Scholars

overview

The central goal of our research is to understand how oligodendroglial development and function in the mammalian central nervous system is regulated in health and disease. Specifically, we are interested in molecular and cellular mechanisms involved in oligodendrocyte damage/dysfunction in white matter injuries such as multiple sclerosis and cerebral palsy and in aging-related neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease. Because in most CNS diseases, multiple cell types including neurons, glial cells and vascular cells are involved via complex interactions, we investigate, at the cellular and molecular level, the role of microglia and astrocytes in the process of oligodendrocyte development, differentiation and damage. We use a variety of methods including primary cell cultures and transgenic and knockout animals to elucidate cellular pathways mediating oligodendrocyte injury.

The second focus of our laboratory is to elucidate the signals that promote oligodendrocyte survival and regeneration/remyelination after injury, and to study cell-cell interactions that regulate remyelination. These studies should contribute significantly to our understanding of mechanisms of oligodendrocyte development and injury, and provide new clues for potential prevention and treatment of human white matter diseases.

education and training

Ph.D. in Biochemistry, University of Hawaii at Manoa - (Honolulu, Hawaii, United States) 1997
M.S. in Organic Chemistry, Beijing Normal University - (Beijing, Beijing, China) 1991
B.S. in Chemistry, Beijing Normal University - (Beijing, Beijing, China) 1988

selected publications

Academic Articles57

Wang, H., Shen, Z., Wu, C., Ji, P., Noh, J. Y., Geoffroy, C. G., ... Sun, Y. (2024). Neuronal ablation of GHSR mitigates diet-induced depression and memory impairment via AMPK-autophagy signaling-mediated inflammation.. 15, 1339937.
Samtani, G., Kim, S., Michaud, D., Hillhouse, A. E., Szule, J. A., Konganti, K., & Li, J. (2023). Brain region dependent molecular signatures and myelin repair following chronic demyelination.. Frontiers in Cellular Neuroscience. 17, 1169786.
Bencosme-Cuevas, E., Kim, T. K., Nguyen, T., Berry, J., Li, J., Adams, L. G., ... Mulenga, A. (2023). Ixodes scapularis nymph saliva protein blocks host inflammation and complement-mediated killing of Lyme disease agent, Borrelia burgdorferi.. Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology. 13, 1253670.
Kim, S., Lu, H. C., Steelman, A. J., & Li, J. (2022). Myeloid caspase-8 restricts RIPK3-dependent proinflammatory IL-1 production and CD4 T cell activation in autoimmune demyelination.. 119(24), e2117636119.
Lu, H. C., Kim, S., Steelman, A. J., Tracy, K., Zhou, B., Michaud, D., ... Li, J. (2020). STAT3 signaling in myeloid cells promotes pathogenic myelin-specific T cell differentiation and autoimmune demyelination.. 117(10), 5430-5441.

Chapters5

Park, J., Kim, S., Li, J., & Han, A. (2015). Multi-compartment Neuron-Glia Coculture Microsystem. Neuromethods. Biffi, E. (Eds.), MICROFLUIDIC AND COMPARTMENTALIZED PLATFORMS FOR NEUROBIOLOGICAL RESEARCH. 149-159. Springer Nature.
Park, J., Kim, S., Li, J., & Han, A. (2014). Axon length quantification microfluidic culture platform for growth and regeneration study.. Methods in molecular biology (Clifton, N.J.). Murray, A. J. (Eds.), AXON GROWTH AND REGENERATION: METHODS AND PROTOCOLS. 85-95. Springer Nature.
Bombeck, C. A., Li, J., & Billiar, T. R. (2000). Reactive oxygen species, nitric oxide and apoptosis. Free Radicals and Inflammation. 207-219. Springer Nature.
Bombeck, C. A., Li, J., Kim, Y., & Billiar, T. R. (2000). The protective role of nitric oxide in hepatocytes during responses to inflammatory mediators and induction of apoptosis. The Hepatocyte Review. 301-315. Springer Nature.
Li, J., & Billiar, T. R. Nitric Oxide. Encyclopedia of Molecular Biology. Wiley.