- WELCOME TO THE YI LAB -

The Chenju Yi Lab concentrates on the role of glial cells in the pathogenesis of neurological diseases and uncovering potential therapeutic target. We also aim to screen small molecular compounds against such targets, and evaluate their transformative potential through in vitro and in vivo experiments. In our prior studies, we uncover a key role for astrocyte Connexins (Cxs) in neurological diseases. we found that in neurodegeneration diseases, astrocyte Cx43 is activated and function as hemichannel, mediating a series of neuronal damage and degeneration. In addition, in ischemic cerebral infarction, the astrocyte CXs function as gap junctions, which mediate the transmission of injury signals from the central area of the infarction to the hippocampus, resulting in delayed hippocampal injury, which leads to cognitive dysfunction.

Our current research directions include but are not limited to:

(1) The role of astrocyte and microglia in the pathogenesis and pathological process of neurodegenerative diseases.

(2) Blood-brain barrier dysfunction in Alzheimer's Disease (AD) pathogenesis.

(3) Glial cell crosstalk in CNS development and disease.

(4) Translational drug discovery targeting glial mechanisms.