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Research Areas

• Stem cell biology
• Cell fates engineering, cellular reprogramming and trans-differentiation
• Human diseases
• Gene-therapy
• Transcription and epigenetic regulation

Research Interests

Our current research focuses on understanding the molecular mechanisms underpinning the process of cellular reprogramming and cell fate decision. Ongoing projects include: 1) Understanding the function of DNA and Histone modifiers in cell fate changes and 2) Epigenetic Reprogramming/Transdifferentiation using defined factors expression. Ultimately, we want to harness these molecular switches to derive high-quality stem cells or differentiated cell types that can potentially be used for therapeutic applications.

Selected Publications

1. Fang HT, El Farran CA, Xing QR, Zhang LF, Li H, Lim B, Loh YH#. Global H3.3 dynamic deposition defines its bimodal role in cell fate transition. Nat Commun. 2018 Apr 18;9:1537 #As Corresponding author

2. Cheng H, Ang HY, A El Farran C, Li P, Fang HT, Liu TM, Kong SL, Chin ML, Ling WY, Lim EK, Li H, Huber T, Loh KM, Loh YH#, Lim B. Reprogramming mouse fibroblasts into engraftable myeloerythroid and lymphoid progenitors. Nat Commun. 2016 Nov 21;7:13396. #As Corresponding author

3. Yang BX, El Farran CA, Guo HC, Yu T, Fang HT, Wang HF, Schlesinger S, Seah YF, Goh GY, Neo SP, Li Y, Lorincz MC, Tergaonkar V, Lim TM, Chen L, Gunaratne J, Collins JJ, Goff SP, Daley GQ, Li H, Bard FA, Loh YH#. Systematic identification of factors for provirus silencing in embryonic stem cells. Cell. 2015 Sep 24;163(1):230-45. Epub 2015 Sep 10. #As Corresponding author. Featured in Research Highlights Cell 163 (1) by Todd S. Macfarlan

4. Lu Y, Loh YH*, Li H, Cesana M, Ficarro SB, Parikh JR, Salomonis N, Toh CX, Andreadis ST, Luckey CJ, Collins JJ, Daley GQ, Marto JA.  Alternative splicing of MBD2 supports self-renewal in human pluripotent stem cells.  Cell Stem Cell. 2014 Jul 3;15(1):92-101. Epub 2014 May 8. *As Co-first author

5. Loh YH, Hartung O, Li H, Guo C, Sahalie JM, Manos PD, Urbach A, Heffner GC, Grskovic M, Vigneault F, Lensch MW, Park IH, Agarwal S, Church GM, Collins JJ, Irion S, Daley GQ. Reprogramming of T cells from human peripheral blood. Cell Stem Cell. 2010 Jul 2;7(1):15-9. Featured on Cover page & Preview by Shinya Yamanaka, Cell Stem Cell 7(2).

6. Agarwal S, Loh YH, McLoughlin EM, Huang J, Park IH, Miller JD, Huo H, Okuka M, Dos Reis RM, Loewer S, Ng HH, Keefe DL, Goldman FD, Klingelhutz AJ, Liu L, Daley GQ. Telomere elongation in induced pluripotent stem cells from dyskeratosis congenita patients. Nature. 2010 Mar 11;464(7286):292-6. Epub 2010 Feb 17.

7. Loh YH, Zhang W, Chen X, George J, Ng HH. Jmjd1a and Jmjd2c histone H3 Lys 9 demethylases regulate self-renewal in embryonic stem cells.  Genes Dev. 2007 Oct 15;21(20):2545-57.  Featured in Research Highlights Nature Reviews Genetics 8 & Featured in Preview by Hitoshi Niwa, Genes and Development 21

8. Loh YH, Wu Q, Chew JL, Vega VB, Zhang W, Chen X, Bourque G, George J, Leong B, Liu J, Wong KY, Sung KW, Lee CW, Zhao X.D, Chiu KP, Lipovich L, Kuznetsov VA, Robson P, Stanton LW, Wei CL, Ruan Y, Lim B, Ng HH. The Oct4 and Nanog transcription network regulates pluripotency in mouse embryonic stem cells. Nat Genet. 2006 Apr;38(4):431-40. Epub 2006 Mar 5.