Xiaoming Hu, MD, PhD

  • Assistant Professor, Neurology

Phone

412-648-8991

E-mail

hux2@upmc.edu

Education & Training

MD, Beijing Medical University (1996)
PhD, University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, TX (2005)

Campus Address

S-506 BSTWR

One-Line Research Description

The mechanism of neuroinflammation and immunotherapies for stroke

Dr. Hu's core research interests are to explore the mechanisms underlying immunomodulation of ischemic brain injury and to identify novel immunotherapies. The immune response plays a pivotal role in the evolution of the infarct zone and in the process of brain recovery. Dr. Hu’s lab has been characterizing immune responses after stroke and investigating the specific signaling molecules and pathways underlying the activation and functions of different immune cell populations in the ischemic brain.  Her work has identified potential therapeutic targets and developed novel treatment strategies for the amelioration and recovery of brain injury associated with stroke in experimental models.

Dr. Hu has been working on characterizing microglia/macrophage responses after stroke and other CNS diseases. She discovered that microglia/macrophages respond dynamically to ischemic brain injuries, experiencing an early healthy M2 phenotype followed by a transition to a "sick" M1 phenotype. (Hu et al. Stroke 2012; 43:3063). Her lab is further exploring the mechanisms underlying microglia/ macrophage polarization in the ischemic brain. Her studies elucidated critical roles of biological signals and molecular switches that control phenotypic changes in microglia/macrophages (Yang et al Journal of Neuroscience 2017;37(18):4692-4704).

Dr. Hu’s another main interest of research is to study the role of regulatory T cells in ischemic stroke. She demonstrated neuroprotective effects of this specialized T cell subpopulation in cerebral ischemia (Mao et al Brain 2017; 140(7):1914-1931. Li et al., Ann Neurol 2013; 74:458). In order to take this exciting discovery forward, recent studies in her lab are exploring the long-term effects of regulatory T cell in functional recovery after stroke.

Representative Publications

X, Chen J, Xu F, Zhao J, Cai W, Sun Z, Hitchens TK, Foley LM, Leak RK, Chen J, Hu X. TGFα preserves oligodendrocyte lineage cells and improves white matter integrity after cerebral ischemia. J Cereb Blood Flow Metab. 2019 Mar 5:271678X19830791. doi: 10.1177/0271678X19830791.

Zhang Q, Zhu W, Xu F, Dai X, Shi L, Cai W, Mu H, Hitchens TK, Foley LM, Liu X, Yu F, Chen J, Shi Y, Leak RK, Gao Y, Chen J, Hu X. The interleukin-4/PPARγ signaling axis promotes oligodendrocyte differentiation and remyelination after brain injury. PLoS Biol. 2019 Jun 21;17(6):e3000330. doi: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3000330Dai

Hu X, Leak RK, Thomson AW, Yu F, Xia Y, Wechsler LR, Chen J. Harnessing the power of dynamic immune responses in CNS disorders: The promise and limitations of immune cell-based therapies. Nat Rev Neurol. 2018 Jun 20. doi: 10.1038/s41582-018-0028-5.

Zhang H, Xia Y, Ye Q, Yu F, Zhu W, Li P, Wei Z, Yang Y, Shi Y, Thomson AW, Chen J, Hu X. In Vivo Expansion of Regulatory T cells with IL-2/IL-2 Antibody Complex Protects against Transient Ischemic Stroke. J Neurosci. 2018 Oct 5. pii: 3411-17. doi: 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.3411-17.2018.

Li P, Wang L, Zhou Y, Gan Y, Zhu W, Xia Y, Jiang X, Watkins S, Vazquez A, Thomson AW, Chen J, Yu W, Hu X. CCR5 Mediated Docking of Transferred Tregs Protects against Early Blood Brain Barrier Disruption after Stroke. J Am Heart Assoc 2017. 2017 Aug 2;6(8).

Mao L, Li P, Zhu W, Cai W, Liu Z, Wang Y, Luo W, Stetler RA, Leak RK, Yu W, Gao Y, Chen J, Chen G, Hu X. Regulatory T cells ameliorate tissue plasminogen activator-induced brain hemorrhage after stroke. Brain. 2017 Jul 1;140(7):1914-1931. (# Corresponding author)

Yang Y, Liu H, Zhang H, Ye Q, Wang J, Mao L, Zhu W, Xiao B, Lu B, Chen J, Hu X. ST2/IL-33-Dependent Microglial Response Limits Acute Ischemic Brain Injury. J Neurosci. 2017 May 3;37(18):4692-4704.

Li P, Gan Y, Sun B, Zhang F, Lu B, Gao Y, Liang W, Thomson AW, Chen J, Hu X.  Adoptive regulatory T cell therapy protects against cerebral ischemia. Ann Neurol 2013; 74(3):458-71.

Hu X#, Li P, Guo Y, Wang H, Leak RK, Chen S, Gao Y, Chen J#.  Microglia/macrophage polarization dynamics reveal novel mechanism of injury expansion after focal cerebral ischemia. Stroke. 2012; 43(11):3063-70. (# Corresponding Author)