Wei Hu, PhD
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Featured Publications
Regulatory T cells function in established systemic inflammation and reverse fatal autoimmunity
Hu W, Wang Z, Feng Y, Schizas M, Hoyos B, van der Veeken J, Verter J, Bou-Puerto R, Rudensky A. Regulatory T cells function in established systemic inflammation and reverse fatal autoimmunity. Nature Immunology 2021, 22: 1163-1174. PMID: 34426690, PMCID: PMC9341271, DOI: 10.1038/s41590-021-01001-4.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsRegulatory T cellsTreg cellsFatal autoimmune diseaseSystemic inflammationAutoimmune diseasesT cellsPro-inflammatory effector cellsFatal autoimmune inflammationFOXP3 protein expressionSevere tissue inflammationTranscription factor Foxp3Autoimmune inflammationFatal autoimmunityInflammatory mediatorsEffector cellsImmune activationImmunosuppressive functionTissue inflammationDiseased miceImmune homeostasisInflammatory responseFactor Foxp3Long-term protectionInflammationLoss of functionExpression of Foxp3 by T follicular helper cells in end-stage germinal centers
Jacobsen J, Hu W, R Castro T, Solem S, Galante A, Lin Z, Allon S, Mesin L, Bilate A, Schiepers A, Shalek A, Rudensky A, Victora G. Expression of Foxp3 by T follicular helper cells in end-stage germinal centers. Science 2021, 373 PMID: 34437125, PMCID: PMC9007630, DOI: 10.1126/science.abe5146.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsFollicular helper cellsGerminal centersHelper cellsFormation of GCsExpression of Foxp3Effective antibody responseTranscription factor Foxp3Acute surgeAntibody responseFactor Foxp3T cellsFoxp3Immunoglobulin somatic hypermutationGC sizeAffinity maturationPotential regulatorCellsEctopic expressionSomatic hypermutationExpressionAntibodiesDifferential outcome of TRIF-mediated signaling in TLR4 and TLR3 induced DC maturation
Hu W, Jain A, Gao Y, Dozmorov I, Mandraju R, Wakeland E, Pasare C. Differential outcome of TRIF-mediated signaling in TLR4 and TLR3 induced DC maturation. Proceedings Of The National Academy Of Sciences Of The United States Of America 2015, 112: 13994-13999. PMID: 26508631, PMCID: PMC4653191, DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1510760112.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchMeSH KeywordsAdaptor Proteins, Vesicular TransportAnimalsBase SequenceBlotting, WesternCD4-Positive T-LymphocytesCell ProliferationDendritic CellsFlow CytometryGene Expression RegulationLipopolysaccharidesMiceMice, KnockoutMolecular Sequence DataSequence Analysis, RNASignal TransductionToll-Like Receptor 3Toll-Like Receptor 4ConceptsIFN regulatory factor 3Toll-like receptorsType I IFNIndependent of type I IFNsRecognition of pathogen-associated molecular patternsSignaling pathwayPathogen-associated molecular patternsI IFNTRIF-mediated signalingActivation of mitogen-activated protein kinasesMitogen-activated protein kinaseRegulatory factor 3IFN-BSignaling pathways of TLR4TRIF signaling pathwayType I IFN-dependentProtein kinaseMyeloid differentiation factorMolecular patternsMolecular mechanismsDC maturationUp-regulatedFactor 3Secretion of proinflammatory cytokinesTLR3-TRIFIRAK-1 bypasses priming and directly links TLRs to rapid NLRP3 inflammasome activation
Lin K, Hu W, Troutman T, Jennings M, Brewer T, Li X, Nanda S, Cohen P, Thomas J, Pasare C. IRAK-1 bypasses priming and directly links TLRs to rapid NLRP3 inflammasome activation. Proceedings Of The National Academy Of Sciences Of The United States Of America 2013, 111: 775-780. PMID: 24379360, PMCID: PMC3896167, DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1320294111.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsNucleotide-binding oligomerization domain-like receptorToll-like receptorsCaspase-1 activationLeucine-rich repeatCell death programAssembly of inflammasomesCaspase-1Cytosolic protein complexesIRAK-1IL-1 receptor-associated kinaseActivate caspase-1Receptor-associated kinaseCaspase-1 cleavageEarly host defenseDeath programOligomerization domain-like receptorVirulence factorsNucleotide bindingMicrobial recognitionStimulate Toll-like receptorsListeria monocytogenesProtein complexesPathogen infectionPro-IL-18Virulent microbesPriming Microenvironments Dictate Cytokine Requirements for T Helper 17 Cell Lineage Commitment
Hu W, Troutman T, Edukulla R, Pasare C. Priming Microenvironments Dictate Cytokine Requirements for T Helper 17 Cell Lineage Commitment. Immunity 2011, 35: 1010-1022. PMID: 22137454, PMCID: PMC3246047, DOI: 10.1016/j.immuni.2011.10.013.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchMeSH KeywordsAnimalsAntigensAntigens, CDCell DifferentiationCell LineageCytokinesDendritic CellsIntegrin alpha ChainsInterleukin-6Lymphoid TissueMembrane GlycoproteinsMiceMice, Inbred C57BLMice, KnockoutMice, TransgenicMyeloid Differentiation Factor 88Receptors, Interleukin-1Signal TransductionTh17 CellsConceptsDendritic cellsInterleukin-6Cytokine requirementsCell lineage commitmentDifferentiation of CD4(+) T cellsLineage cellsCD4(+) T cellsActivation of pattern recognition receptorsTh17 lineage cellsTransforming growth factor-bCutaneous immune systemTh17 cell lineage commitmentLineage commitmentT helper 17Th17 cell polarizationSecretion of cytokinesTh17 cell primingGrowth factor BSite of primingTh17 cell differentiationIL-6-independentPattern recognition receptorsT-helperT cellsCell priming
2025
Divergent proteome tolerance against gain and loss of chromosome arms
Di Y, Li W, Castellano J, Jin W, Modi J, Salovska B, Khosroabadi D, Hu W, Taylor A, Liu Y. Divergent proteome tolerance against gain and loss of chromosome arms. Molecular Cell 2025, 85: 4268-4278.e6. PMID: 41270725, PMCID: PMC12991381, DOI: 10.1016/j.molcel.2025.10.023.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsChromosome arm gainsProtein complex subunitsStable protein complexesChromosome 3p lossQuantitative mass spectrometryChromosome armsProteostasis mechanismsComplex stoichiometryComplex subunitsProtein complexesEuploid chromosomeComplexation showMass spectrometryProtein degradationThermal stabilityIsotope labelingProtein synthesisProteinChromosomeAneuploidyCell modelHuman lung cell modelLung cell modelProteostasisTemporal and context-dependent requirements for the transcription factor Foxp3 expression in regulatory T cells
Hu W, Dolsten G, Wang E, Beroshvili G, Wang Z, Ghelani A, Uhl L, Bou-Puerto R, Huang X, Michaels A, Hoyos B, Jin W, Pritykin Y, Rudensky A. Temporal and context-dependent requirements for the transcription factor Foxp3 expression in regulatory T cells. Nature Immunology 2025, 26: 2059-2073. PMID: 41062655, PMCID: PMC12571910, DOI: 10.1038/s41590-025-02295-4.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsMature Treg cellsTreg cellsFoxp3 lossTumor Treg cellsRegulatory T cellsTranscription factor Foxp3Tumor shrinkageFoxp3 expressionT cellsFoxp3Severe inflammationTregsImmune responseSuppressive functionFoxp3 degradationChemogenetic systemProtein degradation in vivoAdverse effectsCell transcriptomeTranscriptional networksCellsTranscriptional changesDegradation in vivoContext-dependent requirementsTumor
2024
Women in STEM becoming independent: The journey to independence is an immensely gratifying odyssey
Campbell C, Funk M, Hattori Y, Hu W, Jeschke J, Lau C, Ling G, Liu S, Lloréns-Rico V, Nemes E. Women in STEM becoming independent: The journey to independence is an immensely gratifying odyssey. Journal Of Experimental Medicine 2024, 221: e20240842. PMID: 38861021, PMCID: PMC11167372, DOI: 10.1084/jem.20240842.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchGOSpel for tiny allies
Hu W, Yu X. GOSpel for tiny allies. Cell Host & Microbe 2024, 32: 450-452. PMID: 38604124, DOI: 10.1016/j.chom.2024.03.008.Peer-Reviewed Original Research
2023
Distinct metabolic requirements regulate B cell activation and germinal center responses
Sharma R, Smolkin R, Chowdhury P, Fernandez K, Kim Y, Cols M, Alread W, Yen W, Hu W, Wang Z, Violante S, Chaligné R, Li M, Cross J, Chaudhuri J. Distinct metabolic requirements regulate B cell activation and germinal center responses. Nature Immunology 2023, 24: 1358-1369. PMID: 37365386, PMCID: PMC11262065, DOI: 10.1038/s41590-023-01540-y.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchNaïve B cellsB cellsGerminal centersB cell-dependent immune responsesExtrafollicular B cell responsesCell-dependent immune responsesB cell responsesGerminal center responseB cell activationMetabolic requirementsAntibody responseDistinct metabolic requirementsHigh-affinity antibodiesT cellsExtrafollicular sitesImmune responseProliferating lymphocytesCenter responseClonal proliferationCell activationCell responsesGC reactionLactate dehydrogenaseAerobic glycolysisNaïve
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