WAN-CHUN LI

  • Publish Date：2026-07-14
  • Update Date：2026-07-16
  • Units：College of Dentistry
wanchun
Wan-Chun Li, Professor
Tel: (+886)-2-2826-7255
Fax: (+886)-2-2826-4053
E-mail: wcli@nycu.edu.tw

Fields of Specialty
Cell & Molecular Biology, Endocrinology (Diabetes), Stem Cell Biology, Oncology






Affiliations
  1. Institute of Oral Biology, College of Dentistry, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taipei, Taiwan
  2. Department of Dentistry, College of Dentistry, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taipei, Taiwan
  3. Oral Medicine Innovation Center (OMIC), National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taipei, Taiwan
  4. Department of Stomatology, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
Faculty Appointments
01/24 -             Contract Research Fellow, Department of Stomatology, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
08/23 -              Distinguished Professor, Institute of Oral Biology, College of Dentistry, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University. Taipei, Taiwan
02/21 - 07/23   Professor, Institute of Oral Biology, College of Dentistry, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University. Taipei, Taiwan
02/17 - 01/21   Associate Professor, Institute of Oral Biology, School of Dentistry, National Yang-Ming University. Taipei, Taiwan
08/14 - 01/17   Assistant Professor, Institute of Oral Biology, School of Dentistry, National Yang-Ming University. Taipei, Taiwan
08/11- 07/14    Assistant Professor, Department of Dentistry, School of Dentistry, National Yang-Ming University. Taipei, Taiwan
11/11- 07/14    Jointed Assistant Research Fellow, Taipei City Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan

Education
10/02-05/06     Ph.D, Centre for Regenerative Medicine, Department of Biology and Biochemistry, University of BATH, BATH, England, UK
09/00-06/02     M.Sc, School of Dentistry, Department of Oral Biology, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan.
09/97-06/00     B.Sc, School of Medical Technology, Chang Gung University, Tao-Yuan, Taiwan

Fellowship Appointment
06/10 - 07/11   Postdoctoral Fellow, Lund Stem Cell Institute, BioＭedical Centre (BMC), Lunds University, Sweden
05/06 - 04/10   Postdoctoral Fellow, Section of Islet Transplantation & Cell Biology, Joslin Diabetes Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, USA

Administrative Appointments
08/20 -             Director, Institute of Oral Biology, College of Dentistry, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University. Taipei, Taiwan
12/21 -             Member of the Board of Directors, Taiwan Society for Stem Cell Research (TSSCR), Taiwan
11/19 - 11/21   Secretary General, Taiwan Society for Stem Cell Research (TSSCR), Taiwan
08/19 - 07/20   Deputy Chairman, Department of Dentistry, School of Dentistry, National Yang-Ming University. Taipei, Taiwan
 
Fields of Specialty
Laboratory of Metabolic Oncology & Regenerative Medicine
    Metabolic balance is essential in regulating physiological homeostasis. Considering great energy and biomass demand for cell growth, cancer cells exhibited unique metabolic signatures compared to normal cells. The reversal of the cancerous metabolic cues had therefore been regarded as one of the therapeutic targets to develop anti-cancer schemes/drugs. Our laboratory has been focusing on investigating the roles of different metabolic cues in controlling head and neck cancer tumorigenesis. External and intrinsic metabolic regulations for head and neck carcinogenesis were emphasized. The ultimate goal of our research is to understand how cancer cells reprogram cellular metabolism to adapt to environmental challenges in hope of establishing a useful platform for developing cancer metabolism based anti-cancer compounds or therapeutic strategies.
    Numbers of projects in the laboratory were currently under investigation. They include: (1) To define intrinsic impacts of glucose/lipid/protein/mitochondrial metabolic regulations on carcinogenesis in various cancers including head and neck cancers, esophageal cancers, hepatocellular carcinoma and digestive track cancers; (2) To determine potential metabolic regulatory cue(s) in controlling treatment resistance and (3) To uncover dynamic metabolic changes in cells residing in tumor microenvironment.
 
Research Projects/Grants
08/2026-07/2029    Deciphering the Regulatory Roles of Intracellular and External Lipid Metabolism, Quality Control and Composition During Head and Neck Tumorigenesis (NSTC 115-2314-B-A49-019-MY3)
08/2025-07/2026    Targeting Resistance Associated Metabolic and Molecular Cues to Facilitate Chemo/radio Therapeutic Sensitivity in Oral Cancers (NSTC 114-2314-B-A49-026-)
08/2024-07/2025    Multiomics Analysis for Metabolic Cues as Adjuvant Therapeutic Targets to Combat Treatment Resistance in Head and Neck Cancers (NSTC 113-2314-B-A49-017-)
08/2021-07/2024    Exploration of Treatment Resistant Related Metabolic Cues and its Potential for Development of a Pre-clinical model for Head and Neck Cancers (NSTC 110-2314-B-A49A-516 -MY3)
08/2020-07/2023    Multifaceted Roles of Mitochondrial Homeostasis in Head and Neck Oncogenesis (NSTC 111-2628-B-A49 -008-/110-2628-B-A49A-511-/109-2628-B-010 -008-)

Key Publications
  1. Chen C-Y, Chen C-L, Kao C-W, Chen C-Y, Hung W-W, Chang C-W, Juang J-H*, Li W-C* (2026). Integrated transcriptomic and proteomic analysis reveals isolation and culture associated molecular changes in neonatal porcine pancreatic cell clusters. Mol Biol Rep. (in press)
  2. Guerrero JJG, Encarnacion PC, Wang C-H, Del Rosario MAS, Notarte KI, Zhou J, Hsieh Y-T, Wang W-Y, Chang C-W*, Li W-C* (2026). Fueling or Fighting Cancer? The Thermogenic Paradox of Brown Adipose Tissue. Curr Obes Rep. 15:23. doi: 10.1007/s13679-026-00699-3
  3. Juang J-H*, Chen C-Y, Kao C-W, Chen C-L, Li W-C* (2025). Impact of Exendin-4 on the Differentiation and Function of Transplanted Porcine Neonatal Pancreatic Cell Clusters in Diabetic Nude Mice. J Diabetes Res. 2025:5847576. doi: 10.1155/jdr/5847576
  4. Guerrero JJG, Encarnacion PC, delRosario MAS, Ora MAS, Zhou J, Notarte KI, Li W-C*, Chang C-W* (2025). Genetic variants underlying precancerous conditions of hepatocellular carcinoma. Int J Cancer 158:488-502. doi: 10.1002/ijc.70092
  5. Huang P-C, Chang C-W, Lin Y-C, Chen C-Y, Chen T-Y, Chuang L-T, Liu C-J, Huang C-L, Li W-C* (2023). Pyruvate Kinase Differentially Alters Metabolic Signatures during Head and Neck Carcinogenesis. Int J Mol Sci., 24(23), 16639. doi: 10.3390/ijms242316639
  6. Chien H-Y, Chen S-M, Li W-C* (2023). Dopamine receptor agonists mechanism of actions on glucose lowering and their connections with prolactin actions. Front Clin Diabetes Healthc. 4: 935872. doi: 10.3389/fcdhc.2023.935872
  7. Hsieh Y-T, Tu H-F, Yang M-H, Chen Y-F, Lan X-Y, Huang C-L, Chen H-M, Li W-C* (2021). Mitochondrial genome and its regulator TFAM modulates head and neck tumourigenesis through intracellular metabolic reprogramming and activation of oncogenic effectors. Cell Death & Disease, 12: 961. doi: 10.1038/s41419-021-04255-w
  8. Lan X-Y, Chung T-T, Huang C-L, Lee Y-J, Li W-C*(2020). Traditional Herbal Medicine Mediated Regulations during Head and Neck Carcinogenesis. Biomolecules, 10: E1321. doi: 10.3390/biom10091321
  9. Yang H#, Wei Y-C#, Li W-C#, Chen H-Y, Lin H-Y, Chiang C-P, Chen H-M* (#: authors contributed equally) (2020). Natural Compounds Modulate Drug Transporter Mediated Oral Cancer Treatment. Biomolecules, 10:1335. doi: 10.3390/biom10091335
  10. Li W-C*, Huang C-H, Hsieh Y-T, Chen T-Y, Cheng L-H, Chen C-Y, Liu C-J, Chen H-M, Huang C-L, Lo J-F, Chang K-W (2020). Regulatory Role of Hexokinase 2 in Modulating Head and Neck Tumorigenesis. Frontier in Oncology, 10:176. doi: 10.3389/fonc.2020.00176
  11. Hsieh Y-T, Chen Y-F, Lin S-C, Chang K-W, Li W-C* (2019). Targeting Cellular Metabolism Modulates Head and Neck Oncogenesis. Int J Mol Sci. 20: pii: E3960. doi: 10.3390/ijms20163960
  12. Chen T-Y#, Hsieh Y-T#, Huang J-M#, Liu C-J, Chuang L-T, Huang P-C, Kuo T-Y, Chia H-Y, Chou C-Y, Chang C-W, Chen Y-F, Chen H-M, Lo J-F, Li W-C* (2019). Determination of Pyruvate Metabolic Fates Modulates Head and Neck Tumourigenesis. Neoplasia 21:641-652 (#: authors contributed equally) doi: 10.1016/j.neo.2019.04.007
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