Leyuan Xu, PhD
Associate Professor TermCards
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2026
CXCR6+ T cells promote apoptosis and necroptosis in proximal tubules during AKI-to-CKD transition
Li X, Melchinger I, Chen Y, Guo J, Cantley L, Xu L. CXCR6+ T cells promote apoptosis and necroptosis in proximal tubules during AKI-to-CKD transition. Cell Death & Disease 2026, 17: 359. PMID: 41876471, PMCID: PMC13039913, DOI: 10.1038/s41419-026-08644-x.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsCXCR6+ T cellsT cell accumulationAcute kidney injuryChronic kidney diseaseProximal tubulesT cellsMaladaptive repairTubular injuryGenetic deletionMouse modelPT cellsImmune-epithelial interactionsTubular cell deathCell deathCXCL16-CXCR6 axisCell-cell interaction analysisCXCL16-CXCR6Renal functionImmune infiltrationTubular atrophyKidney injuryKidney diseaseSingle-cell RNA sequencingDominant chemokineCXCR6Applying dendrimer nanoprobes to the diagnosis and evaluation of kidney fibrosis
Li X, Xu L. Applying dendrimer nanoprobes to the diagnosis and evaluation of kidney fibrosis. Nanomedicine 2026, 21: 885-898. PMID: 41674334, PMCID: PMC13060051, DOI: 10.1080/17435889.2026.2628240.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchArginase-1 Expressing Macrophages Interact with Myofibroblasts to Regulate Insulin-Like Growth Factor-1-Dependent Tubule Repair
Bharathan B, Frimpong B, Xu L, Cantley L. Arginase-1 Expressing Macrophages Interact with Myofibroblasts to Regulate Insulin-Like Growth Factor-1-Dependent Tubule Repair. Kidney360 2026, 7: 1241-1250. PMID: 41628890, PMCID: PMC13337152, DOI: 10.34067/kid.0000001150.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchSingle-cell RNA sequencing analysisEndothelial cell expressionIschemia-reperfusion injuryKidney injuryArginase-1Tubule repairCellular sourceRegeneration of tubular epitheliumSource of IGF-1Transwell coculturesEndothelial cellsGrowth factorInsulin-like growth factorNormal kidney functionAcute kidney injuryProximal tubule cellsEpithelial cell lossArginase-1 expressionEpithelial growth factorHuman kidney biopsiesCoculture of macrophagesDays post-injuryExpression of IGF1In vitro studiesQuantitative PCR analysis
2025
Design of precision therapeutics for a CKD risk allele by targeting Shroom3-Rock interaction
Reghuvaran A, Kumar A, Lin Q, Rajeevan N, Banu K, Sun Z, Shi H, Barsotti G, Tanvir E, Pell J, Perincheri S, Wei C, Bharathan B, Planoutene M, Eichmann A, Mas V, Zhang W, Cantley L, Xu L, Das B, He J, Menon M. Design of precision therapeutics for a CKD risk allele by targeting Shroom3-Rock interaction. Nature Communications 2025, 17: 1086. PMID: 41469391, PMCID: PMC12852734, DOI: 10.1038/s41467-025-67854-7.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsROCK activitySmall molecule inhibitorsSHROOM3Wild typeAssociated with renal fibrosisCo-expressionRisk allelesTransgenic toolsPleiotropic effectsROCK inhibitionRho-kinaseOverexpressionCell linesPrecision therapeuticsFibroblast linesProfibrotic functionProfibrotic signalingMotifKidney diseaseEnhanced variantRenal fibrosisTubular cellsAlbuminuriaIn vivoMiceEngineering polyamidoamine dendrimer nanoparticles for targeted drug delivery to proximal tubular cells after renal ischemia/reperfusion injury
Li X, Cantley L, Xu L. Engineering polyamidoamine dendrimer nanoparticles for targeted drug delivery to proximal tubular cells after renal ischemia/reperfusion injury. Journal Of Controlled Release 2025, 388: 114323. PMID: 41101700, PMCID: PMC12548566, DOI: 10.1016/j.jconrel.2025.114323.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsAcute kidney injuryPT cellsGlomerular filtration barrierProximal tubulesPost-ischemia/reperfusion injuryTreatment of acute kidney injuryTargeted deliveryTherapeutic agentsDendrimer nanoparticlesEffective therapeutic optionRenal ischemia/reperfusion injuryDelivery of therapeutic agentsTargeted delivery of therapeutic agentsPro-inflammatory gene expressionFiltration barrierProximal tubular cellsTubular epithelial cellsUninvolved organsCell-specific drug deliveryRenal functionGene expressionTherapeutic optionsKidney injurySingle doseMice 7
2024
Adamts1 and Cyst Expansion in Polycystic Kidney Disease
Kakade V, Akman Z, Motrapu M, Cassini M, Xu L, Moeckel G, Somlo S, Cantley L. Adamts1 and Cyst Expansion in Polycystic Kidney Disease. Journal Of The American Society Of Nephrology 2024, 36: 559-570. PMID: 39514301, PMCID: PMC11975248, DOI: 10.1681/asn.0000000557.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchAutosomal dominant polycystic kidney diseasePolycystic kidney diseaseKidney diseaseLoss of Pkd1Cyst growthInterstitial macrophage accumulationDominant polycystic kidney diseaseInterstitial mononuclear cellsReduced cyst growthDetectable phenotypeMembrane remodelingMotif 1Progressive cyst growthIsoforms of versicanSimultaneous deletionPKD2 geneTubular basement membraneDisintegrin and metalloproteinaseRNA sequencingBasement membrane remodelingPKD1Thrombospondin motifs 1Cystic enlargementMacrophage accumulationCystic dilatationVCAM-1 mediates proximal tubule-immune cell cross talk in failed tubule recovery during AKI-to-CKD transition
Melchinger I, Guo K, Li X, Guo J, Cantley L, Xu L. VCAM-1 mediates proximal tubule-immune cell cross talk in failed tubule recovery during AKI-to-CKD transition. American Journal Of Physiology. Renal Physiology 2024, 327: f610-f622. PMID: 39116349, PMCID: PMC11483080, DOI: 10.1152/ajprenal.00076.2024.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchAcute kidney injuryChronic kidney diseaseVCAM-1 expressionProximal tubule cellsVCAM-1Tubule cellsKidney Precision Medicine ProjectProinflammatory cytokinesAcute kidney injury to chronic kidney diseaseModel of chronic kidney diseaseExpression of vascular cell adhesion protein 1Cell adhesion pathwaysInflammatory response to injuryInjured proximal tubule cellsVascular cell adhesion protein 1Mouse model of chronic kidney diseaseRisk of progressionChronic kidney disease transitionIncreased immune cell adhesionVCAM-1-positive cellsOverexpression of VCAM-1Inhibition of NF-kB signalingActivation of NF-kBImmune cell adhesionSingle-cell transcriptome analysis
2023
Analysis of the human kidney transcriptome and plasma proteome identifies markers of proximal tubule maladaptation to injury
Wen Y, Su E, Xu L, Menez S, Moledina DG, Obeid W, Palevsky P, Mansour S, Devarajan P, Cantley L, Cahan P, Parikh C, Project K, Injury T. Analysis of the human kidney transcriptome and plasma proteome identifies markers of proximal tubule maladaptation to injury. Science Translational Medicine 2023, 15: eade7287-eade7287. PMID: 38091407, PMCID: PMC11405121, DOI: 10.1126/scitranslmed.ade7287.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchmRNA Editing via the Apobec1 Gene Promotes Recovery from AKI
Guo X, Velazquez H, Xu L, Cheng Z, Chen T, Tian Y, Bewersdorf J, Blanc V, Davidson N, Safirstein R, Desir G. mRNA Editing via the Apobec1 Gene Promotes Recovery from AKI. Journal Of The American Society Of Nephrology 2023, 34: 451-451. DOI: 10.1681/asn.20233411s1451b.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchThe ASSESS-AKI Study found urinary epidermal growth factor is associated with reduced risk of major adverse kidney events
Menez S, Wen Y, Xu L, Moledina DG, Thiessen-Philbrook H, Hu D, Obeid W, Bhatraju P, Ikizler T, Siew E, Chinchilli V, Garg A, Go A, Liu K, Kaufman J, Kimmel P, Himmelfarb J, Coca S, Cantley L, Parikh C. The ASSESS-AKI Study found urinary epidermal growth factor is associated with reduced risk of major adverse kidney events. Kidney International 2023, 104: 1194-1205. PMID: 37652206, PMCID: PMC10840723, DOI: 10.1016/j.kint.2023.08.007.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsMajor adverse kidney eventsUEGF/CrUrinary epidermal growth factorAdverse kidney eventsChronic kidney diseaseEpidermal growth factorKidney eventsKidney failureEGF expressionUrinary EGF/CrAcute Kidney Injury studyGrowth factorIschemia-reperfusion injuryProportional hazards regressionTubular healthKidney atrophyObservational cohortHospitalized participantsTubular functionClinical findingsHazards regressionKidney diseaseClinical variablesProgressive atrophyUrinary EGF
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