# Yue Xiong
Yue Xiong is a Chinese-born biochemist and cancer researcher known for the discovery and characterization of the cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor p21, for defining the D-type cyclins and their partners, and for showing that 2-hydroxyglutarate acts as an oncometabolite in IDH-mutant tumors. He has been Chief Scientific Officer of Gyre Therapeutics since May 2026, after serving as Chief Scientific Officer of Cullgen Inc. from August 2020, and was previously a professor at the [University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill](https://www.edgepedia.org/university-of-north-carolina-at-chapel-hill), where he held the William R. Kenan chair in biochemistry and biophysics.[1](https://people.equilar.com/bio/person/yue-xiong-gyre-therapeutics-inc/27782728) • [2](https://www.cullgen.com/yue-xiong) • [3](https://www.nature.com/articles/366701a0)
| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Field | Cancer cell biology: cell-cycle control, cancer metabolism |
| Signature work | "p21 is a universal inhibitor of cyclin kinases", Nature, 1993[3](https://www.nature.com/articles/366701a0) |
| Other landmark work | Human D-type cyclin (Cell, 1991); 2-hydroxyglutarate as an antagonist of α-KG-dependent dioxygenases[4](http://repository.cshl.edu/view/cshl_author/xiong=5Fyue.default.html) • [5](https://unclineberger.org/itcms/directory/yue-xiong/) |
| Training | BS Fudan University 1982; MS Shanghai Institute of Plant Physiology 1984; PhD University of Rochester 1989; postdoc, HHMI at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, 1990–1993[6](https://digital.sciencehistory.org/works/q87u4qt) |
| Academic career | UNC-Chapel Hill, Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, 1993–2020; Kenan Professor 2005; led Lineberger Cancer Cell Biology Program 2006–2020[6](https://digital.sciencehistory.org/works/q87u4qt) • [1](https://people.equilar.com/bio/person/yue-xiong-gyre-therapeutics-inc/27782728) |
| Industry role | Cullgen board member from 2018; Chief Scientific Officer from August 2020; Gyre Therapeutics Chief Scientific Officer since May 2026[1](https://people.equilar.com/bio/person/yue-xiong-gyre-therapeutics-inc/27782728) • [7](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1574235/000114036125004871/ny20040458x1_ex10-8.htm) |
| Honors | Pew Scholar 1995; AACR-Gertrude B. Elion Award 1999; AAAS Fellow 2012[2](https://www.cullgen.com/yue-xiong) |
## Education and career
Xiong earned a BS in biology from [Fudan University](https://www.edgepedia.org/fudan-university) in Shanghai in 1982, an MS from the Shanghai Institute of Plant Physiology in 1984, and a PhD in biology from the [University of Rochester](https://www.edgepedia.org/university-of-rochester) in 1989.[6](https://digital.sciencehistory.org/works/q87u4qt) From 1990 to 1993 he was a postdoctoral research associate with the [Howard Hughes Medical Institute](https://www.edgepedia.org/howard-hughes-medical-institute) at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory.[6](https://digital.sciencehistory.org/works/q87u4qt)
He joined the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill's Department of Biochemistry and [Biophysics](https://www.edgepedia.org/biophysics) as an assistant professor in 1993 and became an associate professor in 1999.[6](https://digital.sciencehistory.org/works/q87u4qt) From September 2006 to July 2020 he led the Cancer Cell Biology Program at the UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center.[1](https://people.equilar.com/bio/person/yue-xiong-gyre-therapeutics-inc/27782728) His laboratory held NIH grant R01-CA163834, "Mechanisms of Metabolic Gene Mutations in Cancer".[8](https://grantome.com/grant/NIH/R01-CA163834-01)
## Representative work
In December 1993 he published "p21 is a universal inhibitor of cyclin kinases" in Nature.[3](https://www.nature.com/articles/366701a0) The paper reported that p21 inhibits the activity of each member of the cyclin/CDK family, and that overexpression of p21 inhibits the proliferation of mammalian cells, supporting its description as a universal inhibitor of cyclin kinases.[3](https://www.nature.com/articles/366701a0) It also showed that in normal cells CDKs exist predominantly in quaternary complexes containing a CDK, a cyclin, proliferating cell nuclear antigen, and p21, whereas in many transformed cells PCNA and p21 are lost from these enzymes.[3](https://www.nature.com/articles/366701a0)
The same Cold Spring Harbor period produced the D-type cyclin work: "Human D-type cyclin" in Cell in May 1991, "D type cyclins associate with multiple protein kinases and the DNA replication and repair factor PCNA" in Cell in October 1992, and a 1992 Genomics paper on the molecular cloning and chromosomal mapping of the CCND genes encoding human D-type cyclins.[4](http://repository.cshl.edu/view/cshl_author/xiong=5Fyue.default.html)
## Oncometabolites and cancer metabolism
Xiong's later laboratory work moved into cancer metabolism. His group showed that 2-hydroxyglutarate (2-HG), which is produced by mutated isocitrate dehydrogenase (IDH) and accumulates to high levels in IDH-mutated tumors, acts as an antagonist of α-ketoglutarate (α-KG), negatively regulating multiple α-KG-dependent dioxygenases, including histone demethylases and the TET family of DNA hydroxylases.[5](https://unclineberger.org/itcms/directory/yue-xiong/) An NIH grant summary states that mutations targeting IDH1 and IDH2 occur frequently in gliomas and leukemia and cause simultaneous loss and gain of activities in the production of α-KG and 2-HG respectively, and that 2-HG competitively inhibits α-KG-dependent dioxygenases by binding in the catalytic site; it adds that succinate and fumarate, which accumulate in cells with mutant SDH and FH, similarly inhibit histone demethylases in vivo and in vitro.[9](https://grantome.com/grant/NIH/R01-CA163834-04) A 2018 review in Trends in Cancer covered the metabolism, activity, and targeting of the D- and L- forms of 2-hydroxyglutarate.[8](https://grantome.com/grant/NIH/R01-CA163834-01) His group's other metabolic work revealed a broad regulation of metabolic enzymes by acetylation.[5](https://unclineberger.org/itcms/directory/yue-xiong/)
## Cullgen and industry role
Cullgen Inc. is a biopharmaceutical company with a targeted protein degradation platform.[1](https://people.equilar.com/bio/person/yue-xiong-gyre-therapeutics-inc/27782728) • [10](https://www.nasdaq.com/press-release/gyre-therapeutics-enters-agreement-acquire-cullgen-gain-targeted-protein-degradation) Xiong served on its board of directors from 2018, and an employment agreement dated August 1, 2020 made him Chief Science Officer, reporting directly to the company's [President](https://www.edgepedia.org/president-corporate-title), retaining his board seat and devoting at least eighty percent of his time to the company.[1](https://people.equilar.com/bio/person/yue-xiong-gyre-therapeutics-inc/27782728) • [7](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1574235/000114036125004871/ny20040458x1_ex10-8.htm)
In November 2024 Pulmatrix announced a merger agreement with Cullgen; at that point Cullgen's lead candidate CG001419, an oral pan-TRK degrader, had been dosed in ten patients in a solid-tumor trial with no dose-limiting toxicity or grade ≥3 treatment-related adverse events, and a cell-cycle-protein degrader program was partnered with [Astellas Pharma](https://www.edgepedia.org/astellas-pharma).[11](https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/pulmatrix-and-cullgen-announce-proposed-merger-302303818.html) Cullgen completed enrollment in a Phase 1 trial of CG001419, a non-opioid pain candidate, in September 2025, and released positive top-line results from that trial in late 2025.[12](https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2025/09/18/3152268/0/en/Cullgen-Completes-Enrollment-in-Phase-1-Trial-of-its-Novel-Non-Opioid-Pain-Product-Candidate-CG001419.html) • [9](https://grantome.com/grant/NIH/R01-CA163834-04) • [10](https://www.nasdaq.com/press-release/gyre-therapeutics-enters-agreement-acquire-cullgen-gain-targeted-protein-degradation) After Gyre Therapeutics agreed to acquire Cullgen, Xiong became Chief Scientific Officer of Gyre in May 2026.[10](https://www.nasdaq.com/press-release/gyre-therapeutics-enters-agreement-acquire-cullgen-gain-targeted-protein-degradation) • [1](https://people.equilar.com/bio/person/yue-xiong-gyre-therapeutics-inc/27782728)
## Honors and recognition
Xiong received the Pew Scholar in Biomedical Sciences award and the American Cancer Society Junior Faculty Research Award in 1995, the AACR-Gertrude B. Elion Cancer Research Award and the UNC Hettleman Award for Scholarly Achievement in 1999, the UNC Battle Distinguished Cancer Research Award in 2011, and election as a Fellow of the [American Association for the Advancement of Science](https://www.edgepedia.org/american-association-for-the-advancement-of-science) in 2012.[2](https://www.cullgen.com/yue-xiong) • [5](https://unclineberger.org/itcms/directory/yue-xiong/)
## References
1. [Yue Xiong PhD, Equilar ExecAtlas executive bio](https://people.equilar.com/bio/person/yue-xiong-gyre-therapeutics-inc/27782728)
2. [Yue Xiong, Cullgen](https://www.cullgen.com/yue-xiong)
3. [p21 is a universal inhibitor of cyclin kinases (Nature, 1993)](https://www.nature.com/articles/366701a0)
4. [CSHL Scientific Digital Repository, browse by author: Yue Xiong](http://repository.cshl.edu/view/cshl_author/xiong=5Fyue.default.html)
5. [Yue Xiong, UNC Lineberger ITCMS directory](https://unclineberger.org/itcms/directory/yue-xiong/)
6. [Oral history interview with Yue Xiong, Science History Institute](https://digital.sciencehistory.org/works/q87u4qt)
7. [Employment agreement between Cullgen Inc. and Dr. Yue Xiong (SEC exhibit 10.8)](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1574235/000114036125004871/ny20040458x1_ex10-8.htm)
8. [Mechanisms of Metabolic Gene Mutations in Cancer, NIH R01-CA163834 (grant record with publications)](https://grantome.com/grant/NIH/R01-CA163834-01)
9. [Mechanisms of Metabolic Gene Mutations in Cancer, NIH R01-CA163834](https://grantome.com/grant/NIH/R01-CA163834-04)
10. [Gyre Therapeutics enters agreement to acquire Cullgen (Nasdaq press release)](https://www.nasdaq.com/press-release/gyre-therapeutics-enters-agreement-acquire-cullgen-gain-targeted-protein-degradation)
11. [Pulmatrix and Cullgen announce proposed merger (PR Newswire, November 13, 2024)](https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/pulmatrix-and-cullgen-announce-proposed-merger-302303818.html)
12. [Cullgen completes enrollment in Phase 1 trial of CG001419 (GlobeNewswire, September 18, 2025)](https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2025/09/18/3152268/0/en/Cullgen-Completes-Enrollment-in-Phase-1-Trial-of-its-Novel-Non-Opioid-Pain-Product-Candidate-CG001419.html)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Life and health › Life and health scientists › Life scientists › Researchers in cancer biology › Cell signaling and cell cycle*
*Initially written Sep 21, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 25, 2026; Sep 30, 2026 · Edited: Sep 25, 2026 · Last review: Sep 30, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license