lsu@med.unc.edu 22-048 Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center Campus Box 7295 Chapel Hill, NC 27599-7295 919.966.6654

Research

My laboratory studies development and function of the human immune system, as well as HIV-1 infection and immuno-pathogenesis in various ex vivo and in vivo models. We have focused on human pDC and Treg cells in immune modulation and their dysregulation during HIV infection. We have also developed new humanized mouse models to study immuno-pathogenesis and therapy of chronic HCV/HBV infection in vivo. In addition, we are investigating human blood/liver stem cell and cancer biology in humanized mouse models.

Current ongoing projects:
1. Viral (Env/Nef) and immune (Treg/pDC) mechanisms of HIV-1 Pathogenesis

2. HIV-1 coinfection in HCV-induced liver diseases

3. Development and cancer biology of human blood and liver stem cells

4. Modeling immuno-pathogenesis and -therapeutics of chronic HBV & HCV infection.

Publications

Washburn, M.L., Bility, M.T., Zhang, L., Kovalev, G.I., Buntzman, A., Frelinger, J.A., Barry, W., Ploss, A., Rice, C.M., Su, L. (2011) A Humanized Mouse Model to Study Hepatitis C Virus Infection, Immune Response, and Liver Disease, Gastroenterology 140(4): 1334-44. PMID: 21237170 (Highlighted in J. Hep., Nature and Bio-X)

Zhang L, Jiang Q, Li G, Jeffrey J, Kovalev GI, and Su L. (2011) Efficient Infection, Activation and Impairment of pDC in the Bone Marrow and Peripheral Lymphoid Organs during early HIV-1 Infection in Humanized rag2-/-gC-/- Mice in vivo. Blood 117(23): 6184-92. PMID: 21505190. PMID: 21505190

Sivaraman V, Zhang L, Su L (2011) Type 1 interferon contributes to CD4+ T cell depletion in HIV-1 induced human thymus. J Virol. 2011 Jun 22. PMID: 21697497

West JA, Gregory SM, Sivaraman V, Su L, Damania B. (2011) Activation of plasmacytoid dendritic cells by Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus. J Virol. 85(2): 895-904. PMID: 20980519

Mackey-Cushman, S. L., Gao, J., D. A. Holmes, J. Nunoya, R. Wang, G. Knudsen, D. Unutmaz, and L. Su (2011) FoxP3 Interacts with Linker Histone H1.5 to Modulate Gene Expression and Program Treg Cell Activity. Genes and Immunity doi: 10.1038/gene.2011.31. PMID: 21654845

Zhang Z, Xu X, Lu J, Zhang S, Gu L, Fu J, Jin L, Li H, Zhao M, Zhang J, Wu H, Su L, Fu YX, Wang FS. (2011) B and T Lymphocyte Attenuator Down-regulation by HIV-1 Depends on Type I Interferon and Contributes to T-Cell Hyperactivation. J Infect Dis. 203(11):1668-78. PMID: 21606320

Washburn ML, Kovalev G, Barbour S, Zhang L, Fu Y-X, and Su L. (2010) Clearance of a persistent AAV infection in the liver by modulating the LIGHT-LTbR-HVEM signaling pathway. PLoS ONE 5(5): e10585

Zhang L, Meissner E, Chen J, Su L. (2010) Current humanized mouse models for studying human immunology and HIV-1 immuno-pathogenesis. Sci China Life Sci. 53(2):195-203. PMID: 20596827

Johnson SM, Torrice CD, Bell JF, Monahan KB, Jiang Q, Wang Y, Ramsey MR, Jin J, Wong KK, Su L, Zhou D, Sharpless NE. (2010) Mitigation of hematologic radiation toxicity in mice through pharmacological quiescence induced by CDK4/6 inhibition. J Clin Invest. 120(7):2528-36. PMID: 20577054

Ince WL, Zhang L, Jiang Q, Arrildt K, Su L, Swanstrom R. (2010) Evolution of the HIV-1 env Gene In the Rag2-/-gammac-/- Humanized Mouse Model. J. Virol. 84(6):2740-52. PMID: 20042504

Choudhary SK, Rezk NL, Ince WL, Cheema M, Zhang L, Su L, Swanstrom R, Kashuba AD, Margolis DM (2009) Suppression of HIV-1 viremia with reverse transcriptase and integrase inhibitors, CD4+ T cell recovery, and viral rebound upon therapy interruption in a new model for HIV treatment in the humanized Rag2-/-gammac-/- mice. J. Virol. 83(16):8254-8. PMID: 19494021

Sivaraman V, Zhang L, Meissner EG, Jeffrey JL, Su L (2009) The Heptad Repeat (HR) 2 Domain Is the Major Determinant for Enhanced HIV-1 Fusion and Pathogenicity of A Highly Pathogenic HIV-1 Env. J. Virol. 83(22):11715-25. PMID: 19726524

Lu, X., G. I. Kovalev, H. Chang, E. Kallin, G. Knudsen, L. Xia, P. Ruiz, E. Li, L. Su, and Y. Zhang (2008) Inactivation of NuRD Component Mta2 Causes Abnormal T Cell Activation and Lupus-like Autoimmune Disease in Mice. J Biol Chem. 283(20):13825-33.

Jiang, Q., L. Zhang, R. Wang, M. Washburn, D. Brouwer, S. Barbour, G. Kovalev, D. Unutmaz, and L. Su (2008) FoxP3+ Treg Cells Play an Important Role in Acute HIV-1 Infection in Humanized rag2-/-gC-/- Mice in vivo. Blood. 2008 Jun 10. [Epub ahead of print]/PMID: 18544681

Laakso, Meg M., Fang-Hua Lee, Beth Haggarty, Caroline Agrawal, Katrina M. McGeehan, Mark Biscone, George J. Leslie, Josephine Romano, Andrea P.O. Jordan, Eric G. Meissner, Lishan Su, James A. Hoxie, and Robert W. Doms (2007) V3 Loop Truncations in HIV-1 Envelope Impart Resistance to Coreceptor Inhibitors and Enhanced Sensitivity to Neutralizing Antibodies. PLoS Pathogens (in press)

Nordone SK, Ignacio GA, Su L, Sempowski GD, Golenbock DT, Li L, Dean GA (2007) Failure of TLR4-driven NF-kappa B activation to stimulate virus replication in models of HIV type 1 activation. AIDS Res Hum Retroviruses. 23(11):1387-95.

Holmes, D., G. Knudsen, S. Mackey, and L. Su (2007) FoxP3 Enhances HIV-1 Gene Expression by Modulating NFkB Occupancy at the LTR in Human T Cells. J. Biol. Chem. 282(22):15973-80

Jiang Q, Coffield VM, Kondo M, Su L (2007) TSLP is involved in expansion of early thymocyte progenitors. BMC Immunology 8:11. PMID: 1764036

Helms WS, Jeffrey JL, Holmes DA, Townsend MB, Clipstone NA, Su L (2007) Modulation of NFAT-dependent gene expression by the RhoA signaling pathway in T cells. J Leukoc Biol. 82(2):361-9. PMID: 17502338

Zhang, L., G. I. Kovalev, and L. Su HIV-1 Infection And Pathogenesis In A Novel Humanized Mouse Model. (2006) Blood, 109(7):2978-81

Meissner, E.G., L. Zhang, S. Jiang and L. Su Envelope/Fusion-dependent depletion of HIV+ thymocytes is correlated with induction of apoptosis. (2006) J. Virol. (22):11019-11030

Loomis, R., D. Holmes, A. Elms, R., Solski, P., C. Der, and L. Su Citron, a RhoA Effector, Enhances HIV-1 Viral Release by Modulating Exocytosis. (2006) Traffic 7: 1643–1653

Kovalev, G., T. Simon, V. Coffield, D. Franklin, and L. Su (2006) Control of Thymocyte Proliferation and Thymus Organ Size by CDK Inhibitors p18Ink4c and p27Kip1. J. Stem Cells 1 (2): 97-108

Okada, Y., Q. Jiang, M. Lemieux, L. Jeannotte, Su, L., and Y. Zhang Leukaemic transformation by CALM–AF10 involves in upregulation of Hoxa5 by hDOT1L. (2006) Nat Cell Biol. 8: 1017-1024

Jiang, Q., H. Su, G. Knudsen, W. Helms, and L. Su (2006) Delayed functional maturation of natural regulatory T cells in the medulla of postnatal thymus: role of TSLP. BMC Immunology 7(1): 6

Click here for a list of publications

Lab Page

http://cancer.med.unc.edu/sulab

Affiliations

Department of Microbiology & Immunology
Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center (LCCC)
Center for AIDS Research (CFAR)
Center for HIV/STDs and Infectious Disease (CFID)
Genetics and Molecular Biology
Interdisciplinary Program in Biomedical Sciences