Endocrinology & Metabolism

Hongju Wu, PhD
Associate Professor of Medicine
Phone: (504)-988-2153
Email: hwu3@tulane.edu

Research Interests

My research interests involve two major human diseases—cancer and diabetes, and span from basic research to therapeutics development. My lab has expertise in biochemical, molecular, and cellular techniques. We use cell lines, primary cells (rat and human islets), and animal models (mouse and rats) in our studies.

In collaboration with other scientists in the field, I have completed multiple research projects in the past 8 years. With a record of success in securing research funding, my goal is to lead a laboratory standing at the frontier of research and to ensure this with continuous strong funding.

Selected Publications

Wang H, Wu H, Rocuts F, Gu Z, Bach FH, Otterbein LE (2012) Activation of Peroxisome Proliferator-activated Receptor γ Prolongs Islet Allograft Survival. Cell Transplant, Epub ahead of print. PMID: 22469179.

Zhang Y, Zhang Y, Bone RN, Cui W, Peng JB, Siegal GP, Wang H, Wu H. (2012) Regeneration of Pancreatic Non-β Endocrine Cells in Adult Mice following a Single Diabetes-Inducing Dose of Streptozotocin. PLoS One. 7(5):e36675. PMID: 22586489.

Wu G, Zhang W, Na T, Jing H, Wu H, and Peng JB. (2012) Suppression of intestinal calcium entry channel TRPV6 by OCRL, a lipid phosphatase associated with Lowe Syndrome and Dent Disease. Am J Physiol Cell Physiol, in press (2012 Feb 29, Epub ahead of print), PMID: 22378746.

 Tang, Y., Han, T., Everts, M., Zhu, Z. B., Gillespie, G. Y., Curiel, D. T., and Wu, H. (2007) Directing Adenovirus across the blood brain barrier via melanotransferrin (P97) transcytosis pathway in an in vitro model. Gene Therapy, 14 (6): 523-532. 17.

Kolodkin-Gal, D., Zamir, G. Pikarski, E., Pikarski, A., Shimony, N., Wu, H., Haviv, Y. S., and Panet, A. (2007) A novel system to study adenovirus tropism to normal and malignant colon tissues. Virology, 357: 91-101.

Van Houdt, W. J., Wu, H., Glasgow, J. N., Lamfers, M. L., Dirven, C. M., Gillespie, G. Y., Curiel, D. T., and Haviv, Y. S. (2007) Gene delivery into malignant glioma by infectivity-enhanced adenovirus: in vivo vs. in vitro Models. Neuro-Oncology, 9 (3): 280-290. 19.

Han, T., Tang, Y., Ugai, H., Perry, L.E., Siegal G. P., Contreras, J. L., and Wu, H. (2007) Genetic incorporation of the protein transduction domain of Tat into Ad5 fiber enhances gene transfer efficacy. Virology Journal, 4: 103. 20.

Saini, V., Martyshkin, D. V., Mirov, S. B., Perez, A., Perkins, G., Ellisman, M. H., Towner, V. D., Wu, H., Pereboeva, L., Borovjagin, A., Curiel, D. T., and Everts, M. (2008) An adenoviral platform for selective self-assembly and targeted delivery of nanoparticles. Small, 4 (2): 262-269. 21.

Tang, Y., Le, L. P., Matthews, Q. L., Han, T., Wu, H., and Curiel, D. T. (2008) Derivation of a triple mosaic adenovirus based on modification of the minor capsid protein IX. Virology, 377 (2): 391-400. 22.

Zhu, Z. B., Lu, B., Park, M., Makhija, S. K., Numnum, T. M., Kendrick, J. E., Wang, M., Tsuruta, Y., Fisher, P., Alvarez, R. D., Zhou, F., Siegel, G. P., Wu, H., and Curiel, D. T. (2008) Development of an optimized conditionally replicative adenoviral agent for ovarian cancer. International Journal of Oncology, 32(6): 1179-1188.

Ding, Q., Gladson, C. L., Wu, H. and Olman, M. A. (2008) Myofibroblast differentiation is negatively regulated by FAK-related non-kinase. Proc Am Thorac Soc. 5 (3): 364.

Wu, H. and Curiel, D. T. (2007) Fiber-modified Adenoviruses for Targeted Gene Therapy. Methods in Molecular Biology, vol. 434 (2), edited by J. LeDoux and J. M. Walker, the Humana Press Inc.

Matthews, Q. L., Yang, P., Wu, Q., Belousova, N., Rivera, A. A., Stoff-Khalili, M. A., Waehler, R., Hsu, H-C., Li, Z., Mountz, J., Wu, H. and Curiel, D. T. (2008) Optimization of capsid-incorporated antigens for an improved adenovirus vaccine approach. Virol J., 5: 98.

Ding Q., Gladson, C. L., Wu, H., Hayasaka, H., and Olman, M. A. (2008) FAKrelated non-kinase inhibits myofibroblast differentiation through differential MAPK activation in a FAK-dependent manner. J Biol Chem, 283 (40): 26839-49.

Icyuz, M., Bryant, S. M. J., Fortinberry, H. K., Molakandov, K., Siegal, G. P., Contreras, J. L., and Wu, H. (2009) Adenovirus infection activates Akt1 and induces cell proliferation in pancreatic islets. Transplantation, 87: 821-824. 6

Tang, Y., Wu, H., Ugai, H., Matthews, Q. L., and Curiel, D. T. (2009) Derivation of a Triple Mosaic Adenovirus for Cancer Gene Therapy. PLoS One, 4(12): e8526.

Matthews, Q. L., Fatima, A., Tang, Y., Perry, B. A., Tsuruta, Y., Komarova, S., Timares, L., Zhao, C., Makarova, N., Borovjagin, A. V., Stewart, P. L., Wu, H., Blackwell, J., and Curiel, D. T. (2010) HIV Antigen Incorporation within Adenovirus Hexon Hypervariable 2 for a Novel HIV Vaccine Approach. PLoS One,5 (7): e11815.

Nash, J. E., Appleby, V. J., Correa, S. A. L., Wu, H., Fitzjohn, S. M., Garner, C. C., Collingridge, G. L., and Molnar, E. (2010) Disruption of the Interaction between Myosin VI and SAP97 is Associated with a Reduction in the Number of AMPARs at Hippocampal Synapses. J. Neurochem., 112: 677-690.

Short, J. J., Rivera, A. A., Wu, H., Walter, M. R., Yamamoto, M., Curiel, D. T. (2010) Substitution of adenovirus serotype 3 hexon onto a serotype 5 oncolytic adenovirus reduces factor X binding, decreases liver tropism and improves anti-tumor efficacy. Molecular Cancer Therapeutics, 9 (9): 2536-2544.

Borovjagin, A. V., Passineau, M. J., Dong, J., Ren, C., Lamani, E., Mamaeva, O. A., Wu, H., Keyser, E., Chen, S., MacDougall, M. J. (2011) Adenovirus Gene Transfer to Amelogenesis Imperfecta Ameloblast-like Cells. J. Dental Re.s, under review.

Zhang, Yanqing, Zhang, Yuan, Bone, R. N., Cui, W., Peng, J-B., Siegal, G. P., and Wu, H. (2011) Glucagon-producing alpha cells and somatostatin-producing delta cells rapidly regenerate in adult mice following a single diabetes-inducing dose of streptozotocin. Endocrin, under review.

Wu, G., Zhang, W., Na, T., Jing, H., Wu, H., and Peng, J-B. (2011) Suppression of intestinal calcium entry channel TRPV6 by OCRL, a lipid phosphatase associated with Lowe Syndrome and Dent Disease. J. Biol. Chem., under review.

Wang, H., Wu, H., Rocuts, F., Gu, Z., Bach, F. H., Otterbein, L. E. (2011) Activation of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor y prolongs islet allograft survival. Cell Transplantation, under review.

Bone, R. N., Zhang, Y., Icyuz, Wang, H., M., Bryant, S. M. J., Siegal, G. P., Wu, H. (2011) Gene delivery of constitutively active Akt1 with an infectivity-enhanced adenoviral vector promotes islet cell survival and proliferation. In preparation.