Ziru Li, PhD
Faculty Scientist I
Center for Molecular Medicine
Li Lab
Understanding the mechanisms that underlie changes in the gut-bone axis with bariatric surgery-induced bone loss and identify the important components to consider strategies that reduce skeletal complications.
A complete list of publications can be found on My NCBI
Li Z, Bagchi DP, Zhu J, Bowers E, Yu H, Hardij J, Mori H, Granger K, Skjaerlund J, Mandair G, Abrishami S, Singer K, Hankenson KD, Rosen CJ, MacDougald OA. Constitutive bone marrow adipocytes suppress local bone formation. JCI Insight. 2022 Nov 8;7(21):e160915. doi: 10.1172/jci.insight.160915. PMID: 36048537; PMCID: PMC9675472.
Li Z, Bowers E, Zhu J, Yu H, Hardij J, Bagchi DP, Mori H, Lewis KT, Granger K, Schill RL, Romanelli SM, Abrishami S, Hankenson KD, Singer K, Rosen CJ, MacDougald O. Lipolysis of bone marrow adipocytes is required to fuel bone and the marrow niche during energy deficits. Elife. 2022 Jun 22;11:e78496. doi: 10.7554/eLife.78496. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 35731039.
Bozadjieva-Kramer N, Shin JH, Shao Y, Gutierrez-Aguilar R, Li Z, Heppner KM, Chiang S, Vargo SG, Granger K, Sandoval DA, MacDougald OA, Seeley RJ. Intestinal-derived FGF15 protects against deleterious effects of vertical sleeve gastrectomy in mice. Nat Commun. 2021 Aug 6;12(1):4768. PMID: 34362888; PMCID: PMC8346483.
Corsa CAS, Walsh CM, Bagchi DP, Foss Freitas MC, Li Z, Hardij J, Granger K, Mori H, Schill RL, Lewis KT, Maung JN, Azaria RD, Rothberg AE, Oral EA, MacDougald OA. Adipocyte-Specific Deletion of Lamin A/C Largely Models Human Familial Partial Lipodystrophy Type 2. Diabetes. 2021 Sep;70(9):1970-1984. PMID: 34088712.
Mori H, Dugan CE, Nishii A, Benchamana A, Li Z, Cadenhead TS 4th, Das AK, Evans CR, Overmyer KA, Romanelli SM, Peterson SK, Bagchi DP, Corsa CA, Hardij J, Learman BS, El Azzouny M, Coon JJ, Inoki K, MacDougald OA. The molecular and metabolic program by which white adipocytes adapt to cool physiologic temperatures. PLoS Biol. 19(5):e3000988, 2021. PMID: 33979328.
Li Z, Hardij J, Evers SS, Hutch CR, Choi SM, Shao Y, Learman BS, Lewis KT, Schill RL, Mori H, Corsa CAS, Bagchi DP, Romanelli SM, Kim K, Griffin C, Seeley RJ, Singer K, Sandoval DA, Rosen CJ, and MacDougald OA. G-CSF partially mediates effects of sleeve gastrectomy on the bone marrow niche. Journal of Clinical Investigation 129: 2404-2416, 2019. PMCID: PMC6546463.
Li Z, Liu S, Lou J, Zhang W, Mulholland M. LGR4 protects hepatocytes from injury in mice. Am J Physiol Gastrointest Liver Physiol 316: G123-G131, 2019. PMCID: PMC6383381.
Li Z, Yu R, Yin W, Qin Y, Ma L, Mulholland M, Zhang W. mTOR signaling in X/A-like cells contributes to lipid homeostasis in mice. Hepatology 69: 860-875, 2018. PMCID: PMC6351211.
Li Z, Zhang J, Zhang W, Mulholland M. mTOR activation protects liver from ischemia and reperfusion induced injury through NFκB pathway. FASEB J 31: 3018-3026, 2017. PMCID: PMC5471519.
Li Z, Xu G, Qin Y, Zhang C, Tang H, Yin Y, Xiang X, Li Y, Zhao J, Mulholland M, Zhang W. Ghrelin promotes hepatic lipogenesis by activation of mTOR-PPARγ signaling pathway. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 111: 13163-8, 2014. PMCID: PMC4246976.