Key Publications

Listed are a number of key papers and other publications. They are listed under the following headings: "Colorectal Cancer (CRC) and Other Cancers", "CRC & Vitamin D"; "Inflammatory Bowel Disease"; "Other Work in Molecular Epidemiology" and "Umbrella Reviews".

Colorectal Cancer (CRC) and Other Cancers

Jiang F, Zhao J, Sun Y, Chen W, Zhao Y, Zhou S ... Li X (2024) Impact of Ambient Air Pollution on Colorectal Cancer Risk and Survival: Insights from a Prospective Cohort and Epigenetic Mendelian Randomization Study. EBioMedicine. 103 (12) p.105126. doi: 10.1016/j.ebiom.2024.105126

Bian Z, Zhang R, Yuan S, Fan R, Wang L, Larsson, ... Li X. (2024) Healthy Lifestyle and Cancer Survival: A Multinational Cohort Study. International Journal of Cancer. 1‐10. doi: 10.1002/ijc.34846

Jiang F, Boakye D, Sun J, Wang L. Yu L, Zhou X, ... Li X. (2023) Association between antibiotic use during early life and early-onset colorectal cancer risk overall and according to polygenic risk and FUT2 genotypes.  International Journal of Cancer. 153(9) pp. 1602-1611. doi: 10.1002/ijc.34648

Zhou Y, Zhou X, Sun J, Wang L, Zhao J, Chen J, ... Li X (2023) Exploring the cross-cancer effect of smoking and its fingerprints in blood DNA methylation on multiple cancers: a mendelian randomization study. International Journal of Cancer. 153 (8) pp. 1477-1486. doi: 10.1002/ijc.34656

Rudan I, Theodoratou E, Song P, Li X  & Global Health Epidemiology Reference Group (GHERG) (2023) National and subnational incidence, mortality and associated factors of colorectal cancer in China: A systematic analysis and modelling study. Journal of Global Health. 13 (13)p. 04096 doi: 10.7189/jogh.13.04096

Sun J, Zhao J, Jiang F, Wang L, Xiao Q, Han F, ... Li X (2023) Identification of novel protein biomarkers and drug targets for colorectal cancer by integrating human plasma proteome with genome Colorectal Cancer (CRC) and Other Cancers. Genome Medicine. 15(1) p75. doi: 10.1186/s13073-023-01229-9

Zhao J, Xu L, Sun J, Song M, Wang L, Yuan S, ... Li X (2023) The Global Trends in Incidence, Death, Burden and Risk Factors of Early-onset Cancer From 1990 to 2019. BMJ Oncology. 2 (12) p e000049. doi: 10.1136/bmjonc-2023-000049 

Zhou X, Xiao Q, Jiang F, Sun J, Wang L, Yu L, ... Li X (2023) Dissecting the pathogenic effects of smoking and its hallmarks in blood DNA methylation on colorectal cancer risk . British Journal of Cancer. 129(8) pp.1306-1313. doi: 10.1038/s41416-023-02397-6

 Xu W, Mesa-Eguiagaray I, Kirkpatrick T, Devlin J, Brogan S, Turner P, ... Theodoratou E (2023). Development and Validation of Risk Prediction Models for Colorectal Cancer in Patients with Symptoms. Journal of  Personalized Medicine. 13 (7): 1065. doi: 10.3390/jpm13071065 

Zhang R, Boakye D, Yang N, Zhou X, Zhou Y, Jiang F, ... Li X (2023). Field synopsis of environmental and genetic risk factors of sporadic early-onset colorectal cancer and advanced adenoma. Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention. 32(8):1048-1060. doi: 10.1158/1055-9965.EPI-22-1316

Li W, Zhou X, Yuan S, Wang L, Sun J, Chen J, ... Li X. (2023). Exploring the complex relationship between gut microbiota and risk of colorectal neoplasia using bidirectional Mendelian Randomization analysis. Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention. 32(6) pp. 809-817. doi: 10.1158/1055-9965.EPI-22-0724

Gerrard AD, Maeda Y, Miller J, Gunn F, Theodoratou E, Noble C, ... Edinburgh Colorectal Group (2023). Double faecal immunochemical testing in patients with symptoms suspicious of colorectal cancer British Journal of Surgery. 110 (4) pp. 471-480. doi: 10.1093/bjs/znad016

Sun J, Wang L, Zhou X, Hu L, Yuan S, Bian Z, ... Li X. (2023). Cross-cancer pleiotropic analysis identifies three novel genetic risk variants for colorectal cancer. Human Molecular Genetics. 32 (12) pp. 2093–2102, doi: 10.1093/hmg/ddad044

Yu L, Wang L, Sun J, Zhou X, Hu Y, He Y, ... Li X. (2023). N6-methylandenosine-related gene expression signatures for predicting the overall survival and immune responses of patients with colorectal cancer. Frontiers in genetics. 14, p. 885930. doi: 10.3389/fgene.2023.885930

Lu Y, Li D, Wang L, Zhang H, Jiang F, Zhang R, ... Li X. (2023) Comprehensive Investigation on Associations between Dietary Intake and Blood Levels of Fatty Acids and Colorectal Cancer Risk. Nutrients. 15 (3): 13 p. 730. doi: 10.3390/nu15030730

Fernandez-Rozadilla C, Timofeeva M, Chen Z, Law P, Thomas M, Schmit S, ... Cai Q, & 190 others. (2023) Deciphering colorectal cancer genetics through multi-omic analysis of 100,204 cases and 154,587 controls of European and east Asian ancestries. Nature Genetics. 55(1) pp. 89-99. doi: 10.1038/s41588-022-01222-9

Yu L, Zhao G, Wang L, Zhou X, Sun J, Li X, ... Li X. (2022). A systematic review of microbial markers for risk prediction of colorectal neoplasia. British Journal of Cancer, 126(9) pp. 1318-1328. doi: 10.1038/s41416-022-01740-7

Zhou X, Yu L, Wang L, Xiao J, Sun J, Zhou Y, ... Li X. (2022). Alcohol consumption, blood DNA methylation and breast cancer: a Mendelian randomisation study. European Journal of Epidemiology, 37(7) pp. 701-712. doi: 10.1007/s10654-022-00886-1

Knight S, Qureshi AU, Drake T, Lapitan MCM, Maimbo, M., Yenli EM T-A, ... Harrison EM. (2022). The impact of preoperative oral nutrition supplementation on outcomes in patients undergoing gastrointestinal surgery for cancer in low- and middle-income countries: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Scientific Reports, 12(1): 12456, doi: 10.1038/s41598-022-16460-4

Markozannes G, Kanellopoulou A, Dimopoulou O, Kosmidis D, Zhang X, Wang L, ... Tsilidis KK. (2022). Systematic review of Mendelian randomization studies on risk of cancer. BMC medicine, 20(1), pp. 41. doi: 10.1186/s12916-022-02246-y

Sowerbutts AM, Knight SR, Lapitan MCM, Qureshi AU, Maimbo M, Yenli EMT, ... Burden ST. (2022). A Qualitative Exploration of Nutrition Screening, Assessment and Oral Support Used in Patients Undergoing Cancer Surgery in Low- and Middle-Income Countries. Nutrients, 14(4), doi: 10.3390/nu14040863

Zhou X, Wang L, Xiao J, Sun J, Yu L, Zhang H, ... Li X. (2022). Alcohol consumption, DNA methylation and colorectal cancer risk: Results from pooled cohort studies and Mendelian randomization analysis. International Journal of Cancer, 151(1) pp. 83-94. doi: 10.1002/ijc.33945

Zhang X, Li X, He Y, Law PJ, Farrington SM, Campbell H, ... Theodoratou E. (2022). Phenome-wide association study (PheWAS) of colorectal cancer risk SNP effects on health outcomes in UK Biobank. British journal of cancer, 126(5), pp. 822-830. doi: 10.1038/s41416-021-01655-9

Zhang X, Theodoratou E, Li X, Farrington SM, Law PJ, Broderick P, ... Timofeeva M. (2021). Genetically predicted physical activity levels are associated with lower colorectal cancer risk: a Mendelian randomisation study. British journal of cancer, 124(7), pp. 1330-1338. doi: 10.1038/s41416-020-01236-2

He Y, Timofeeva M, Zhang X, Xu W, Li X, Din FVN, ... Theodoratou E. (2021). Colorectal cancer risk variants rs10161980 and rs7495132 are associated with cancer survival outcome by a recessive mode of inheritance. International journal of cancer, 148(11), pp. 2774-2778. doi: 10.1002/ijc.33465

Vaughan-Shaw PG, Timofeeva M, Ooi LY, Svinti V, Grimes G, Smillie C, ... Dunlop MG. (2021). Differential genetic influences over colorectal cancer risk and gene expression in large bowel mucosa. International journal of cancer, 149(5), pp. 1100-1108. doi: 10.1002/ijc.33616

Montazeri Z, Li X, Nyiraneza C, Ma X, Timofeeva M, Svinti V, ... Little J. (2020). Systematic meta-analyses, field synopsis and global assessment of the evidence of genetic association studies in colorectal cancer. Gut, 69(8), pp. 1460-1471. doi: 10.1136/gutjnl-2019-319313

Zhang X, Gill D, He Y, Yang T, Li X, Monori G, ... Theodoratou E. (2020). Non-genetic biomarkers and colorectal cancer risk: Umbrella review and evidence triangulation. Cancer medicine, 9(13), pp. 4823-4835. doi: 10.1002/cam4.3051

Xu W, He Y, Wang Y, Li X, Young J, Ioannidis JPA, ... Theodoratou E. (2020). Risk factors and risk prediction models for colorectal cancer metastasis and recurrence: an umbrella review of systematic reviews and meta-analyses of observational studies. BMC medicine, 18(1), pp. 172. doi: 10.1186/s12916-020-01618-6

Li X, Timofeeva M, Spiliopoulou A, McKeigue P, He Y, Zhang X, ... Theodoratou E. (2020). Prediction of colorectal cancer risk based on profiling with common genetic variants. International journal of cancer, 147(12), pp. 3431-3437. doi: 10.1002/ijc.33191

Yang T, Li X, Farrington SM, Dunlop MG, Campbell H, Timofeeva M, ... Theodoratou E. (2020). A Systematic Analysis of Interactions between Environmental Risk Factors and Genetic Variation in Susceptibility to Colorectal Cancer. Cancer epidemiology, biomarkers & prevention : a publication of the American Association for Cancer Research, cosponsored by the American Society of Preventive Oncology, 29(6), pp. 1145-1153. doi: 10.1158/1055-9965.epi-19-1328

He Y, Timofeeva M, Li X, Din FVN, Blackmur JP, Vaughan-Shaw P, ... Theodoratou E. (2019). A Comprehensive Study of the Effect on Colorectal Cancer Survival of Common Germline Genetic Variation Previously Linked with Cancer Prognosis. Cancer epidemiology, biomarkers & prevention: a publication of the American Association for Cancer Research, cosponsored by the American Society of Preventive Oncology, 28(11), pp. 1944-1946. doi: 10.1158/1055-9965.EPI-19-0596

Yang T, Li X, Montazeri Z, Little J, Farrington SM, Ioannidis JPA, ... Theodoratou E. (2019). Gene-environment interactions and colorectal cancer risk: An umbrella review of systematic reviews and meta-analyses of observational studies. International journal of cancer, 145(9), pp. 2315-2329. doi: 10.1002/ijc.32057

He Y, Ong Y, Li X, Din FV, Brown E, Timofeeva M, ... Theodoratou E. (2019). Performance of prediction models on survival outcomes of colorectal cancer with surgical resection: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Surgical oncology, 29, pp. 196-202. doi: 10.1016/j.suronc.2019.05.014

Banwell VC, Phillips HA, Duff MJ, Speake D, McLean C, Williams LJ, ... Paterson HM. (2019). Five-year oncological outcomes after selective neoadjuvant radiotherapy for resectable rectal cancer. Acta oncologica (Stockholm, Sweden), 58(9), pp. 1267-1272. doi: 10.1080/0284186X.2019.1631473

Law PJ, Timofeeva M, Fernandez-Rozadilla C, Broderick P, Studd J, Fernandez-Tajes J, ... Dunlop MG. (2019). Association analyses identify 31 new risk loci for colorectal cancer susceptibility. Nature communications, 10(1), pp. 2154. doi: 10.1038/s41467-019-09775-w

He Y, Theodoratou E, Li X, Din FVN, Vaughan-Shaw P, Svinti V, ... Timofeeva M. (2019). Effects of common genetic variants associated with colorectal cancer risk on survival outcomes after diagnosis: A large population-based cohort study. International journal of cancer, 145(9), pp. 2427-2432. doi: 10.1002/ijc.32550

Theodoratou E, Farrington SM, Timofeeva M, Din FV, Svinti V, Tenesa A, ... Dunlop MG. (2018). Genome-wide scan of the effect of common nsSNPs on colorectal cancer survival outcome. British journal of cancer, 119(8), pp. 988-993. doi: 10.1038/s41416-018-0117-7

Doherty M, Theodoratou E, Walsh I, Adamczyk B, Stöckmann H, Agakov F, ... Rudd PM. (2018). Plasma N-glycans in colorectal cancer risk. Scientific reports, 8(1), pp. 8655. doi: 10.1038/s41598-018-26805-7

Theodoratou E, Timofeeva M, Li X, Meng X, Ioannidis JPA. (2017). Nature, Nurture, and Cancer Risks: Genetic and Nutritional Contributions to Cancer. Annual review of nutrition, 37, pp. 293-320. doi: 10.1146/annurev-nutr-071715-051004

CRC & Vitamin D

Zhang X, He Y, Li X, Shraim R, Zu W, Wang L, ...Dunlop MG. (2024). Circulating 25-hydroxyvitamin D and survival outcomes of colorectal cancer: evidence from population-based prospective cohorts and Mendelian randomisation. British Journal of Cancer. doi: 10.1038/s41416-024-02643-5 

Vaughan-Shaw P, Buijs LF, Blackmur J, Ewing A, Theodoratou E, Ooi LY, ... Dunlop MG. (2023). A feasibility study of perioperative vitamin D supplementation in patients undergoing colorectal cancer resection. Frontiers in Nutrition. 10 (8) p. 1106431. doi: 10.3389/fnut.2023.1106431

He Y, Zhang X, Timofeeva M, Farrington SM, Li X, Xu W, ... Dunlop MG. (2022). Bidirectional Mendelian randomisation analysis of the relationship between circulating vitamin D concentration and colorectal cancer risk. International journal of cancer, 150(2), pp. 303-307. doi: 10.1002/ijc.33779

Vaughan-Shaw PG, Buijs LF, Blackmur JP, Theodoratou E, Zgaga L, Din FVN, ... Dunlop MG. (2020). The effect of vitamin D supplementation on survival in patients with colorectal cancer: systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials. British journal of cancer, 123(11), pp. 1705-1712. doi: 10.1038/s41416-020-01060-8

Vaughan-Shaw PG, Zgaga L, Ooi LY, Theodoratou E, Timofeeva M, Svinti V, ... Dunlop MG. (2020). Low plasma vitamin D is associated with adverse colorectal cancer survival after surgical resection, independent of systemic inflammatory response. Gut, 69(1), pp. 103-111. doi: 10.1136/gutjnl-2018-317922

Meng X, Li X, Timofeeva MN, He Y, Spiliopoulou A, Wei WQ, ... Theodoratou E. (2019). Phenome-wide Mendelian-randomization study of genetically determined vitamin D on multiple health outcomes using the UK Biobank study. International journal of epidemiology, 48(5), pp. 1425-1434. doi: 10.1093/ije/dyz182

Vaughan-Shaw PG, Zgaga L, Theodoratou E, Blackmur JP, Dunlop MG. (2019). Whether vitamin D supplementation protects against colorectal cancer risk remains an open question. European journal of cancer (Oxford, England : 1990), 115, pp. 1-3. doi: 10.1016/j.ejca.2019.03.024

He Y, Timofeeva M, Farrington SM, Vaughan-Shaw P, Svinti V, Walker M, ... Dunlop MG. (2018). Exploring causality in the association between circulating 25-hydroxyvitamin D and colorectal cancer risk: a large Mendelian randomisation study. BMC medicine, 16(1), pp. 142. doi: 10.1186/s12916-018-1119-2

Jiang X, O'Reilly PF, Aschard H, Hsu YH, Richards JB, Dupuis J, ... Kiel DP. (2018). Genome-wide association study in 79,366 European-ancestry individuals informs the genetic architecture of 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels. Nature communications, 9(1), pp. 260. doi: 10.1038/s41467-017-02662-2

Dimitrakopoulou VI, Tsilidis KK, Haycock PC, Dimou NL, Al-Dabhani K, Martin RM, ... Schildkraut JM. (2017). Circulating vitamin D concentration and risk of seven cancers: Mendelian randomisation study. BMJ (Clinical research ed.), 359, pp. j4761. doi: 10.1136/bmj.j4761

Inflammatory Bowel Disease

Zhang H, Kalla R, Chen J, Zhao J, Zhou X, Adams A, ... Li X. (2024). Altered DNA methylation within DNMT3A, AHRR, LTA/TNF loci mediates the effect of smoking on inflammatory bowel disease. Nature Communications. 15 (14) p. 595. doi: 10.1038/s41467-024-44841-y

Wellens J, Chen J, Fu T, Zhang Y, Kalla R, Satsangi J, ... Li X (2023). Dietary inflammatory indices are not associated with inflammatory bowel disease incidence and progression. Inflammatory Bowel Diseases. 6 p. izad249. doi: 10.1093/ibd/izad249

Chen J, Ruan X, Yuan S, Theodoratou E, Satsangi J & Li X.  (2023). Letter: disentangling the role of redox-active compounds in the development of inflammatory bowel diseases – moving towards causal associations - authors' reply. Alimentary Pharmacology and Therapeutics. 57 (9) pp. 1048-1049. doi: 10.1111/apt.17468

Zhao J, Chen J, Sun Y, Yuan S, Wellens J, Kalla R, ... Satsangi J. (2023). Defining gene–lifestyle interactions in inflammatory bowel disease: progress towards understanding disease pathogenesis. Gut. doi: 10.1136/gutjnl-2023-329875

Chen J, Ruan X, Yuan S, Deng M, Zhang H, Sun J ... Li X. (2023). Antioxidants, Minerals, and Vitamins in Relation to Crohn’s disease and Ulcerative Colitis: A Mendelian Randomization Study. Alimentary Pharmacology and Therapeutics. doi: 10.1111/apt.17392

Sun Y, Yuan S, Chen X, Sun J, Kalla R, Yu L ... Giovannucci EL. (2023). The contribution of genetic risk and lifestyle factors in the development of adult-onset inflammatory bowel disease: a prospective cohort study. The American Journal of Gastroenterology. doi: 10.1101/2022.07.18.22277738 

Chen J, Zhou Y, Sun Y, Yuan S, Kalla R, Sun J ... Satsangi J. (2022).  Bi-directional Mendelian randomization analysis provides evidence for the causal involvement of dysregulation of CXCL9, CCL11 and CASP8 in the pathogenesis of ulcerative colitis. Journal of Crohn's and Colitis. doi: 10.1093/ecco-jcc/jjac191

Chen J, Wellens J, Kalla R, Fu T, Deng M, Zhang H, ... Satsangi J. (2022). Intake of ultra-processed foods is associated with an increased risk of Crohn's disease: a cross-sectional and prospective analysis of 187,154 participants in the UK Biobank. J Crohns Colitis, 16(1), pp 2-17. doi: 10.1093/ecco-jcc/jjab178

Clerc F, Novokmet M, Dotz V, Reiding KR, de Haan N, Kammeijer GSM, ... Wuhrer M. (2018). Plasma N-Glycan Signatures Are Associated With Features of Inflammatory Bowel Diseases. Gastroenterology, 155(3), pp. 829-843. doi: 10.1053/j.gastro.2018.05.030

Other Work in Molecular Epidemiology

Wang L, Lu Y, Li D, Yu L, Mesa Eguiagaray I, Campbell H, ... Theodoratou E. (2024) The landscape of the methodology in drug repurposing using human genomic data: a systematic review. Briefings in bioinformatics. 25 (2) p. bbad527. doi: 10.1093/bib/bbad527

Georgiou A, Zagkos L, Markozannes G, Chalitsios C, Asimakopoulos A, Xu W, ..., Tzoulaki I. (2023) ​​​Appraising the causal role of risk factors in coronary artery disease and stroke: A systematic review of Mendelian Randomization studies. Journal of the American Heart Association. 12(20): e029040 doi: 10.1161/JAHA.122.029040

Burgess S, Davey Smith G, Davies NM, Dudbridge F, Gill D, Glymour M, ... Theodoratou E. (2023) Guidelines for performing Mendelian randomization investigations: update for summer 2023. Wellcome Open Research . 4 (34) p 186. doi: 10.12688/wellcomeopenres.15555.3

Yuan S, Wang L, Zhang H, Xu F, Zhou X, Yu L, ... Li X. (2023) Mendelian randomization and clinical trial evidence supports TYK2 inhibition as a therapeutic target for autoimmune diseases. EBioMedicine. 89:104488. doi: 10.1016/j.ebiom.2023.104488

Wang L, Li X, Montazeri A, MacFarlane AJ, Momoli F, Duthie SJ ... Theodoratou E. (2023). Phenome-wide association study of genetically predicted B vitamins and homocysteine biomarkers with multiple health and disease outcomes: analysis of the UK Biobank. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition (AJCN), 117(3) pp. 564-575. doi: 10.1016/j.ajcnut.2023.01.005

Yuan S, Yu L, Gou W, Wang L, Sun J, Li D, ... Li X. (2022). Health effects of high serum calcium levels: Updated phenome-wide Mendelian randomisation investigation and review of Mendelian randomisation studies. eBioMedicine, 76: 103865. doi: 10.1016/j.ebiom.2022.103865

Yuan S, Wang L, Sun J, Yu L, Zhou X, Yang J, ... Li X. (2022). Genetically predicted sex hormone levels and health outcomes: phenome-wide Mendelian randomization investigation. International Journal of Epidemiology, 51(6): pp.1931-1942. doi: 10.1093/ije/dyac036

Li X, Meng X, He Y, Spiliopoulou A, Timofeeva M, Wei WQ, ... Theodoratou E. (2019). Genetically determined serum urate levels and cardiovascular and other diseases in UK Biobank cohort: A phenome-wide mendelian randomization study. PLoS medicine, 16(10), pp. e1002937. doi: 10.1371/journal.pmed.1002937

Li X, Meng X, Spiliopoulou A, Timofeeva M, Wei WQ, Gifford A, ... Theodoratou E. (2018). MR-PheWAS: exploring the causal effect of SUA level on multiple disease outcomes by using genetic instruments in UK Biobank. Annals of the rheumatic diseases, 77(7), pp. 1039-1047. doi: 10.1136/annrheumdis-2017-212534

Umbrella Reviews

Li D, Lu Y, Yuan S, Cai X, He Y, Chen J, ... Li X. (2022). Gut microbiota-derived metabolite Trimethylamine-N-oxide (TMAO) and multiple health outcomes: an umbrella review and updated meta-analysis. America Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 116(1), pp. 230-243. doi: 10.1093/ajcn/nqac074

Li X, Celotto S, Pizzol D, Gasevic D, Ji M, Barnini T, ... Demurtas J. (2021). Metformin and health outcomes: An umbrella review of systematic reviews with meta-analyses. European Journal of Clinical Investigation, 51 (7): e13536. doi: 10.1111/eci.13536

Markozannes G, Koutsioumpa C, Cividini S, Monori G, Tsilidis KK, Kretsavos N, ... Tzoulaki I. (2021). Global assessment of C-reactive protein and health-related outcomes: an umbrella review of evidence from observational studies and Mendelian randomization studies. European journal of epidemiology, 36(1), pp. 11-36. doi: 10.1007/s10654-020-00681-w

Veronese N, Demurtas J, Thompson T, Solmi M, Pesolillo G, Celotto S, ... Tzoulaki I. (2020). Effect of low‐dose aspirin on health outcomes: An umbrella review of systematic reviews and meta‐analyses. British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology, (8), doi: 10.1111/bcp.14310