Liyong Wu

Our laboratory is dedicated to mechanistic exploration and clinical translation of neurodegenerative diseases, with a particular emphasis on complex brain disorders such as FTD and prion diseases. Equipped with independent laboratory facilities and generous research funding exceeding tens of millions of renminbi (Chinese currency), the team has established an outstanding interdisciplinary cohort of clinicians and scientists. Through collaboration with the Beijing Institute for Brain and Brain-Like Intelligence, the group has built a joint laboratory, demonstrating exceptional capabilities in multidisciplinary and multi-institutional collaboration.

(1) Awarded in 2023: "Beijing High-Level Public Health Leading Talent" Project by Beijing Municipal Health Commission.

(2) Awarded in 2023: "Beijing Summit Talent" Program by Beijing Hospital Administration.

(3) Awarded in 2007: "Beijing Science and Technology Rising Star" Project by Beijing Municipal Science & Technology Commission.

(4) Second Prize, 2023 Capital Medical University Scientific and Technological Progress Award: RT-QuIC Diagnostic Technology and Its Application in Prion Diseases.

(5) Expert Committee Member, National Key R&D Program on Common and Frequent Diseases (14th Five-Year Plan), Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST).

(6) Expert Committee Member, National Key R&D Program on Major Chronic Diseases (13th Five-Year Plan), Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST).

(7) Standing Committee Member, Neurology Branch, Beijing Medical Association, Chinese Medical Association.

(8) Chairperson, Frontotemporal Dementia Section, Neurodegenerative Diseases Committee, Chinese Microcirculation Society.

(9) Vice President and Secretary-General, Beijing Society for Neurodegenerative Diseases.

(10) Chairperson, Committee on Frontotemporal Dementia and Related Disorders, Beijing Society for Neurodegenerative Diseases.

(11) Corresponding Editorial Board Member, Chinese Journal of Neurology.

(12) Senior editor《Journal of Alzheimer Disease》

Key Achievements:

(1) Established the first nationwide multicenter FTD cohort (CHIFGENS) in China, systematically investigating the genetics and pathogenic mechanisms of familial FTD.

(2) First to demonstrate impaired glymphatic function in FTD, proposing aberrant protein clearance as a novel pathogenic mechanism.

(3) Pioneered the discovery of early diagnostic biomarkers for FTD using advanced molecular imaging and omics technologies.

(4) Explored neural circuit mechanisms and neuromodulation therapies for FTD.

(5) Conducted the world’s largest study on skin biopsy RT-QuIC (Real-Time Quaking-Induced Conversion) for diagnosing prion diseases.

(6) Led the development of the first international diagnostic criteria for familial fatal insomnia and established China’s diagnostic guidelines for Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) and familial fatal insomnia.

Core Research Directions:

(1) Pathogenesis of FTD and prion diseases.

(2) Glymphatic dysfunction and proteinopathy in neurodegenerative diseases.

(3) Molecular imaging biomarkers for early disease detection of neurodegenerative diseases.

(4) Neural circuit mechanisms and neuromodulation interventions.

(5) Genetic and epigenetic regulation in familial neurodegenerative disorders.

1. Chen ZY, Shi Q, Xiao K, Kong Y, Liang DL, Wang Z, Ye H, Gao R, Chu M, Nan HT, Jiang DM, LiJJ, Wang L, Zou WQ*, Wu LY*, Dong Xp*, Multisite Skin Biopsies vs Cerebrospinal Fluid for PriorSeeding Activity in the Diagnosis ofPrion Diseases. JAMA Neurol. 2024 Dec 1:81(12):1263-1273.

2. Wang Z, Wu L*, Isolated Diffuse Precentral Gyrus Signals in Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease.JAMA Neurol.2024 Jul 1:81(7):775-776.

3. Chen Z,Kong Y,Wu L*, Punctate Diffuse Cortex Signals in Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease. JAMA Neurol.2024 Mar 1;81(3):291-292.4.

4. Chu M, Jiang D, Li D, Yan S, Liu L, Nan H, Wang Y, Wang Y, Yue A, Ren L, Chen K, Rosa-Neto P, Lu J, Wu L*. Atrophy network mapping of clinical subtypes and main symptoms in frontotemporal dementia. Brain. 2024 Sep 3;147(9):3048-3058.

5. Zhang J, Chu M, Tian Z, Xia TX, Wang D, Wang X, Zhao Y, Ye H, Li J, Wang L, Wu L*. Clinical profile of fatal familial insomnia: phenotypie variation in 129 polymorphisms and geographical regions. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry. 2022 Mar;93(3):291-297.

6. Jiang D, Liu L, Kong Y, Chen Z, Ren L, Chu M, Wu L*. Regional Glymphatic Abnormality in Behavioral Variant Frontotemporal Dementia. Ann Neurol. 2023 Sep;94(3):442-456.

7. Li Q, Li B, Liu L, Wang KJ, Liu MY, Deng Y, Li Z, Zhao WD, Wu LY*, Chen YH*, Zhang K*. Monocytes release cystatin F dimer to associate with Aß and aggravate amyloid pathology and cognitive deficits in Alzheimer's disease. J Neuroinflammation. 2024 May 10;21(1):125.

8. Chu M, Wen L, Jiang D, Liu L, Nan H, Yue A, Wang Y, Wang Y, Qu M, Wu L*. Peripheral inflammation in behavioural variant frontotemporal dementia: associations with central degeneration and clinical measures. J Neuroinflammation. 2023 Mar 8;20(1):65.

9. Liu L, Liu S, Chu M, Wang J, Xie K, Cui Y, Ma J, Nan H, Cui C, Qiao H, Rosa-Neto P, Chan P, Wu L*. Involvement of striatal motoric subregions in familial frontotemporal dementia with parkinsonism harboring the Corf72 repeat expansions. NPJ Parkinsons Dis. 2022 Oct 6;8(1):128.

10. Zhongyun Chen, Deming Jiang, Yu Kong, Jing Zhang, Min Chu, Hong Ye, Junjie Li, Lin Wang1 Jie Lu, Liyong Wu*. Glymphatic Dysfunction Reflects Disease Progression in Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease. Neurology.

11. Jiang D, Hou J, Nan H, Yue A, Chu M, Wang Y, Wang Y, Wu L. Relationship Between Hearing Impairment and Dementia and Cognitive Function: A Mendelian Randomization Study. Alzheimers Res Ther. 2024 Oct 9;16(1):215.

12. Nan H, Kim YJ, Chu M, Li D, Li J, Jiang D, Wu Y, Ohtsuka T, Wu L*, Genetic and clinical landscapof Chinese frontotemporal dementia: dominance of TBK1 and OPTN mutations. Alzheimers Res Ther. 2024 Jun 13;16(1):127.

13. Chu M, Jiang D, Nan H, Wen L, Liu L, Qu M*, Wu L* Vascular dysfunction in sporadic bvFTD: white matter hyperintensity and peripheral vascular biomarkers. Alzheimers Res Ther. 2024 Apr 5;16(1):72.

14. Liu L#, Chu M#, Nie B, Jiang D, Xie K, Cui Y, Liu L, Kong Y, Chen Z, Nan H, Rosa-Neto P, Wu L*. Altered Metabolic Connectivity within the Limbic Cortico-Striato-Thalamo-Cortical Circuit in Presymptomatic and Symptomatic Behavioral Variant Frontotemporal Dementia. Alzheimers Res Ther. 2023 Jan 5;15(1):3.

15. Chen Z, Chu M, Liu L, Zhang J, Kong Y, Xie K, Cui Y, Ye H, Li J, Wang L, Wu L*. Genetic prion diseases presenting as frontotemporal lobar degeneration: clinical features and diagnostic challenge. Alzheimer’s Research & Therapy, 2022 Jun 29;14(1):90.

16. Liu L, Chu M, Nie B, Liu L, Xie K, Cui Y, Kong Y, Chen Z, Nan H, Chen K, Rosa-Neto P, Wu L. Reconfigured Metabolism Brain Network in Asymptomatic Microtubule-Associated Protein Tau Mutation Carriers: A Graph-Theoretical Analysis. Alzheimer’s Research & Therapy，2022 Apr，14（52）.

17. Liu H, Zhang Y, Zhang H, Wang L, Wang T, Han Z, Wu L*, Liu G*. Effect of plasma vitamin C levels on Parkinsons disease and age at onset: a Mendelian randomization study. J Transl Med. 2021 May 24;19(1):221.

18. Chu M, Xie K, Zhang J, Chen Z, Ghorayeb I, Rupprecht S, Reder AT, Garay A, Honda H, Nagayama M, Shi Q, Zhan S, Nan H, Zhang J, Guan H, Cui L, Guo Y, Rosa-Neto P, Gauthier S, Wang J, Dong X, Wu L. Proposal of new diagnostic criteria for fatal familial insomnia. J Neurol. 2022 Sep;269(9):4909-4919.

19. Chu M, Chen Z, Nie B, Liu L, Xie K, Cui Y, Chen K, Rosa-Neto P, Wu L.*. Trajectory of brain hypometabolism in asymptomatic familial CJD: A longitudinal FDG-PET study. J Neurol. 2022 Nov;269(11):6094-6103.