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Jia Luo, PhD

Professor of Pathology

Introduction

Alcoholism, alcohol abuse, and the medical complications of excessive drinking are major world-wide health problems. There are three long-term goals of my laboratory: (1) Alcohol exposure during development results in fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD) and induces profound damages to the central nervous system (CNS). I am interested in elucidating cellular/molecular mechanisms underlying alcohol-induced damage to the developing brain. Particularly I am interested in the interaction among oxidative stress, endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress and autophagy and how the interaction contributes to alcohol-induced CNS damage. Chronic and heavy alcohol abuse also causes neurodegeneration and thiamine deficiency (TD). I am interested in the interaction between TD and alcohol abuse in the context of neurodegeneration and behavioral deficits. (2) Alcohol is a tumor promoter and enhances the progression of mammary tumor. I am interested in elucidating cellular/molecular mechanisms underlying alcohol-promoted tumor progression, particularly the metastasis of breast cancer cells. (3) Alcohol abuse is the major risk factor for pancreatitis. I am interested in elucidating the role of ER stress in alcohol-promoted pancreatitis.

Current Positions

  • Professor of Pathology
  • Pathology Endowed Chair in Alcohol Research, Pathology

Education

  • BS in Biology, Ocean University of China, Qingdao P.R., China
  • PhD in Anatomy and Cell Biology, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, United States
  • Postdoctoral Fellow, Department of Psychiatry, University of Iowa

Graduate Program Affiliations

Research Interests

  • Endoplasmic reticulum stress
  • Developmental neurobiology
  • Cancer biology
  • Oxidative stress
  • Signal transduction
  • Neurotoxity
  • Alcohol abuse
  • Growth factors

Selected Publications

  • Li H, Xu M, Chen D, Wen W, Luo J. (2024) Pirfenidone ameliorates alcohol-induced promotion of breast cancer in mice. Front Oncol. Mar 25: 14:1351839. DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2024.1351839. PMID: 38590657. PMCID: PMC10999600.
  • Wen W, Wang Y, Li H, Hu D, Zhang Z, Lin H, Luo J. (2023) Upregulation of mesencephalic astrocyte-derived neurotrophic factor (MANF) expression offers protection against alcohol neurotoxicity. J Neurochem. Sep; 166(6):943-959. DOI: 10.1111/jnc.15921. PMID: 37507360. PMCID: PMC10906989.
  • Xu W, Wu L, Xu M, Luo J, Chen G. Ethanol Exposure Up-regulates PD-L1/PD-1 Immune Checkpoint Pathway and Promotes Mammary Tumor Development. Front Oncol 2022 Jun 8; 12:874156. PMID: 35756611, doi: 10.3389/fonc.2022.874156
  • Wang, Y., Wen, W., Li, H., Xu, H., Xu, M., Ma, M. & Luo, J. (2022). Deficiency of mesencephalic astrocyte-derived neurotrophic factor affects neurogenesis in mouse brain. Brain Res Bull 183 49-56. DOI: 10.1016/j.brainresbull.2022.02.019. PMID: 35227768.
  • Li, H., Wen, W. & Luo, J. (2022). Targeting Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress as an Effective Treatment for Alcoholic Pancreatitis. Biomedicines 10 (1) 108. DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines10010108. PMID: 35052788. PMCID: PMC8773075.
  • Wen, W., Li, H. & Luo, J. (2022). Potential Role of MANF, an ER Stress Responsive Neurotrophic Factor, in Protecting Against Alcohol Neurotoxicity. Mol Neurobiol. DOI: 10.1007/s12035-022-02786-7. PMID: 35254650.
  • Wang, Y., Wen, W., Li, H., Clementino, M., Xu, H., Xu, M., Ma, M., Frank, J. & Luo, J. (2020). MANF is neuroprotective against ethanol-induced neurodegeneration through ameliorating ER stress. Neurobiol Dis 148 105216. DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2020.105216. PMID: 33296727.
  • Wu, H., Li, H., Wen, W., Wang, Y., Xu, H., Xu, M., Frank, J. A., Wei, W. & Luo, J. (2021). MANF protects pancreatic acinar cells against alcohol-induced endoplasmic reticulum stress and cellular injury. Journal of hepato-biliary-pancreatic sciences. DOI: 10.1002/jhbp.928. PMID: 33644980.
  • Xu H, Li H, Liu D, Wen W, Xu M, Frank JA, Chen J, Zhu H, Grahame NJ, Luo J (2021). Chronic voluntary alcohol drinking causes anxiety-like behavior, thiamine deficiency, and brain damage of female crossed high alcohol preferring mice, Front Pharmacol. 12:614396, PMID: 33767622, PMCID: PMC7985542, DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2021.614396
  • Wen, W., Wang, Y., Li, H., Xu, H., Xu, M., Frank, J., Ma, M. & Luo, J. (2020). Mesencephalic astrocyte-derived neurotrophic factor (MANF) regulates neurite outgrowth through the activation of Akt/mTOR and Erk/mTOR signaling pathways. Front Mol Neurosci. DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2020.560020.