Zhou Jin is Principal Research Scientist under Programme of Cardiovascular & Metabolic Disorders at Duke-NUS Medical School. Dr. Zhou obtained her Ph.D. in Anti-cancer Pharmacology from Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of sciences, and first postdoctoral training in Programme of Cancer & Stem Cell Biology. She has a strong research interest in autophagy, mirochondrial function and non-acholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). She is a member of American Thyroid Association and Women in Autophagy. her work on resistance to thyroid hormone in skeletal muscle (6) was featured in Nature Review Endocrinology Research Highlight (IF 43.3), and is among the top 10 percent highly cited articles published in Endocrinology in 2021. Her review article on gut microbiota metabolites in NAFLD progression was awarded the Hepatoma Research 2021 Best Paper Awards. She has received funding support from the Khoo Pilot Award (Collaborative) in 2018, AYOXXA grant 2020, and the Goh Cardiovascular Research Award (GCRA) 2022.
During the past 10 years, my research has focused on the molecular pathogenesis of non-acholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), and the development of natural and low-cost treatments for its reatment. My work has revealed that defective autophagy and mitochondrial activity occur during NAFLD and genetic diseases such as glycogen storage disease type Ia (GSDIa). These findings led us to utilize autophagy-inducing compounds as a new approach to treat GSDIa and NASH. I have demonstrated the effectiveness of small molecular compounds, such as thyroid hormone and thyromimetics, PPAR agonists for the treatment of GSDIa and NAFLD. I also have particular interest in developing natural compounds such as green tea polyphenols, caffeine, short chain fatty acids, and spermidine as safe and inexpensive agents for NAFLD. My recent worked showed that dysregulated protein translation played a pathogenic role in NASH. We reported decreased hypusination of the translation factor EIF5A (EIF5AH) in NASH, which led to decreased translation of mitochondrial proteins and impaired mitochondrial function. Our findings indicated that impaired protein translation may be an important contributor to NASH and other metabolic disorders, and enhancing EIF5AH could be a novel therapeutic strategy for these conditions.
1. Zhou J*#, Pang J*, Tripathi M, Ho JP, Widjaja A, Shekeran SG, Cook SA, Suzuki A, Diehl AM, Petretto E, Singh BK, Yen PM#. Spermidine-mediated hypusination of translation factor EIF5A improves mitochondrial fatty acid oxidation and prevents nonalcoholic steatohepatitis progression. Nat Commun. 2022 Sep 3;13(1):5202. (*Co-first author and #co-corresponding author) JIF: 17.69
2. Tripathi M, Singh BK, Zhou J, Tikno K, Widjaja A, Sandireddy R, Arul K, Ghani SABA, Bee GGB, Wong KA, Pei HJ, Shekeran SG, Sinha RA, Singh MK, Cook SA, Suzuki A, Lim TR, Cheah CC, Wang J, Xiao RP, Zhang X, Hoe Chow PK, Yen PM. Vitamin B12 and folate decrease inflammation and fibrosis in NASH by preventing Syntaxin 17 homocysteinylation. J Hepatol. 2022 Jul 9:S0168-8278(22)02932-4. doi: 10.1016/j.jhep.2022.06.033. JIF: 30.08
3. Zhou J#, Tripathi M, Ho JP, Widjaja AA, Shekeran SG, Camat MD, James A,Wu Y, Ching J, Kovalik JP, Lim K, Cook SA, Bay BH, Singh BK, Yen PM#. Thyroid hormone decreases hepatic steatosis, inflammation, and fibrosis in a dietary mouse model of NASH. Thyroid. 2022 Jun;32(6):725-738. (#co-corresponding author) JIF: 6.50
4. Tripathi M, Singh BK, Liehn EA, Lim SY, Tikno K, Castano-Mayan D, Rattanasopa C, Nilcham P, Abdul Ghani SAB, Wu Z, Azhar SH, Zhou J, Hernández-Resèndiz S, Crespo-Avilan GE, Sinha RA, Farah BL, Moe KT, De Silva DA, Angeli V, Singh MK, Singaraja RR, Hausenloy DJ, Yen PM. Caffeine prevents restenosis and inhibits vascular smooth muscle cell proliferation through the induction of autophagy. Autophagy. Jan 2022; 11:1-11. JIF: 13.39
5. Zhou J#, Singh BK, Ho JP, Lim A, Bruinstroop E, Ohba K, Sinha RA, Yen PM#. MED1 mediator subunit is a key regulator of hepatic autophagy and lipid metabolism. Autophagy. Dec 2021; 17(12):4043-4061 (#co-corresponding author) JIF: 13.39
6. Zhou J#, Gauthier K, Ho JP, Lim A, Zhu XG, Han CR, Sinha RA, Cheng SY, Yen PM#. Thyroid Hormone Receptor α Regulates Autophagy, Mitochondrial Biogenesis, and Fatty Acid Use in Skeletal Muscle. Endocrinology. Aug 2021; 162(8):bqab112. (#co-corresponding author) Featured by Nature Review Endocrinology Research Highlight (IF 43.3). Top 10 percent highly cited manuscript published in Endocrinology 2021) JIF: 5.05
7. Widjaja AA, Dong J, Adami E, Viswanathan S, Ng B, Pakkiri LS, Chothani SP, Singh BK, Lim WW, Zhou J, Shekeran SG, Tan J, Lim SY, Goh J, Wang M, Holgate R, Hearn A, Felkin LE, Yen PM, Dear JW, Drum CL, Schafer S, Cook SA. Redefining IL11 as a regeneration-limiting hepatotoxin and therapeutic target in acetaminophen-induced liver injury. Sci Transl Med. Jun 2021; 13(597):eaba8146. JIF: 19.31
8. Dong J, Viswanathan S, Adami E, Singh BK, Chothani SP, Ng B, Lim WW, Zhou J, Tripathi M, Ko NSJ, Shekeran SG, Tan J, Lim SY, Wang M, Lio PM, Yen PM, Schafer S, Cook SA, Widjaja AA. Hepatocyte-specific IL11 cis-signaling drives lipotoxicity and underlies the transition from NAFLD to NASH. Nat Commun. Jan 2021; 12(1):66. JIF: 17.69
9. Zhou J, Waskowicz LR, Lim A, Liao X, Refetoff S, Lian B, Masamune H, Tran B, Koeberl DD, Yen PM. A liver-specific thyromimetic, VK2809, decreases hepatosteatosis in glycogen storage disease type Ia (GSD Ia). Thyroid. Aug 2019; 29(8):1158-1167. JIF: 6.50
10. Zhou J*, Ng B*, Ko NSJ, Fiedler LR, Khin E, Lim A, Sahib NE, Wu Y, Chothani SP, Schafer S, Bay BH, Sinha RA, Cook SA, Yen PM. Titin truncations lead to impaired cardiomyocyte autophagy and mitochondrial function in vivo. Hum Mol Genet. Jun 2019; 28(12):1971- 1981. (*Co-first author) JIF: 5.12