Our mitochondrial stem cell research group is located at the Department of Clinical Medicine (K1), University of Bergen.

We are using stem cells transformed from a patient's own fibroblasts to study mitochondrial diseases caused by POLG mutations. The goal of our research group is to conduct iPSC-based in vitro model system studies to increase the understanding of mitochondrial diseases, identify the underlying mechanisms of this common mitochondrial diseases and develop an iPSC-based platform to test therapeutic agents.

We have established the capabilities and facilities required for the reprogramming and differentiation of iPSCs, enabling the study of neuronal cells from patients and healthy controls. Validated iPSCs can differentiate into neural stem cells (NSCs) and compartmentalized neuronal subtypes, as well as astrocyte/glial cell populations. We have also recently developed 3D brain organoids to study disease mechanisms and test treatments.

Our broad research aim is to determine the biological and pathological basis of neurodegenerative diseases associated with mitochondrial dysfunction, and we aim to develop this and conduct more in-depth molecular phenotyping studies. Since the group is also part of the Neuro-SysMed Center, we will use our model and stem cell approach to study other neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson's and Alzheimer's.

See also our group website: Mitochondrial Stem Cell Research | Mitochondrial Medicine & Neurogenetics (MMN) | UiB

2022 - current: Course manager for the Neuro-SysMed Junior Symposium (NEUROSYSM910), Department of Clinical Medicine (K1), University of Bergen

2022 - current: Course coordinator for the Neuro-SysMed Seminars and symposium (NEUROSYSM920), Department of Clinical Medicine (K1), University of Bergen

2021 - 2022: Course assistance for Human Physiology (OD2FYS, FARM280), Department of Biomedicine, University of Bergen

2025

• Tsering Yangzom; Anbin Chen; Kristina Xiao Liang (2025). Generation of 3D Midbrain Organoids from Human-Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells. (external link)
• Zhuoyuan Zhang; Tsering Yangzom; Ning Lu et al. (2025). Metformin Restores Mitochondrial Function and Neurogenesis in POLG Patient-Derived Brain Organoids. (external link)

2020

• Xiao Liang; Cecilie Katrin Kristiansen; Sepideh Mostafavi et al. (2020). Disease-specific phenotypes in iPSC-derived neural stem cells with POLG mutations. (external link)
• Novin Balafkan; Sepideh Mostafavi; Manja Schubert et al. (2020). A method for differentiating human induced pluripotent stem cells toward functional cardiomyocytes in 96‐well microplates. (external link)
• Ling Gao; Qibo Wang; Wen-Hao Ren et al. (2020). The RBP1–CKAP4 axis activates oncogenic autophagy and promotes cancer progression in oral squamous cell carcinoma. (external link)
• Yu Hong; Kristina Xiao Liang; Nils Erik Gilhus (2020). AChR antibodies show a complex interaction with human skeletal muscle cells in a transcriptomic study. (external link)
• Xiao Liang; Cecilie Katrin Kristiansen; Guro Helén Vatne et al. (2020). Patient-specific neural progenitor cells derived from induced pluripotent stem cells offer a promise of good models for mitochondrial disease. (external link)
• Xiao Liang; Guro Helén Vatne; Cecilie Katrin Kristiansen et al. (2020). N-acetylcysteine amide ameliorates mitochondrial dysfunction and reduces oxidative stress in hiPSC-derived dopaminergic neurons with POLG mutation. (external link)

2017

• Xiao Liang; Zhiyuan Wei; Deyu Hu et al. (2017). Prevalence of dentin hypersensitivity among the residents of Xi'an city, China. (external link)

2014

• Amani Hamza Ali Osman; Xiao Liang; fazil bilal et al. (2014). Carcinoma-associated fibroblasts promote a cancer stem cell-like phenotype. (external link)
• Xiao Liang; Karen A. Graham; Anne Christine Johannessen et al. (2014). Human oral cancer cells with increasing tumorigenic abilities exhibit higher effective membrane capacitance. (external link)
• Xiao Liang; Tarig Al-Hadi Osman; Dipak Sapkota et al. (2014). Rapid adherence to collagen IV enriches for tumour initiating cells in oral cancer.. (external link)

2016

• Adrian Biddle; Luke Gammon; Xiao Liang et al. (2016). Phenotypic plasticity determines cancer stem cell therapeutic resistance in oral squamous cell carcinoma. (external link)

2024

• Yu Hong; Zhuoyuan Zhang; Tsering Yangzom et al. (2024). The NAD+ Precursor Nicotinamide Riboside Rescues Mitochondrial Defects and Neuronal Loss in iPSC derived Cortical Organoid of Alpers' Disease. (external link)
• Anbin Chen; Tsering Yangzom; Yu Hong et al. (2024). Hallmark Molecular and Pathological Features of POLG Disease are Recapitulated in Cerebral Organoids. (external link)
• Heling Wang; Richard Siow; Tomás Alejandro Schmauck-Medina et al. (2024). Meeting Summary of The NYO3 5th NO-Age/AD Meeting and the 1st Norway-UK Joint Meeting on Aging and Dementia: Recent Progress on the Mechanisms and Interventional Strategies. (external link)
• Xiao Liang (2024). Interplay of mitochondria and diabetes: Unveiling novel therapeutic strategies. (external link)
• Xiao Liang (2024). The application of brain organoid for drug discovery in mitochondrial diseases. (external link)

2022

• Shaoming Li; Ling Gao; Weidong Zhang et al. (2022). MiR-152-5p suppresses osteogenic differentiation of mandible mesenchymal stem cells by regulating ATG14-mediated autophagy. (external link)
• Anbin Chen; Cecilie Katrin Kristiansen; Lena Elise Høyland et al. (2022). POLG mutations lead to abnormal mitochondrial remodeling during neural differentiation of human pluripotent stem cells via SIRT3/AMPK pathway inhibition. (external link)
• Cecilie Katrin Kristiansen; Anbin Chen; Lena Elise Høyland et al. (2022). Comparing the mitochondrial signatures in ESCs and iPSCs and their neural derivations. (external link)
• Lin Zhao; Han Wang; Sijia Liu et al. (2022). Inhibition of autophagy reduces the rate of fluoride-induced LS8 apoptosis via regulating ATG5 and ATG7. (external link)

2018

• Cecilie Katrin Kristiansen; Laurence Bindoff; Xiao Liang (2018). W748S POLG mutation induced mitochondrial changes in hiPSC-differentiated NSCs. (external link)

2019

• Zhang Zhuoyuan; Zhenjie Gao; Saroj Rajthala et al. (2019). Metabolic reprogramming of normal oral fibroblasts correlated with increased glycolytic metabolism of oral squamous cell carcinoma and precedes their activation into carcinoma associated fibroblasts. (external link)

2023

• Yu Hong; Cecilie Katrin Kristiansen; Anbin Chen et al. (2023). POLG genotype influences degree of mitochondrial dysfunction in iPSC derived neural progenitors, but not the parent iPSC or derived glia. (external link)
• Sharika Marjan; Tsering Yangzom; Cecilie Katrin Kristiansen et al. (2023). Application of Flow Cytometric Analysis for Measuring Multiple Mitochondrial Parameters in 3D Brain Organoids. (external link)

2021

• Xiao Liang; Anbin Chen; Cecilie Katrin Kristiansen et al. (2021). Flow cytometric analysis of multiple mitochondrial parameters in human induced pluripotent stem cells and their neural and glial derivatives. (external link)

2013

• Xiao Liang (2013). Biological Characteristics of Stem-Like Cells in Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma. (external link)

See a complete overview of publications in Cristin.

  Multiple iPSC-based in vitro model systems.

• 2D: neural stem cells, DA neurons, motor neurons, generic neurons, astrocytes, oligodendrocytes and cardiomyocytes.
• 3D: mini-brain organoid system
• Co-culture systems

  Modeling diseases using neural stem cells, neurons, astrocytes, and astrocyte-neurons interactions.

  Developing a high-throughput iPSC-based platform for screening the therapeutic agents.

  Investigating metabolic reprogramming between the neurons and glial cells

  Using single-cell transcriptomics for multidimensional phenotyping.