Sealy Center for Molecular Medicine

Research Interests

The research in my lab focuses on molecular mechanisms underlying the pathogenesis and host immune responses associated with RSV and hMPV infections, the two leading causes of lower respiratory tract infections in infants. We aim to identify antiviral pathways, viral evasion mechanisms, and roles of sncRNAs in RSV/hMPV infection.

Selected Publications

1. Ren J, Liu T, Cao H, Garofalo R.P, Casola A and Bao X. “A novel mechanism for the inhibition of interferon regulatory factor3-dependent gene expression by human respiratory syncytial virus NS1 protein” J Gen Virol, 2011; 92(Pt 9):2153-9
   
   
2. Ren J, Kolli D, Liu T, Xu R, Garofalo RP, Casola A and Bao X. “Human metapneumovirus inhibits IFN-β signaling by downregulating Jak1 and Tyk2 cellular levels”. PLoS one. 2011; 6(9):e24496. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0024496.
   
   
3. Kolli D, Bao X, Casola A. “Human metapneumovirus antagonism of innate immune responses”. Viruses. 2012; 4(12):3551-71.
   
   
4. Ren J, Wang Q, Kolli D, Prusak D, Tseng K, Chen Z, Li K, Wood T and Bao X. “Human metapneumovirus M2-2 protein inhibits the innate cellular signaling by targeting MAVS”. J. Virol. 2012, 86(23):13049-61.
   
   
5. Vandana S, Welte T, Bao X, Xie G, Wang J, Higgs S, Tesh R, Wang T. “A hamster-derived West Nile Virus strain is highly attenuated and induces a differential proinflammatory cytokine response in two murine cell lines”. Virus Res, 2012; 167(2):179-87.
   
   
6. Wang Q, Lee I, Ren J, Ajay SS, Lee YS, Bao X. “Identification and functional characterization of tRNA-derived RNA fragments (tRFs) in respiratory syncytial virus infection”. Mol Ther. 2013; 21(2):368-79.
   
   
7. Bao X*, Kolli D, Liu T, Garofalo R.P and Casola A. “Human metapneumovirus glycoprotein G disrupts mitochondrial signaling in airway epithelial cells”. PLoS One. 2013; 8(4): e62568. *:first and corresponding author.
   
   
8. Ren J, Kolli D, Deng J, Fang R, Gong B, Xue M, Casola A, Garofalo R.P, Wang T and Bao X. “MyD88 controls human metapneumovirus-induced pulmonary immune responses and disease pathogenesis”. Virus Res. 2013; 176(1-2):241-50.
   
   
9. Ren J, Wang Q, Kolli D, Liu G, Zhang G and Bao X. “Human metapneumovirus M2-2 protein inhibits innate immune response in monocyte-derived dendritic cells”. Plos One. 2014, 11;9(3):e91865.
   
   
10. Deng J, Ptashkin R, Wang Q, Liu G, Zhang G, Lee I, Lee YS and Bao X. “Human metapneumovirus infection induces significant changes in small non-coding RNA expression in airway epithelial cells”. (Accepted, Molecular Therapy-Nucleic Acids)
    
    
11. Ren J, Phan T and Bao X. “Recent vaccine development for human metapneumovirus”. (Accepted, invited review paper, Journal of Antivirals & Antiretrovirals)