Saifei Liu

Saifei Liu

School of Medicine

College of Health

With a background of Medicine (Hebei Medical University, China), Medical Biotechnology (Masters, Flinders University) and Medical Science (PhD, University of Adelaide), I am a basic and translational cardiovascular researcher, undertaking a wide range of clinical and basic science research projects.My current research relates to three areas:- (i) Chemotherapy induced cardiotoxicity, (ii) B-type natriuretic peptide physiology and pathophysiology in heart failure, and (iii) Mechanistic interactions of inflammatory activation and glycocalyx shedding in cardiovascular disease.

Topic 1: Chemotherapy induced cardiotoxicity

Cancer now affects more than 1 in 3 people in their lifetime and along with cardiovascular disease, they are the two leading causes of death. Cancer outcomes contribute to improve due to earlier detection and newer targeted therapies, with chemotherapy and immunotherapy playing prominent roles in treating many forms of cancer. Recently, substantial improvements in outcomes among patients treated for most cancers have been recorded, but virtually all the agents utilized can cause permanent and potentially fatal heart damage (cardiotoxicity). If this process is left unchecked, it can sometimes cause severe heart failure. Although this is rare (under 1 in 20 patients), heart failure is a serious illness that can be difficult to treat, with a high mortality rate. At this stage, the exact mechanism of drug-induced cardiotoxicity remains unclear.

We are currently running a clinical trial recruiting cancer patients attending QEH Oncology clinics and receiving chemotherapy to study the potential usefulness of certain biomarkers to early identify patients at risk of developing heart failure and help us guide future treatment. We have also established a cell-culture model of anthracycline-induced cardiotoxicity in human cardiac myocytes and aim to use this to evaluate (1) the mechanisms associated with damage to the heart cells and (2) potential cardio protective treatment options.

We are also planning to start setting up a clinical Cardio-Oncology Registry, to evaluate tumor-related and cardiovascular outcomes in all patients considered for cancer chemo- or immuno-therapy.

Topic 2: Impaired BNP anti-inflammatory effects in acute heart failure: interactions with viral infections and pharmacotherapy.

Acute heart failure (AHF) represents a very common cause of admission to hospitals and indeed to

intensive care units. With a progressive increase in numbers of patients in the community with chronic

heart failure, this is an increasingly important problem.

B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) is a hormone released from the heart which releases blood vessels and

helps to resolve inflammation: the latter is a major feature of AHF. I have previously shown that in

patients with AHF, the anti-inflammatory effects of BNP are defective, but that they recover over the

next few weeks as patients are treated.

Very recently, researchers (mainly in Melbourne) have shown that the influenza virus induces, and

thrives in, and environment of high levels of inflammation. Thus would help to explain why influenza

often causes AHF, but no specific treatment is available.

We propose to study patients admitted to hospital with AHF with/without viral infections, and:-

(1) determine whether impairment of BNP response is particularly marked in the presence of viral

infection

(2) identify optimal strategies for rapid restoration of BNP response.

The results should assist in the management of patients with AHF

 

Date Position Institution name
2017 - 2018 Postdoctoral Fellow University of Adelaide, Adelaide
2015 - 2016 Technical Officer The Queen Elizabeth Hospital

Language Competency
Chinese (Mandarin) Can read, write, speak, understand spoken and peer review
English Can read, write, speak, understand spoken and peer review

Date Institution name Country Title
2011 - 2015 University of Adelaide, Adelaide Australia PhD
2008 - 2009 Flinders University, Adelaide Australia Masters

Year Citation
2025 Rad, S. K., Yeo, K. K. L., Li, R., Wu, F., Liu, S., Nourmohammadi, S., . . . Smith, E. (2025). Enhancement of Doxorubicin Efficacy by Bacopaside II in Triple-Negative Breast Cancer Cells. Biomolecules, 15(1), 55-1-55-17.
DOI Scopus6 WoS6 Europe PMC4
2024 Liu, S., Lawrie, I. A., Rabia, B., & Horowitz, J. D. (2024). Impairment of Vascular Homeostasis in Acute Heart Failure: Enter the Monocyte? . Cardiovascular drugs and therapy, 38(3), 405-409.
DOI
2024 Li, R., Liu, S., Yeo, K., Edwards, S., Li, M. Y., Santos, R., . . . Smith, E. (2024). Diagnostic and prognostic significance of circulating secreted frizzled-related protein 5 in colorectal cancer. Cancer Medicine, 13(11), e7352-1-e7352-11.
DOI Europe PMC1
2024 Liu, S., Horowitz, J. D., Koczwara, B., Sverdlov, A. L., Packer, N., & Clark, R. A. (2024). Cardiac events among a cohort of 17,389 patients receiving cancer chemotherapy: short and long term implications. Cardio Oncology, 10(1), 11 pages.
DOI Scopus2 WoS1
2023 Murtha, L. A., Hardy, S. A., Mabotuwana, N. S., Bigland, M. J., Bailey, T., Raguram, K., . . . Boyle, A. J. (2023). Fibulin-3 is necessary to prevent cardiac rupture following myocardial infarction. Scientific Reports, 13(1), 14995-1-14995-12.
DOI Scopus10 WoS10 Europe PMC9
2022 Chong, C. -R., Liu, S., Imam, H., Heresztyn, T., Sallustio, B. C., Chirkov, Y. Y., & Horowitz, J. D. (2022). Perhexiline Therapy in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes: Incremental Insulin Resistance despite Potentiation of Nitric Oxide Signaling. Biomedicines, 10(10), 2381-1-2381-10.
DOI Scopus1 WoS1
2021 Ong, G. J., Nguyen, T. H., Kucia, A., Liu, S. -F., Surikow, S. Y., Girolamo, O., . . . Horowitz, J. D. (2021). Takotsubo syndrome: Finally emerging from the shadows?. Heart Lung and Circulation, 30(1), 36-44.
DOI Scopus13 WoS13 Europe PMC9
2021 Imam, H., Nguyen, T. H., Stafford, I., Liu, S., Heresztyn, T., Chirkov, Y. Y., & Horowitz, J. D. (2021). Impairment of platelet NO signalling in coronary artery spasm: role of hydrogen sulphide. British Journal of Pharmacology, 178(7), 1639-1650.
DOI Scopus13 WoS13 Europe PMC13
2021 Chong, C. -R., Liu, S., Imam, H., Heresztyn, T., Sallustio, B., Chirkov, Y. Y., & Horowitz, J. D. (2021). Perhexiline Therapy in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes: Dissociation Between Potentiation of Nitric Oxide Signalling and Changes in Insulin Resistance.
DOI
2020 Nguyen, T., Chirkov, Y., Liu, S., Stafford, I., & Horowitz, J. (2020). Increased Rate of Hospitalization With Prinzmetal Angina: What Exactly Is Happening?. American Journal of Medicine, 133(4), e162-e163.
DOI Scopus1 WoS1 Europe PMC1
2020 Liu, S., Ngo, D., Chirkov, Y., Stansborough, J., Chong, C., & Horowitz, J. D. (2020). Prolonged suppression of the anti-oxidant/anti-inflammatory effects of BNP post-Takotsubo syndrome. ESC Heart Failure, 7(5), 2250-2257.
DOI Scopus5 WoS5 Europe PMC4
2019 Liu, S., & Horowitz, J. D. (2019). Interactions between Influenza and Heart Failure Hospitalizations-Diagnostic and Pathogenetic Issues. JAMA Cardiology, 4(9), 949-950.
DOI Scopus1 WoS1 Europe PMC1
2019 Liu, S., Chirkov, Y. Y., & Horowitz, J. D. (2019). Neutrophil-initiated myocardial inflammation and Its modulation by B-type natriuretic peptide: a potential therapeutic target. International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 20(1), 129-1-129-13.
DOI Scopus10 WoS10 Europe PMC8
2018 Ajaero, C., Chong, C. -R., Procter, N., Liu, S., Chirkov, Y., Heresztyn, T., . . . Horowitz, J. (2018). Does cardiac resynchronization therapy restore peripheral circulatory homeostasis?. ESC heart failure, 5(1), 129-138.
DOI Scopus1 WoS2 Europe PMC2
2018 Horowitz, J. D., & Liu, S. (2018). ADAM-15 and glycocalyx shedding: a new perspective on sepsis-related vasomotor dysfunction. Cardiovascular research, 114(13), 1694-1695.
DOI Scopus3 WoS3 Europe PMC3
2017 Nguyen, T. H., Liu, S., Ong, G. J., Stafford, I., Frenneaux, M. P., & Horowitz, J. D. (2017). Glycocalyx shedding is markedly increased during the acute phase of Takotsubo cardiomyopathy. International Journal of Cardiology, 243, 296-299.
DOI Scopus38 WoS38 Europe PMC39
2017 Amarasekera, A., Assadi-Khansari, B., Liu, S., Black, M., Dymmott, G., Rogers, N., . . . Ngo, D. (2017). Vitamin D supplementation lowers thrombospondin-1 levels and blood pressure in healthy adults. PLoS ONE, 12(5), e0174435-1-e0174435-14.
DOI Scopus13 WoS13 Europe PMC14
2016 Chen, D., Procter, N., Goh, V., Liu, S., Chua, S., Assadi-Khansari, B., . . . Ngo, D. (2016). New onset atrial fibrillation is associated with elevated galectin-3 levels. International Journal of Cardiology, 223, 48-49.
DOI Scopus22 WoS15 Europe PMC17
2016 Nguyen, T. H., Liu, S., Ong, G., Stafford, I., Frenneaux, M., & Horowitz, J. D. (2016). Glycocalyx shedding is markedly increased during the acute phase of Takotsubo cardiomyopathy. Abstracts of the American Heart Association Scientific Sessions and Resuscitation Science Symposium 2016, as published in Circulation, 134(Suppl. 1), A11912.
DOI
2015 Procter, N., Ball, J., Liu, S., Hurst, N., Nooney, V., Goh, V., . . . Horowitz, J. (2015). Impaired platelet nitric oxide response in patients with new onset atrial fibrillation. International Journal of Cardiology, 179, 160-165.
DOI Scopus21 WoS23 Europe PMC20
2015 Chong, C., Liu, S., Licari, G., Heresztyn, T., Chirkov, Y., Ngo, D., & Horowitz, J. (2015). Reversal of hyperglycemia: effects on nitric oxide signaling. American Journal of Medicine, 128(4), 427-430.
DOI Scopus6 WoS6 Europe PMC5
2015 Liu, S., Ngo, D., Chong, C., Amarasekera, A., Procter, N., Licari, G., . . . Horowitz, J. (2015). Suppression of neutrophil superoxide generation by BNP is attenuated in acute heart failure: a case for 'BNP resistance'. European Journal of Heart Failure, 17(5), 475-483.
DOI Scopus15 WoS14 Europe PMC13
2015 Procter, N. E., Ball, J., Heresztyn, T., Nooney, V. B., Liu, S., Chong, C. -R., . . . Horowitz, J. D. (2015). Subtle renal dysfunction and bleeding risk in atrial fibrillation: symmetric dimethylarginine predicts HAS-BLED score.. American journal of cardiovascular disease, 5(2), 101-109.
WoS1
2014 Liu, S., Ngo, D., Stewart, S., Horowitz, J., & Chirkov, Y. (2014). B-Type natriuretic peptide suppression of neutrophil superoxide generation: mechanistic studies in normal subjects. Clinical and Experimental Pharmacology and Physiology, 41(10), 739-743.
DOI Scopus8 WoS8 Europe PMC8
2014 Chong, C., Chan, W., Nguyen, T., Liu, S., Procter, N., Ngo, D., . . . Horowitz, J. (2014). Thioredoxin-interacting protein: pathophysiology and emerging pharmacotherapeutics in cardiovascular disease and diabetes. Cardiovascular Drugs and Therapy, 28(4), 347-360.
DOI Scopus79 WoS76 Europe PMC71
2014 Dautov, R., Stafford, I., Liu, S., Cullen, H., Chirkov, Y., & Horowitz, J. (2014). Hypoxic potentiation of nitrite effects in human vessels and platelets. Nitric Oxide: Biology and Chemistry, 40, 36-44.
DOI Scopus20 WoS18 Europe PMC14
2013 Dautov, R., Ngo, D., Licari, G., Liu, S., Sverdlov, A., Ritchie, R., . . . Chirkov, Y. (2013). The nitric oxide redox sibling nitroxyl partially circumvents impairment of platelet nitric oxide responsiveness. Nitric Oxide-Biology and Chemistry, 35, 72-78.
DOI Scopus22 WoS23 Europe PMC15
2011 Liu, S., Newland, R. F., Tully, P. J., Tuble, S. C., & Baker, R. A. (2011). In vitro evaluation of gaseous microemboli handling of cardiopulmonary bypass circuits with and without integrated arterial line filters. Journal of Extra-Corporeal Technology, 43(3), 107-114.
DOI Scopus28 Europe PMC18

Year Citation
2021 Chen, D., Untaru, R., Liu, S., Assadi-Khansari, B., Croft, A., Kelly, C., . . . Sverdlov, A. (2021). Follistatin-like 3 (FSTL3) levels are increased in acute heart failure patients. In EUROPEAN HEART JOURNAL Vol. 42 (pp. 1039). OXFORD UNIV PRESS.
2018 Goh, V. J. K., Woolley, C., Awford, A., Procter, N., Chong, C. -R., Liu, S., . . . Horowitz, J. (2018). Atrial Fibrillation Ablation May Suppress Systemic Inflammatory Activation by Inhibiting Thioredoxin Interacting Protein Expression. In Circulation. 2016 Vol. 134 (pp. 8 pages). New Orleans, LA: LIPPINCOTT WILLIAMS & WILKINS.
2017 Nguyen, T. H., Stansborough, J., Ong, G. J., Surikow, S., Frenneaux, M. P., & Horowitz, J. D. (2017). Implications of "Secondary" Takotsubo Syndrome on Short and Longterm Event Rates. In CIRCULATION Vol. 136 (pp. 2 pages). Anaheim, CA: LIPPINCOTT WILLIAMS & WILKINS.
2016 Liu, S., Assadi-Khansari, B., Ajaero, C., Chua, S. J., Horowitz, J. D., Ngo, D. T., & Sverdlov, A. L. (2016). Follistatin-Like 3 is Elevated In Acute Heart Failure Patients. In CIRCULATION Vol. 134 (pp. 7 pages). Pentagon City, VA: LIPPINCOTT WILLIAMS & WILKINS.

Year Citation
2019 Liu, S., & Horowitz, J. (2019). N-acetylcysteine reverses peroxynitrite and hydrogen peroxide-induced apoptosis of human myocardial cells. Poster session presented at the meeting of Abstracts of the 68th Annual Scientific Session and Expo of the American College of Cardiology (ACC.19), as published in Journal of the American College Of Cardiology. New Orleans, LA: Elsevier.
DOI WoS1
2019 Liu, S., Nguyen, T. H., Imam, H., Heresztyn, T., Stafford, I., Chirkov, Y. Y., & Horowitz, J. D. (2019). Coronary artery spasm: a consequence of impaired nitric oxide/hydrogen sulphide signalling?. Poster session presented at the meeting of EUROPEAN HEART JOURNAL. Paris, FRANCE: OXFORD UNIV PRESS.
2019 Nguyen, T. H., Liu, S., Imam, H., Heresztyn, T., Stafford, I., Chirkov, Y. Y., & Horowitz, J. D. (2019). Pathogenesis of symptomatic crises in patients with coronary artery spasm: evidence for acute damage to vascular glycocalyx and to circulating platelets. Poster session presented at the meeting of EUROPEAN HEART JOURNAL. Paris, FRANCE: OXFORD UNIV PRESS.
2017 Procter, N. E. K., Pasupathy, S., Stafford, I., Heresztyn, T., Liu, S., Selvanayagam, J., . . . Horowitz, J. D. (2017). Glycocalyx shedding in acute myocardial infarction: interactions with reperfusion and n-acetylcysteine therapy. Poster session presented at the meeting of EUROPEAN HEART JOURNAL. OXFORD UNIV PRESS.
2015 Liu, S., Ngo, D. T., Chong, C. R., Chan, W. P., Horowitz, J. D., & Chirkov, Y. Y. (2015). Tachyphylaxis to the anti-inflammatory effects of BNP in acute heart failure:-potential response to therapy. Poster session presented at the meeting of EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF HEART FAILURE. WILEY-BLACKWELL.
2014 Liu, S., Ngo, D., Chong, C. -R., Chirkov, Y., Stewart, S., & Horowitz, J. (2014). Mechanisms of BNP interactions with neutrophil superoxide release: attenuation in acute and chronic heart failure. Poster session presented at the meeting of Global Heart.
2013 Liu, S., Ngo, D., Chirkov, Y., Stewart, S., & Horowitz, J. (2013). Impaired B-type natriuretic peptide effets on neutrophil burst in heart failure patients. Poster session presented at the meeting of Abstracts of the American Heart Association 2013 Scientific Sessions and Resuscitation Science Symposium, as publshed in Circulation. Dallas, TX: American Heart Association.
2013 Chong, C., Liu, S., Licari, G., Chirkov, Y., Ngo, D., & Horowitz, J. (2013). Reversal of acute hyperglycemia restores tissue responsiveness to nitric oxide and improves endothelial progenitor cell function without downregulating platelet thioredoxin interacting protein. Poster session presented at the meeting of Abstracts of the American Heart Association 2013 Scientific Sessions and Resuscitation Science Symposium, as publshed in Circulation. Dallas, TX: American Heart Association.
2012 Liu, S., Ngo, D. T., Chirkov, Y. Y., Sheikh, A. R., Licari, G., Stewart, S., & Horowitz, J. D. (2012). Brain Natriuretic Peptide (BNP) Suppresses Neutrophil Superoxide Release: Attenuation in Patients with Congestive Heart Failure (CHF). Poster session presented at the meeting of CIRCULATION. LIPPINCOTT WILLIAMS & WILKINS.

Year Citation
2024 Li, R., Liu, S., Yeo, K., Edwards, S., Li, M. Y., Santos, R., . . . Smith, E. (2024). Circulating SFRP5 levels are elevated in colorectal cancer and correlate with overall survival in stage II-III disease.
DOI
2024 Rad, S. K., Yeo, K., Li, R., Wu, F., Liu, S., Nourmohammadi, S., . . . Smith, E. (2024). Enhancement of Doxorubicin Efficacy by Bacopaside II in Triple-Negative Breast Cancer Cells.
DOI

Date Role Research Topic Location Program Supervision Type Student Load Student Name
2017 - 2018 Co-Supervisor Chemotherapy induced cardiotoxicity Basil Hetzel Institute - Honours - Dongqing Chen

Date Role Membership Country
2019 - ongoing Member European Society of Cardiology France
2019 - ongoing Member ESC Council on Stroke France
2012 - ongoing Member CSANZ Australia

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