cell Discovery. 2022. 8(1). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41421-022-00422-1.
  3. Chiu M. C., Li C.#, Liu X., Song W., Wan Z., Yu Y., Huang J., Xiao D., Chu H., Cai J. P., To K. K., Yuen K. Y., Zhou, J. Human Nasal Organoids Model SARS-CoV-2 Upper Respiratory Infection and Recapitulate the Differential Infectivity of Emerging Variants. MBio, 2022. e0194422. https://doi.org/10.1128/mbio.01944-22.
  4. Wang D, Li C#, Chiu MC, Yu Y, Liu X, Zhao X, Huang J, Cheng Z, Yuan S, Poon V, Cai JP, Chu H, Chan JF, To KK, Yuen KY, Zhou J. SPINK6 inhibits human airway serine proteases and restricts influenza virus activation. EMBO Mol Med. 14: e14485.
  5. Zhou J, Li C#, Liu X, Chiu M. C, Zhao X, Wang D, Wei Y, Lee A, Zhang A. J, Chu H, Cai J. P, Yip C. C, Chan I. H, Wong K. K, Tsang O. T, Chan K. H, Chan J. F, To K. K, Chen H and Yuen K. Y. Infection of bat and human intestinal organoids by SARS-CoV-2. Nat Med. 2020. DOI: 10.1038/s41591-020-0912-6.
  6. Cun Li, Hin Chu, Xiaojuan Liu, Man Chun Chiu, Xiaoyu Zhao, Dong Wang, Yuxuan Wei, Yuxin Hou, Huiping Shuai, Jianpiao Cai, Jasper Fuk-Woo Chan, Jie Zhou, and Kwok Yung Yuen. Human coronavirus dependency on host heat shock protein 90 reveals an antiviral target. Emerging Microbes & Infections. 2020. DOI: 10.1080/22221751.2020.1850183.
  7. Zhou J, Li C#, Sachs N, Chiu MC, Wong BH, Chu H, Poon VK, Wang D, Zhao X, Wen L, Song W, Yuan S, Wong KK, Chan JF, To KK, Chen H, Clevers H, Yuen KY. Differentiated human airway organoids to assess infectivity of emerging influenza virus. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA. 115:6822-6827.
  8. Zhou J, Li C#, Zhao G, Chu H, Wang D, Yan HH, Poon VK, Wen L, Wong BH, Zhao X, Chiu MC, Yang D, Wang Y, Au-Yeung RKH, Chan IH, Sun S, Chan JF, To KK, Memish ZA, Corman VM, Drosten C, Hung IF, Zhou Y, Leung SY, Yuen KY. Human intestinal tract serves as an alternative infection route for Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus. Sci Adv. 2017. 3:eaao4966.