CBM Seminar Series – Metabolic Reprogramming in Liver Cancer

The College of Biomedicine was pleased to host Professor Huiyong Yin from Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Biomedicine, City University of Hong Kong, as a distinguished speaker in the CBM Seminar Series on 2 March 2026. Professor Yin's research focuses on investigating metabolic plasticity in metabolic diseases, including cardiovascular diseases and cancers, using mass spectrometry-based lipidomics and metabolomics.

In his talk entitled "Metabolic Reprogramming in Liver Cancer", Professor Yin discussed the emerging roles of metabolic reprogramming in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). While metabolic alterations are recognized as a hallmark of cancer, Professor Yin highlighted that their specific functions in liver cancer, particularly in shaping the tumor immune microenvironment, remain incompletely understood.

Using a multi-omic approach, Professor Yin and his team identified the downregulation of the glycolytic enzyme fructose-1,6-bisphosphate aldolase B (ALDOB) during HCC progression. He explained how reduced ALDOB expression leads to the activation of the pentose phosphate pathway, PI3K-AKT, and insulin receptor signaling pathways, as well as epigenetic changes that contribute to CD8? T-cell exhaustion and immune escape. He also shared findings suggesting that low dietary fructose intake suppresses HCC progression through modulation of ALDOB expression.

The seminar stimulated active discussion on the interplay between metabolic pathways and immune regulation in liver cancer and highlighted potential therapeutic strategies targeting metabolic rewiring in HCC.