Academic Experience
2012.03-present Professor, Principal Investigator, Shanghai Institute of Immunity and Infection, CAS
2011.07-2012.02 Associate Researcher, Department of Anesthesia, University of California San Francisco (Research faculty)
2009.10-2011.06 Assistant Researcher, Cardiovascular Research Institute, University of California San Francisco (Research faculty)
2007.11-2009.09 Research Assistant professor, Department of Pharmacology, University of Illinois at Chicago (Research faculty)
2004.07-2007.10 Postdoc, Cardiovascular Research Institute, University of California San Francisco
1991.08-2000.08 Resident, Associate Chief Physician, Director of Intensive Care Medicine, Kailuan Hospital, North China Coal Medical University
Education
2004-2007 UCSF, Postdoctoral Fellow
2000-2004 Fudan University (2000~2002); UCSF (2002~2004) Ph.D.
1988-1991 Medical School of Suzhou University M.S.
1983-1986 Medical College of Henan University M.D.
We proposed the theory of "pulmonary parasympathetic inflammatory reflex" and used it to study whether and how vagus nerve regulates lung infection and immunity. We found that the vagus nerve can regulate bacterial and viral infections (including influenza virus/ZIKV/HIV/SARS-CoV-2), macrophage type II polarization, pulmonary fibrosis, and exosome formation and release through α7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor dependent mechanisms. We also dissected vagal neural circuits and collaborated with vagus nerve and Zhongfu acupoint electroacupuncture to elucidate how vagal sensory neurons identify pathogens in the lungs and regulate pulmonary infection and inflammation.
The work focuses on:
1. Pathogenesis and repair of acute lung injury (Lancet, 2020; Cell Mol Immunol, 2021; Emerg Microbes Infect, 2020; Cell Death Dis, 2020; Stem Cells, 2023)
2. Vagus-α7 nAChR signaling regulates acute lung injury and repair (JCI Insight, 2023 cover page; Stem Cell Res & Therapy, 2020a&b; Cell Discov, 2017; Mol Med 2017)
3. Vagal regulation of viral replication and pathogenesis (Mol Therapy, 2024; JMV, 2024; Cell Insight, 2022; J Mol Cell Biol, 2023; Virologica Sinica, 2023; Acta Pharmacol Sin, 2021)
4. Vagal regulation of asthma (Cell Death Dis, 2023; Front Immunol, 2022; Eur J Immunol, 2020; J Cell Mol Med, 2021; Immunol Cell Biol, 2020 Editor’s top 10)
Selected publications (*corresponding author)
1. Zhao C, Chen J, Liu Z, Liang H, Chen X, Cheng L, Xie S, Lin Z, Wu R, Zhao Q, Xue Y, Lai X, Jin X, Xu J and Su X*. Activation of nicotinic acetylcholine receptor α7 subunit limits ZIKV infection via promoting autophagy and ferroptosis. Molecular Therapy 2024 May 30:S1525-0016(24)00339-3. doi: 10.1016/j.ymthe.2024.05.037.
2. Chen X, Zhang C, Wei T, Chen J, Pan T, Li M, Wang L, Song J, Chen C, Zhang Y, Song Y, Su X*. Activation of α7nAChR in AT2 promotes alveolar regeneration through WNT7B signaling in acute lung injury. JCI Insight 2023 Aug 8;8(15):e162547. doi: 10.1172/jci.insight.162547.
3. Chen J, Lai X, Song Y and Su X*. Neuro-immune Recognition and Regulation in the Respiratory System. European Respiratory Review 2024; 0: 240008 [DOI: 10.1183/16000617.0008-2024].
4. Du J, Liu Y, Lan G, Zhou Y, Ni Y, Liao K, Zheng F, Cheng Q, Shi G, Su X*. PTRF-IL33-ZBP1 signaling mediating macrophage necroptosis contributes to HDM-induced airway inflammation. Cell Death Dis. 2023 Jul 15;14(7):432. doi: 10.1038/s41419-023-05971-1.
5. Zhao C, Pan M, Chen C, Wei D, Li L, Jiang Y, Zhang Y, Liu W, Zhang X, Matthay MA, Wang H, Jin X, Xu J and Su X*. Cholinergic-α7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor signaling promotes influenza replication. J Med Virology 2024.
6. Liu L, Zhang DY, Xu JY, Dai HP, Tang N, Su X, Cao B. SARS-CoV-2 viral sepsis: from bedside to bench. Lancet. 2020 May 9;395(10235):1517-1520. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(20)30920-X.
7. Huang X, Hao S, Liu J, Huang Y, Liu M, Xiao C, Wang Y, Pei S, Yu T, Xu J, Wang H, Dai D, Su X*, Xiao Y*. The ubiquitin ligase Peli1 inhibits ICOS and thereby Tfh-mediated immunity. Cell Mol Immunol. 2021 Apr;18(4):969-978. doi: 10.1038/s41423-021-00660-5.
8. Zhao C, Yang X, Su EM, Huang Y, Li L, Matthay MA*, Su X* Signals of vagal circuits engaging with AKT1 in α7 nAChR+CD11b+ cells lessen E. coli and LPS-induced acute inflammatory injury. Cell Discov. 2017 Apr 11;3:17009. doi: 10.1038/celldisc.2017.9. eCollection 2017.
9. Zhao CQ, Chen J, Cheng LP, Xu KF, Yang YY*, and Su X*. Deficiency of HIF-1α enhances influenza A virus replication by promoting autophagy in alveolar type II epithelial cells. Emerg Microbes Infect. 2020 Dec;9(1):691-706. doi: 10.1080/22221751.2020.1742585.
10. Zhang C, Zhao CQ, Chen XY, Tao RJ, Meng GX, Liu X, Shao CZ*, Su X*. Induction of ASC pyroptosis requires gasdermin or caspase-1/11-dependent mediators and IFN-β from pyroptotic macrophages to Stem Cells. Cell Death Dis. 2020 Jun 18;11(6):470. doi: 10.1038/s41419-020-2664-0.
11. Wen J, Sun J, Tang Y, Zhao J, Su X*. Cholinergic α7 nAChR signaling suppresses SARS-CoV-2 infection and inflammation in lung epithelial cells. J Mol Cell Biol. 2023 Jul 25:mjad048. doi: 10.1093/jmcb/mjad048.
12. Song S, Zhao C, Wen J, Chen J, Lin Z, Xie S, Qi H, Wang J, Su X*. Vagal-mAChR4 signaling promotes MuLV/Friend‐induced acute erythroleukemia. Virologica Sinica. 2023, Doi: 10.1016/j.virs.2023.05.005
13. Di CX, Jiang YS, Li LL, Qiu WN, Shi MM, Zhu YG, Zhang J, Song YL, Su X*, Qu JM*. ASCs activate cGAS-type I IFNs-IL-7 axis via Pseudomonas aeruginosa-derived outer membrane vesicles to resolve pneumonia. Stem Cells. 2023, DOI: 10.1093/stmcls/sxad016
14. Li N, Chen J, Xie S, Zhang M, Shi T, He Y, Jie Z*, Su X*. Oral antibiotics relieve allergic asthma in post-weaning mice via reducing iNKT cells and function of ADRB2. Front Immunol. 2022 Oct 25;13:1024235. doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.1024235. eCollection 2022.
15. Wen J, Zhao C, Chen J, Song S, Lin Z, Xie S, Qi, H Wang J, Su X*. Activation of α7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor promotes HIV-1 transcription. Cell Insight, 2022 June 2022;1 (3): 100028. doi.org/10.1016/j.cellin.2022.100028.
16. Gao ZW, Li L, Huang YY, Zhao CQ, Xue SJ, Chen J, Yang ZZ, Xu JF*, Su X*. Vagal-α7nAChR signaling is required for lung anti-inflammatory responses and arginase 1 expression during an influenza infection. Acta Pharmacol Sin. 2021 Jan 7. doi: 10.1038/s41401-020-00579-z.
17. Feng XT, Zhao CQ, Li L, Feng JJ, He W, Shi TY, Li N, Jie ZJ*, Su X*. iNKT cells with high PLZF expression are recruited into the lung via CCL21-CCR7 signaling to facilitate the development of asthma tolerance in mice. Eur J Immunol. 2020 Jul 26. doi: 10.1002/eji.202048798.
18. Chen XY, Zhao CQ, Zhang CP, Li QM, Chen J, Cheng LP, Zhou J, Su X*, Song YL* Vagal-α7nAChR signaling promotes lung stem cell regeneration via fibroblast growth factor 10 during lung injury repair. Stem Cell Res Ther. 2020 Jun 10;11(1):230. doi: 10.1186/s13287-020-01757-w.
19. Chen XY, Chen J, Song YL*, Su X*. Vagal α7nAChR signaling regulates α7nAChR+Sca1+ cells during lung injury repair. Stem Cell Res Ther. 2020 Aug 31;11(1):375. doi: 10.1186/s13287-020-01892-4.
20. Zhang H, Xue K, Li W, Yang X, Gou Y, Su X, Qian F, Sun L. Cullin5 drives experimental asthma exacerbations by modulating alveolar macrophage antiviral immunity. Nat Commun. 2024 Jan 4;15(1):252. doi: 10.1038/s41467-023-44168-0
21. Li Y, Lu Y, Lin SH, Li N, Han Y, Huang Q, Zhao Y, Xie F, Guo Y, Deng B, Tsun A, Du J, Li D, Sun J, Shi G, Zheng F, Su X, Duan S, Zheng SG, Wang G, Tong X, Li B. Insulin signaling establishes a developmental trajectory of adipose regulatory T cells. Nat Immunol. 2021 Aug 24. doi: 10.1038/s41590-021-01010-3.
Principal Investigator: SU Xiao, MD, PhD
Assistant & lab manager: LAI Xiaoyun
Assistant: LIN Zhekai, Targeting vagal neuron genetics
Postdoc: CHEN Jie, Lung-brain axis
PhD students:XIE Shitao, ZHANG Cuiping, FENG Xintong, LAN Gelei, WU Xing, GUO Xiaoxiao, CHEN Guannan, WU Renlan, XUE Yue, ZHAO Qi.