Ping Wu, M.D., Ph.D.

Assistant Professor

Affiliations: Marine Biomedical Institute and Anatomy & Neurosciences

Email: piwu@utmb.edu

research interests

We are interested in adeno-associated viral (AAV) vector-mediated gene transfer in the central nervous system (CNS), and its potential gene therapy for neurological disorders. As one of the most promising viral vectors, AAV can efficiently and stably transduce neurons and other cells. A more appealing feature is that AAV does not induce cytotoxicity neither T-cell mediated immune response.

Another primary interest of this laboratory is to determine and apply factors or reagents to induce and differentiate human neural stem/progenitor cells toward a certain cell phenotype both in vitro and in vivo.

The current research projects of Dr. Wu’s laboratory focus on: 1) Proliferation and differentiation of human neural stem/progenitor cells; 2) AAV-mediated gene delivery into human neural stem cells; 3) AAV-mediated gene and cell therapy for spinal cord injury and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

Biographical Information

Dr. Wu is a native of Beijing, P.R. China. She received her medical degree at Beijing Medical University in 1984, and a Ph.D. in Neuroendocrinology at University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB) at Galveston in 1991. After her postdoctoral training at University of Florida, she served four years as an Instructor at Harvard Medical School, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. In 1999, Dr. Wu returned to UTMB as a tenure-track Assistant Professor in the Department of Anatomy and Neurosciences, and a Member of the Marine Biomedical Institute.

Selected Publications

Du B, Wu P (Co-first Author), Boldt-Houle DM, and Terwilliger EF 1996 Efficient transduction of human neurons with an adeno-associated virus vector. Gene Ther 3:254-261.

Wu P, Phillips MI, Bui J and Terwilliger EF 1998 Adeno-associated virus vector-mediated transgene integration into brain and other nondividing targets. J Virol 72:5919-5926.

Nguyen JT, Wu P, Clouse ME, Terwilliger EF and Hlatky L 1998 AAV-mediated delivery of anti-angiogenic factors as an anti-tumor strategy. Cancer Res 58(24): 5673-5677.

Childs GV, Unabia G and Wu P 2000 Differential expression of Growth hormone mRNA by somatotropes and gonadotropes in male and cycling female rats. Endocrinology (141(4):1560-1570).