Personal profile
Xu Chunliang, professor of Sun Yat-sen School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, doctoral supervisor, the Organization Department of the CPC Central Committee "Overseas high-level talents" youth project winner, Sun Yat-sen University "100 talent plan" to introduce talents.

Educational experience
2003-2007 Shandong University, Biotechnology Base Class, Bachelor of Science;
2007-2013 Doctor degree in Cell Biology, Shanghai Academy of Biological Sciences/Institute of Health Sciences, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Supervisor: Professor Shi Yufang
Work experience
2013-2014 Columbia University, Postdoctoral Fellow, Co-advisor: Remi Creusot
2014-2018 Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Postdoctoral Fellow, Co-supervisor: Paul Frenette
2018-2021 Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Associate Research Fellow, Co-supervisor: Paul Frenette
2021-2022, PhD Supervisor, Independent PI, Chinese University of Hong Kong
2022-present Professor, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University
Research direction
This laboratory is dedicated to the study of hematopoietic stem cells and immune cell microenvironments, with previous work published in the Nature, Nature Medicine, Immunity, Cell Stem Cell, Nature Communications, Journal of Experimental Medicine and Blood. He has published more than 30 papers and been cited more than 4,700 times in international academic journals. The main academic contributions are as follows: 1) Mental stress promotes vascular inflammation and disease through intestinal flora (Immunity, 2020); 2) Pain nerves inhibit inflammation through CGRP (
JEM, 2021); 3) Environmental factors promote vascular inflammation and disease (Nature Medicine, 2018); 4) Bone marrow arteries regulate the maintenance and regeneration of hematopoietic stem cells by secreting stem cell factors (Nature Communications, 2018).

Published paper

1. Xu C, Lee SK, Zhang D, Frenette PS. The gut microbiome regulates psychological stress-induced inflammation. Immunity, 2020 Aug 18;53(2):417-428.e4.

        Highlighted by Nature: Gut microbes and stress team up to make a painful disease worse.

        Preview in Immunity: Gut Feelings Block the Flow: Microbiota Links Stress to Vascular Disease.

        Highlighted by Science Translational Medicine: A gut feeling to stress enhances neutrophil-mediated vascular occlusion.

2. Xu C, Frenette PS. Seasonal manifestations of sickle cell disease. Nature Medicine. 2019 Apr;25(4):536-537.
3. Xu C, Gao X, Wei Q, Nakahara F, Zimmerman SE, Mar J, Frenette PS. Stem cell factor is selectively secreted by arterial endothelial cells in bone marrow. Nature Communications. 2018 Jun;9(1):2449.
4. Xu C, Gulinello M, Frenette PS. Nociceptors protect sickle cell disease mice from vaso-occlusive episodes and chronic organ damage. Journal of Experimental Medicine, 2021. 218 (1): e20200065. Highlighted by Science Translational Medicine: A spicy solution for sickle cell disease.
5. Zhang D*, Xu C*, Manwani D*, Frenette PS. Neutrophils, platelets, and inflammatory pathways at the nexus of sickle cell disease pathophysiology. Blood. 2016 Feb;127(7):801-9. (* equal contribution).  
6. Gao X, Zhang D*, Xu C*, Li H, Caron KM, Frenette PS. Nociceptive nerves regulate haematopoietic stem cell mobilization. Nature. 2021 Jan;589(7843):591-596. (*Equal contribution).
7. Xu C, Lin L, Cao G, Chen Q, Shou P, Huang Y, Han Y, Wang Y, Shi Y. IFNα-secreting MSCs exerts potent anti-tumor effect in vivo. Oncogene. 2014 Oct;33(42):5047-52.
8. Zhang D, Chen G, Manwani D, Mortha A, Xu C, Faith J, Burk R, Kunisaki Y, Jang J, Scheiermann C, Merad M, Frenette PS. Neutrophil ageing is regulated by the microbiome. Nature. 2015 Sep;525(7570):528-32.
9. Poller WC, Downey J, Mooslechner AA, Khan N, Li L, Chan CT, McAlpine CS, Xu C, Kahles F, He S, Janssen H, Mindur JE, Singh S, Kiss MG, Alonso-Herranz L, Iwamoto Y, Kohler RH, Wong LP, Chetal K, Russo SJ, Sadreyev RI, Weissleder R, Nahrendorf M, Frenette PS, Divangahi M, Swirski FK. Brain motor and fear circuits regulate leukocytes during acute stress. Nature. 2022 May. Online ahead of print.
10. Zhang D, Gao X, Li H, Borger DK, Wei Q, Yang E, Xu C, Pinho S, Frenette PS. The microbiota regulates hematopoietic stem cell fate decisions by controlling iron availability in bone marrow. Cell Stem Cell. 2022 Feb 3;29(2):232-247.
11. Ren G, Zhao X, Wang Y, Zhang X, Chen X, Xu C, Yuan ZR, Roberts AI, Zhang L, Zheng B, Wen T, Han Y, Rabson AB, Tischfield JA, Shao C, Shi Y. CCR2-dependent recruitment of macrophages by tumor-educated mesenchymal stromal cells promotes tumor development and is mimicked by TNFα. Cell Stem Cell. 2012 Dec;11(6):812-24.
12. Nakahara F, Borger DK, Wei Q, Pinho S, Maryanovich M, Zahalka A, Suzuki M, Cruz CD, Wang Z, Xu C, Boulais PE, Ma'ayan A, Greally J, Frenette PS. Engineering a haematopoietic stem cell niche by revitalizing mesenchymal stromal cells. Nature Cell Biology. 2019 May;21(5):560-567.
13. Zheng C, Yang Q, Xu C, Shou P, Cao J, Jiang M, Chen Q, Cao Q, Han Y, Li F, Cao W, Zhang L, Zhang L, Shi Y, Wang Y. CD11b Regulates obesity-induced insulin resistance via limiting alternative Activation and proliferation of adipose tissue macrophages. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. 2015 Dec;112(52):E7239-48.
14. Xu C, Yu P, Han X, Du L, Gan J, Wang Y, Shi Y. Transforming growth factor β promotes immune responses in the presence of mesenchymal stem cells. The Journal of Immunology. 2014 Jan;192(1):103-9. (Highlighted in the “In This Issue” section).
15. Xu C, Ren G, Cao G, Chen Q and Shou P, Zheng C, Du L, Han X, Jiang M, Yang Q, Lin L, Wang G, Yu P, Zhang X, Cao W, Brewer G, Wang Y, Shi Y. miR-155 regulates immune modulatory properties of mesenchymal stem cells by targeting TAK1-binding protein 2. The Journal of Biological Chemistry. 2013 Apr;288(16):11074-9.
16. Zhang T, Wang Y, Li Q, Lin L, Xu C, Xue Y, Hu M, Shi Y, Wang Y. Mesenchymal stromal cells equipped by IFNα empower T cells with potent anti-tumor immunity. Oncogene. 2022 Mar;41(13):1866-1881.
17. Wei Q, Nakahara F, Asada N, Zhang D, Gao Xin, Xu C, Alfieri A, Brodin NP, Zimmerman SE, Mar JC, Guha C, Guo W, and Frenette PS. Snai2 Maintains Bone Marrow Niche Cells by Repressing Osteopontin Expression. Developmental Cell. 2020 Jun 8;53(5):503-513.e5.
18. Wei Q, Pinho S, Dong S, Pierce H, Li H, Nakahara F, Xu J, Xu C, Boulais PE, Zhang D, Maryanovich M, Cuervo AM and Frenette PS. MAEA is an E3 ubiquitin ligase promoting autophagy and maintenance of haematopoietic stem cells. Nature Communications volume 12, Article number: 2522 (2021).
19. Gonzalez CD, Ledo C, Cela E, Stella I, Xu C, Ojeda DS, Frenette PS, Gomez M. The good side of inflammation: Staphylococcus aureus proteins SpA and Sbi contribute to proper abscess formation and wound healing during skin and soft tissue infections. BBA-Molecular Basis of Disease. 2019 Oct;1865(10):2657-2670.
20. Gao X, Xu C, Asada N, Frenette PS. The hematopoietic stem cell niche: from embryo to adult. Development. 2018 Jan;145(2).
21. Dastagir SD*, Postigo-Fernandez J*, Xu C, Stoeckle J, Firdessa-Fite R, Creusot RJ. Efficient presentation of multiple endogenous epitopes to both CD4+ and CD8+ diabetogenic T cells for tolerance. Molecular Therapy-Methods & Clinical Development. 2016 Dec;4:27-38. (* equal contribution).
22. Yu P, Huang Y, Xu C, Lin L, Han Y, Sun W, Hu G, Rabson AB, Wang Y, Shi Y. Downregulation of CXCL12 in mesenchymal stromal cells by TGFβ promotes breast cancer metastasis. Oncogene. 2017 Feb;36(6):840-849.
23. Shou P, Chen Q, Jiang J, Xu C, Zhang J, Zheng C, Jiang M, Velletri T, Cao W, Huang Y, Yang Q, Han X, Zhang L, Wei L, Rabson AB, Chin YE, Wang Y, Shi Y. Type I interferons exert anti-tumor effect via reversing immunosuppression mediated by mesenchymal stromal cells. Oncogene. 2016 Nov;35(46):5953-5962.
24. Jiang M, Zheng C, Shou P, Li N, Cao G, Chen Q, Xu C, Du L, Yang Q, Cao J, Han Y, Li F, Cao W, Liu F, Rabson AB, Roberts AI, Xie W, Wang Y, Shi Y. SHP1 regulates bone mass by directing mesenchymal stem cell differentiation. Cell Report. 2016 Jul;16(3):769-80.
25. Chen Q, Shou P, Zheng C, Jiang M, Cao G, Yang Q, Cao J, Xie N, Velletri T, Zhang X, Xu C, Zhang L, Yang H, Hou J, Wang Y, Shi Y. Fate decision of mesenchymal stem cells: adipocytes or osteoblasts? Cell Death Differentiation. 2016 Jul;23(7):1128-39.
26. Han X, Yang Q, Lin L, Xu C, Zheng C, Chen X, Han Y, Li M, Cao W, Chen Q, Xu G, Zhang Y, Schneider R, Qian Y, Wang Y, Brewer G, Shi Y. Interleukin-17A enhances immunosuppression by mesenchymal stem cells. Cell Death and Differentiation. 2014 Nov;21(11):1758-68.
27. Zhu K, Zhang N, Guo N, Yang J, Wang J, Yang C, Yang C, Zhu L, Xu C, Deng Q, Zhu R, Wang H, Chen X, Shi Y, Li Y, Leng Q. SSChighCD11bhighLy-6ChighLy-6Glow myeloid cells curtail CD4 T cell response by inducing nitric oxide synthase in murine hepatitis. The International Journal of Biochemistry & Cell Biology. 2014 Sep;54:89-97.
28. Huang Y, Yu P, Li W, Ren G, Roberts A, Cao C, Zhang X, Su J, Chen X, Chen Q, Shou P, Xu C, Du L, Lin L, Xie N, Zhang L, Wang Y, Shi Y. p53 regulates mesenchymal stem cell-mediated tumor suppression in a tumor microenvironment through immune modulation. Oncogene. 2014 Jul;33(29):3830-8.
29. Cao G, Yang Q, Zhang S, Xu C, Wang Y, Shi Y. Mesenchymal stem cells prevent restraint stress-induced lymphocyte reduction via Interleukin-4. Brain, Behavior, and Immunity. 2014 May;38:125-32.
30. Chen Q, Shou P, Zhang L, Xu C, Zheng C, Han Y, Li W, Huang Y, Zhang X, Shao C, Roberts, A, Robson A, Ren G, Zhang Y, Wang Y, Denhardt D, Shi Y. An osteopontin-Integrin interaction plays a critical role in directing adipogenesis and osteogenesis by mesenchymal stem cells. Stem Cells. 2014 Feb;32(2):327-37.
31. Shi Y, Hu G, Su J, Li W, Chen Q, Shou P, Xu C, Chen X, Huang Y, Zhu Z, Huang X, Han X, Xie N, Ren G. Mesenchymal stem cells: a new strategy for immunosuppression and tissue repair. Cell Research. 2010 May;20(5):510-8.
32. Tao W, Xu C, Ding Q, Li R, Xiang Y, Chung J, Zhong J. A single point mutation in E2 enhances hepatitis C virus infectivity and alters lipoprotein association of viral particles. Virology. 2009 Dec;395(1):67-76.
33. Wang H, Xu C, Cai F, Cao J, Chen X, Wu F. The research of the relationship between cyclooxygenase-2 and monocyte endothelial cells adhesion. Chinese Journal of Laboratory Diagnosis. 2013 Nov; 17(10).
34. Manwani D, Xu C, Lee SK, Amatuni G, Cohen H, Carullo V, Morrone K, Davila J, Shi PA, Ireland K, Keenan J, Frenette PS. Randomized Phase 2 trial of Intravenous Gamma Globulin (IVIG) for the Treatment of Acute Vaso-Occlusive Crisis in Patients with Sickle Cell disease: Lessons Learned from the Midpoint Analysis. Complementary Therapies in Medicine, 2020 Aug; Volume 52, 102481.

Scientific research project
Mainly undertake research projects and talent projects

1. Organization Department of the CPC Central Committee, Overseas High-level Talents Youth Project, 2023-2025, in research, Host;
2. National Natural Science Foundation of China, Major Research Plan Cultivation Project, 2022-2024, in research, Host;
3. National Natural Science Foundation of China, Surface Project, 2023-2026, in research, Host;
4. Ministry of Science and Technology, National Key Research and Development Plan Project, MSC Treatment of major diseases such as graft-versus-host disease regulation and evaluation of technical system research, 2022-2027, in progress, backbone;
5. Ministry of Science and Technology, National Key Research and Development Plan Project, The Mechanism of Action and Targeted intervention Therapy of mesenchymal stem cells in tissue Homeostasis and disease Occurrence, 2022-2027, in progress, backbone;
6. Department of Science and Technology of Guangdong Province, Project of Natural Science Foundation of Guangdong Province, 2023-2026, Host
7. Young and Middle-aged Outstanding Talents Project, 100 Talents Plan, Sun Yat-sen University, 2022-2024, in research, host;
8. Sun Yat-sen University, Basic Research Expenses of Colleges and universities - Young Teacher Training Project, 2023-2023, in research, Host.