Faculty

Wei Li, PhD

Assistant Research Professor of Microbiology & Immunology

Phone (317) 274-4653

Address

MS 266
635 Barnhill Drive

Indianapolis, IN

Bio

Dr. Li received her B.S. in Plant Genetics from Sichuan University, China, in 1983 and PhD in Molecular Genetics from University of Minnesota in 1992. She did her postdoctoral trainings in Virology and Immunology at the Biomedical Research Institute of Children’s Hospital of St. Paul from 1992-1994, University of Minnesota from 1994-1998, and Indiana University from 2003 to 2005. She became a Research Assistant Professor in the Department of Microbiology and Immunology in 2005. Her research interests include T cell biology (development, differentiation, and tolerance) and human and mouse immune responses in infectious and inflammatory diseases. To date, she has published 34 scientific papers.

Key Publications

Xing Y, Shepherd N, Lan J, Li W, Rane S, Gupta SK, Zhang S, Dong J, Yu Q. MMPs/TIMPs imbalances in the peripheral blood and cerebrospinal fluid are associated with the pathogenesis of HIV-1-associated neurocognitive disorders. Brain Behav Immun. 2017 Oct;65:161-172. doi: 10.1016/j.bbi.2017.04.024. Epub 2017 May 6. PubMed PMID: 28487203
Li W, Amet T, Xing Y, Yang D, Liangpunsakul S, Puri P, Kamath PS, Sanyal AJ, Shah VH, Katz BP, Radaeva S, Crabb DW, Chalasani N, Yu Q. Alcohol abstinence ameliorates the dysregulated immune profiles in patients with alcoholic hepatitis: A prospective observational study. Hepatology. 2017 Aug;66(2):575-590. doi: 10.1002/hep.29242. Epub 2017 Jun 30. PubMed PMID: 28466561; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC5548491.
Forcade E, Paz K, Flynn R, Griesenauer B, Amet T, Li W, Liu L, Bakoyannis G, Jiang D, Chu HW, Lobera M, Yang J, Wilkes DS, Du J, Gartlan K, Hill GR, MacDonald KP, Espada EL, Blanco P, Serody JS, Koreth J, Cutler CS, Antin JH, Soiffer RJ, Ritz J, Paczesny S, Blazar BR. An activated Th17-prone T cell subset involved in chronic graft-versus-host disease sensitive to pharmacological inhibition. JCI Insight. 2017 Jun 15;2(12). pii: 92111. doi: 10.1172/jci.insight.92111. [Epub ahead of print] PubMed PMID: 28614794; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC5470889.
Li W, Liu L, Gomez A, Zhang J, Ramadan A, Zhang Q, Choi SW, Zhang P, Greenson JK, Liu C, Jiang D, Virts E, Kelich SL, Chu HW, Flynn R, Blazar BR, Hanenberg H, Hanash S, Paczesny S. Proteomics analysis reveals a Th17-prone cell population in presymptomatic graft-versus-host disease. JCI Insight. 2016 May 5;1(6). pii: e86660. PubMed PMID: 27195312; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4868256.
Zhang J, Ramadan AM, Griesenauer B, Li W, Turner MJ, Liu C, Kapur R, Hanenberg H, Blazar BR, Tawara I, Paczesny S. ST2 blockade reduces sST2-producing T cells while maintaining protective mST2-expressing T cells during graft-versus-host disease.Sci Transl Med. 2015 Oct 7;7(308):308ra160. doi: 10.1126/scitranslmed.aab0166. PubMed PMID: 26446957; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4699312.
Holley C, Gangaiah D, Li W, Fortney KR, Janowicz DM, Ellinger S, Zwickl B, Katz BP, Spinola SM. A (p)ppGpp-null mutant of Haemophilus ducreyi is partially attenuated in humans due to multiple conflicting phenotypes. Infect Immun. 2014 Aug;82(8):3492-502. doi: 10.1128/IAI.01994-14. Epub 2014 Jun 9. PubMed PMID: 24914217; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4136218.
Li W, Katz BP, Bauer ME, Spinola SM. Haemophilus ducreyi infection induces activation of the NLRP3 inflammasome in nonpolarized but not in polarized human macrophages. Infect Immun. 2013 Aug;81(8):2997-3008. doi: 10.1128/IAI.00354-13. Epub 2013 Jun 10. PubMed PMID: 23753629; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC3719567.
Gangaiah D, Li W, Fortney KR, Janowicz DM, Ellinger S, Zwickl B, Katz BP, Spinola SM. Carbon storage regulator A contributes to the virulence of Haemophilus ducreyi in humans by multiple mechanisms. Infect Immun. 2013 Feb;81(2):608-17. doi: 10.1128/IAI.01239-12. Epub 2012 Dec 10. PubMed PMID: 23230298; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC3553801.
Li W, Katz BP, Spinola SM. Haemophilus ducreyi-induced interleukin-10 promotes a mixed M1 and M2 activation program in human macrophages. Infect Immun. 2012 Dec;80(12):4426-34. doi: 10.1128/IAI.00912-12. Epub 2012 Oct 1. PubMed PMID: 23027536; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC3497422.
Spinola SM, Li W, Fortney KR, Janowicz DM, Zwickl B, Katz BP, Munson RS Jr. Sialylation of lipooligosaccharides is dispensable for the virulence of Haemophilus ducreyi in humans. Infect Immun. 2012 Feb;80(2):679-87. doi: 10.1128/IAI.05826-11. Epub 2011 Dec 5. PubMed PMID: 22144477; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC3264291.
Maniar TA, Kaplan M, Wang GJ, Shen K, Wei L, Shaw JE, Koushika SP, Bargmann CI. UNC-33 (CRMP) and ankyrin organize microtubules and localize kinesin to polarize axon-dendrite sorting. Nat Neurosci. 2011 Nov 20;15(1):48-56. doi: 10.1038/nn.2970. PubMed PMID: 22101643; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4328884.

Free full text Cited in PMC Related citations
Li W, Katz BP, Spinola SM. Haemophilus ducreyi lipooligosaccharides induce expression of the immunosuppressive enzyme indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase via type I interferons and tumor necrosis factor alpha in human dendritic cells. Infect Immun. 2011 Aug;79(8):3338-47. doi: 10.1128/IAI.05021-11. Epub 2011 May 16. PubMed PMID: 21576329; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC3147552.

Titles & Appointments

Assistant Research Professor of Microbiology & Immunology
Research Assistant Professor

Education

1992 PhD University of Minnesota

1983 BS Sichuan University
Research

Summary of the focus of the research

My research focuses on chronic immune activation, inflammation, and microbial translocation in patients with alcoholic hepatitis and HIV

Description and summary of research focus of the laboratory

Long-term heavy drinkers develop a spectrum of severe alcoholic liver disease, including alcoholic hepatitis, a severe and progressive liver inflammatory disease associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Excessive alcohol ingestion leads to increased intestinal permeability and microbial translocation from the gastrointestinal tract into the liver, which activates the immune system and plays a major role in the pathogenesis of alcoholic hepatitis. HIV infection also damages the gastrointestinal tract mucosal barrier, leading to microbial translocation and chronic immune activation and inflammation, which is not fully reversed by antiretroviral therapy. Alcohol abuse is prevalent among HIV-infected individuals. However it is not well known how excessive alcohol consumption and HIV infection interact to affect microbial translocation, immune activation, inflammation, and viral replication. I am interested in understanding the effect of alcohol on the immunological and virological features in HIV patients. As alcohol abstinence is the most important aspect for treating alcoholic liver diseases, I am examining whether alcohol abstinence could reverse immunological and virological impacts in HIV-infected heavy drinkers.
Publications

Glucose level decline precedes dementia in elderly African Americans with diabetes.
Hendrie HC; Zheng M; Li W; Lane K; Ambuehl R; Purnell C; Unverzagt FW; Torke A; Balasubramanyam A; Callahan CM; Gao S; Alzheimer's & dementia : the journal of the Alzheimer's Association 2016 Oct 25

Guidelines for the use and interpretation of assays for monitoring autophagy (3rd edition).
Klionsky DJ; Abdelmohsen K; Abe A; Abedin MJ; Abeliovich H; Acevedo Arozena A; Adachi H; Adams CM; Adams PD; Adeli K; Adhihetty PJ; Adler SG; Agam G; Agarwal R; Aghi MK; Agnello M; Agostinis P; Aguilar PV; Aguirre-Ghiso J; Airoldi EM; Ait-Si-Ali S; Akematsu T; Akporiaye ET; Al-Rubeai M; Albaiceta GM; Albanese C; Albani D; Albert ML; Aldudo J; Algül H; Alirezaei M; Alloza I; Almasan A; Almonte-Beceril M; Alnemri ES; Alonso C; Altan-Bonnet N; Altieri DC; Alvarez S; Alvarez-Erviti L; Alves S; Amadoro G; Amano A; Amantini C; Ambrosio S; Amelio I; Amer AO; Amessou M; Amon A; An Z; Anania FA; Andersen SU; Andley UP; Andreadi CK; Andrieu-Abadie N; Anel A; Ann DK; Anoopkumar-Dukie S; Antonioli M; Aoki H; Apostolova N; Aquila S; Aquilano K; Araki K; Arama E; Aranda A; Araya J; Arcaro A; Arias E; Arimoto H; Ariosa AR; Armstrong JL; Arnould T; Arsov I; Asanuma K; Askanas V; Asselin E; Atarashi R; Atherton SS; Atkin JD; Attardi LD; Auberger P; Auburger G; Aurelian L; Autelli R; Avagliano L; Avantaggiati ML; Avrahami L; Awale S; Azad N; Bachetti T; Backer JM; Bae DH; Bae JS; Bae ON; Bae SH; Baehrecke EH; Baek SH; Baghdiguian S; Bagniewska-Zadworna A; Bai H; Bai J; Bai XY; Bailly Y; Balaji KN; Balduini W; Ballabio A; Balzan R; Banerjee R; Bánhegyi G; Bao H; Barbeau B; Barrachina MD; Barreiro E; Bartel B; Bartolomé A; Bassham DC; Bassi MT; Bast RC Jr; Basu A; Batista MT; Batoko H; Battino M; Bauckman K; Baumgarner BL; Bayer KU; Beale R; Beaulieu JF; Beck GR Jr; Becker C; Beckham JD; Bédard PA; Bednarski PJ; Begley TJ; Behl C; Behrends C; Behrens GM; Behrns KE; Bejarano E; Belaid A; Belleudi F; Bénard G; Berchem G; Bergamaschi D; Bergami M; Berkhout B; Berliocchi L; Bernard A; Bernard M; Bernassola F; Bertolotti A; Bess AS; Besteiro S; Bettuzzi S; Bhalla S; Bhattacharyya S; Bhutia SK; Biagosch C; Bianchi MW; Biard-Piechaczyk M; Billes V; Bincoletto C; Bingol B; Bird SW; Bitoun M; Bjedov I; Blackstone C; Blanc L; Blanco GA; Blomhoff HK; Boada-Romero E; Böckler S; Boes M; Boesze-Batt Autophagy 2016
Professional Organizations

American Association of Immunologists
Clinical Interests

NA

Research Labs

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Faculty Labs