Li Wen, MD, PhD
Professor of Medicine (Endocrinology)DownloadHi-Res Photo
Cards
Appointments
Endocrinology
Primary
Additional Titles
Director of Core Laboratory of Yale Center for Clinical Investigation (YCCI)
Contact Info
Appointments
Endocrinology
Primary
Additional Titles
Director of Core Laboratory of Yale Center for Clinical Investigation (YCCI)
Contact Info
Appointments
Endocrinology
Primary
Additional Titles
Director of Core Laboratory of Yale Center for Clinical Investigation (YCCI)
Contact Info
About
Titles
Professor of Medicine (Endocrinology)
Director of Core Laboratory of Yale Center for Clinical Investigation (YCCI)
Appointments
Endocrinology
ProfessorPrimary
Other Departments & Organizations
- Diabetes Research Center
- Discovery to Cure Internship
- Endocrinology
- Fellowship Training
- Human and Translational Immunology Program
- Internal Medicine
Education & Training
- Postdoctoral Associate and Fellow
- Yale University (1997)
- PhD
- University of London (1992)
- MD
- Capital University of Medicine (1983)
Research
Overview
Medical Research Interests
Antigen-Presenting Cells; Antigens, CD20; Autoimmune Diseases; CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes; CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1; Hypersensitivity; Immune Tolerance; Immunity, Humoral; Immunity, Innate; Inflammasomes; Islets of Langerhans; Liver; Microbiota; Obesity; T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory; Toll-Like Receptors
ORCID
0000-0002-8805-2934
Research at a Glance
Yale Co-Authors
Frequent collaborators of Li Wen's published research.
Publications Timeline
A big-picture view of Li Wen's research output by year.
Research Interests
Research topics Li Wen is interested in exploring.
Juan Huang
Ningwen Tai, PhD
Jian Peng
Joseph Craft, MD
Xin Yang, PhD
Youjia Hu, PhD
131Publications
7,166Citations
Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1
CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes
CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes
Islets of Langerhans
Autoimmune Diseases
Immune Tolerance
Publications
2025
Toll-like receptors in B cells and obesity
Wang P, Hou C, Wong F, Wen L. Toll-like receptors in B cells and obesity. Trends In Molecular Medicine 2025 PMID: 40527636, DOI: 10.1016/j.molmed.2025.05.005.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsToll-like receptorsPathogen-associated molecular patternsB cellsDendritic cellsFunction of Toll-like receptorsActivation of dendritic cellsActivation of TLR signalingExcessive adipose tissue accumulationSignaling mechanisms of Toll-like receptorsT cell differentiationAdipose tissue accumulationContext of obesityMechanisms of Toll-like receptorsChronic inflammationInflammatory activityAdaptive immunityImmune responseMetabolic dysregulationTLR signalingImmune functionObesityTissue accumulationMetabolic diseasesMolecular patternsSignaling mechanismsExtracellular vesicles as precision therapeutics for psychiatric conditions: targeting interactions among neuronal, glial, and immune networks
Kawiková I, Špička V, Lai J, Askenase P, Wen L, Kejík Z, Jakubek M, Valeš K, Španiel F. Extracellular vesicles as precision therapeutics for psychiatric conditions: targeting interactions among neuronal, glial, and immune networks. Frontiers In Immunology 2025, 16: 1454306. PMID: 40264776, PMCID: PMC12011847, DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2025.1454306.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchMeSH Keywords and ConceptsConceptsDevelopment of immune therapiesEVs-based therapyIatrogenic immune deficienciesRobust preclinical dataExploitation of extracellular vesiclesPsychiatric diseasesDiagnostic biomarker panelExtracellular vesiclesRecipient cell functionsImmune therapyImmune deficiencyPatient subsetsPreclinical dataFluid abnormalitiesBiomarker panelEV administrationImmune systemIntercellular communicationPrecision therapeuticsTherapyTherapeutic toolCell functionRegulatory approvalPsychiatric conditionsBrain regions
2024
Perinatal Hypoxia and Immune System Activation in Schizophrenia Pathogenesis: Critical Considerations During COVID-19 Pandemic.
Kawikova I, Hakenova K, Lebedeva M, Kleteckova L, Jakob L, Spicka V, Wen L, Spaniel F, Vales K. Perinatal Hypoxia and Immune System Activation in Schizophrenia Pathogenesis: Critical Considerations During COVID-19 Pandemic. Physiological Research 2024, 73: s615-s639. PMID: 39589306, PMCID: PMC11627263, DOI: 10.33549/physiolres.935501.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsMeSH Keywords and ConceptsConceptsPerinatal hypoxiaPerinatal factorsMaternal immune activationImmune system activationDevelopment of experimental modelsInteraction of genetic backgroundAssociated with hypoxiaNeurodevelopmental disordersMaternal infectionObstetric complicationsSchizophrenia pathogenesisImmune activationMetabolic disturbancesTherapeutic strategiesPerinatal periodSchizophrenia etiologyDisorganized thoughtsExperimental modelSchizophreniaSystem activityEmotional bluntingHypoxiaChronic stressGenetic backgroundCognitive impairmentRegulatory CD4+ T cells redirected against pathogenic CD8+ T cells protect NOD mice from development of autoimmune diabetes
Kakabadse D, Chen D, Fishman S, Weinstein-Marom H, Davies J, Wen L, Gross G, Wong F. Regulatory CD4+ T cells redirected against pathogenic CD8+ T cells protect NOD mice from development of autoimmune diabetes. Frontiers In Immunology 2024, 15: 1463971. PMID: 39351219, PMCID: PMC11439686, DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2024.1463971.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetricConceptsCD8+ T cellsCD4+ T cellsAntigen-specific CD8+ T cellsDevelopment of autoimmune diabetesRegulatory T cellsCo-transfer experimentsT cellsNOD miceAutoimmune diabetesAntigen-specific CD4+ T cellsRegulatory CD4+ T cellsAntigen-specific cytotoxic CD8Pathogenic CD8+ T cellsPre-diabetic NOD micePolyclonal CD4+ T cellsDevelopment of type 1 diabetesSuppresses autoimmune diabetesAntigen-specific CD4Expression of Foxp3Young NOD miceT cell-T cellMarkers in vitroType 1 diabetesAdoptive transferTreg cellsBile acid-gut microbiota imbalance in cholestasis and its long-term effect in mice
Yang X, Xu Y, Li J, Ran X, Gu Z, Song L, Zhang L, Wen L, Ji G, Wang R. Bile acid-gut microbiota imbalance in cholestasis and its long-term effect in mice. MSystems 2024, 9: e00127-24. PMID: 38934542, PMCID: PMC11265269, DOI: 10.1128/msystems.00127-24.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsConceptsGut microbiotaGut microbiota dysbiosisDysregulated gut microbiotaGut microbiota transplantationGerm-free miceVirulence factorsSmall intestinal bacteriaBile acid homeostasisMicrobiota dysbiosisDecreased diversityMicrobiota imbalanceMicrobiotaMouse model of cholestasisBile acidsMouse modelIntestinal bacteriaAcid homeostasisMicrobiota transplantationClinical management of patientsGutHepatic bile acidsLong-term effectsPre-clinical findingsModel of cholestasisManagement of patientsGut microbiota from B-cell-specific TLR9-deficient NOD mice promote IL-10+ Breg cells and protect against T1D
Yang X, Huang J, Peng J, Wang P, Wong F, Wang R, Wang D, Wen L. Gut microbiota from B-cell-specific TLR9-deficient NOD mice promote IL-10+ Breg cells and protect against T1D. Frontiers In Immunology 2024, 15: 1413177. PMID: 38903498, PMCID: PMC11187306, DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2024.1413177.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetricConceptsGut microbiotaGerm-free miceToll-like receptor 9Increased gut permeabilityIntestinal microbiotaGut permeabilityT1D developmentGut microbiota compositionFecal samplesTransferred to germ-free miceGut barrier integrityBreg cell differentiationMicrobiota influenceMucin degradationMicrobiota compositionBreg cellsAltered microbiotaMicrobiota impactMicrobiotaGene expressionImmune regulationDevelopment of T1DCell differentiationGutNOD miceTlr9 deficiency in B cells leads to obesity by promoting inflammation and gut dysbiosis
Wang P, Yang X, Zhang L, Sha S, Huang J, Peng J, Gu J, Pearson J, Hu Y, Zhao H, Wong F, Wang Q, Wen L. Tlr9 deficiency in B cells leads to obesity by promoting inflammation and gut dysbiosis. Nature Communications 2024, 15: 4232. PMID: 38762479, PMCID: PMC11102548, DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-48611-8.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetricMeSH Keywords and ConceptsConceptsToll-like receptor 9Gut microbiotaGut microbial communityTransferred to germ-free miceB cellsGerm-free miceTLR9 deficiencyKO miceGene sequencesGerminal center B cellsMicrobial communitiesMarginal zone B cellsGut dysbiosisFollicular helper cellsSelf-DNAMetabolic homeostasisAssociated with increased frequencyPro-inflammatory stateFat tissue inflammationGutHigh-fat dietMicrobiotaHelper cellsT cellsControl miceMulti-purposed diagnostic system for ovarian endometrioma using CNN and transformer networks in ultrasound
Li Y, Zhao B, Wen L, Huang R, Ni D. Multi-purposed diagnostic system for ovarian endometrioma using CNN and transformer networks in ultrasound. Biomedical Signal Processing And Control 2024, 91: 105923. DOI: 10.1016/j.bspc.2023.105923.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsConceptsFirst deep learning methodDeep learning methodsAccuracy of classificationDeep learningSegmentation branchTransformer networkClassification branchPopular networksAttention mechanismDice scoreCyst segmentationLearning methodsClassification accuracyComparable performanceExperience of doctorsReader studyDiagnostic systemNetworkClassificationSpecific informationAccuracyImagesCNNCyst regionExtensive datasetGut microbiota and therapy for obesity and type 2 diabetes
Zhang L, Wang P, Huang J, Xing Y, Wong F, Suo J, Wen L. Gut microbiota and therapy for obesity and type 2 diabetes. Frontiers In Endocrinology 2024, 15: 1333778. PMID: 38596222, PMCID: PMC11002083, DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2024.1333778.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsAltmetricConceptsGut microbiota compositionGut microbiotaMicrobiota compositionType 2 diabetesFunction of gut microbiotaHomeostasis of gut microbiotaMicrobiota-based approachesModulating gut microbiotaBariatric surgeryEffective anti-obesity treatmentQuality of life of individualsMicrobiotaMildly obese patientsSustained weight lossAssociated with obesityDiminished quality of lifeAnti-obesity treatmentObesity management strategiesGutQuality of lifeNon-surgical interventionsIncreased medical costsPublic health crisisMusculoskeletal disordersObese patientsTLR5-deficiency controls dendritic cell subset development in an autoimmune diabetes-susceptible model
Pearson J, Hu Y, Peng J, Wong F, Wen L. TLR5-deficiency controls dendritic cell subset development in an autoimmune diabetes-susceptible model. Frontiers In Immunology 2024, 15: 1333967. PMID: 38482010, PMCID: PMC10935730, DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2024.1333967.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCitationsMeSH Keywords and ConceptsConceptsToll-like receptor 5Antigen-presenting cellsDendritic cellsType 1 diabetesTLR5-deficientDC developmentCytokine secretionCD4<sup>+</sup> T cell proliferationPathogenesis of type 1 diabetesT cell responsesEnhanced cytokine secretionT cell proliferationWild-type miceSusceptibility to obesitySusceptibility to T1DProinflammatory cytokine secretionGut microbiotaSpontaneous T1DNOD miceAutoimmune diabetesNon-obeseHuman T1DReceptor 5Autoimmune diseasesHyper-secretion
News
News
- September 16, 2024
Treating Obesity with Gut Microbiota
- August 14, 2024
A Link Between the Immune System and Obesity
- December 07, 2022
New Professors in Department of Internal Medicine (December 2022)
Get In Touch
Contacts
Email
Academic Office Number