Dr Li Wu

Details

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Division: Molecular Immunology

Research Overview

Dendritic cells (DC) are bone marrow derived cells. They are the most efficient antigen presenting cells. DC play important roles in either initiating antigen specific immune responses against pathogens or inducing immune tolerance to self-antigens. DC are heterogeneous and contain phenotypically and functionally distinct subpopulations.

We are interested in how the development of these DC populations is regulated by various molecules, including cytokines and transcription factors. We are also interested in the role of DC, particularly the thymic DC, in the induction of central immune tolerance and T-regulatory cell development in the thymus using mouse models.

These studies are crucial for revealing the mechanisms underlying the development of autoimmune diseases. More importantly, we will translate the knowledge from studies of mouse DC populations to the human DC system by characterizing DC populations isolated from human lymphoid tissues or generated in culture from human bone marrow or blood haemopoietic precursors.

Major Research Interests

  • Development and functional diversities of mouse and human dendritic cell populations
  • Transcriptional regulation of dendritic cell development
  • Molecular regulation of haematopoietic cell lineage commitment and differentiation from the multipotent haematopoietic stem cells
  • The role of thymic dendritic cells in the induction of central immune tolerance

Research Interests

Selected Publications

  1. Proietto AI, van Dommelen S, Zhou P, Rizzitelli A, D'Amico A, Steptoe RJ, Naik SH, Lahoud MH, Liu Y, Zheng P, Shortman K and Wu L. Dendritic cells in the thymus contribute to T-regulatory cell induction. Proc Natl Acad Sci. USA. 105:19869-19874, 2008. PMID: 19073916 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
  2. Naik SH, Sathe P, Park HY, Metcalf D, Proietto AI, Dakic A, Carotta S, O'Keeffe M, Bahlo M, Papenfuss A, Kwak JY, Wu L, Shortman K. Development of plasmacytoid and conventional dendritic cell subtypes from single precursor cells derived in vitro and in vivo. Nat Immunol. 2007 Nov;8(11):1217-26 PMID: 17922015 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
  3. Wu L, Liu YJ. Development of dendritic-cell lineages. Immunity. 2007 Jun;26(6):741-50 PMID: 17582346 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE] Naik SH, Metcalf D, van Nieuwenhuijze A, Wicks I, Wu L, O'Keeffe M, Shortman K. Intrasplenic steady-state dendritic cell precursors that are distinct from monocytes. Nat Immunol. 2006 Jun;7(6):663-71 PMID: 16680143 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
  4. Lahoud MH, Proietto AI, Gartlan KH, Kitsoulis S, Curtis J, Wettenhall J, Sofi M, Daunt C, O'keeffe M, Caminschi I, Satterley K, Rizzitelli A, Schnorrer P, Hinohara A, Yamaguchi Y, Wu L, Smyth G, Handman E, Shortman K, Wright MD. Signal regulatory protein molecules are differentially expressed by CD8- dendritic cells. J Immunol. 2006 Jul 1;177(1):372-82 PMID: 16785533 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
  5. Shackleton M, Vaillant F, Simpson KJ, Stingl J, Smyth GK, Asselin-Labat ML, Wu L, Lindeman GJ, Visvader JE. Generation of a functional mammary gland from a single stem cell. Nature. 2006 Jan 5;439(7072):84-8 PMID: 16397499 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
  6. Metcalf D, Dakic A, Mifsud S, Di Rago L, Wu L, Nutt S. Inactivation of PU.1 in adult mice leads to the development of myeloid leukemia. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2006 Jan 31;103(5):1486-91 PMID: 16432184 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
  7. Dakic A, Metcalf D, Di Rago L, Mifsud S, Wu L, Nutt SL. PU.1 regulates the commitment of adult hematopoietic progenitors and restricts granulopoiesis. J Exp Med. 2005 May 2;201(9):1487-502 PMID: 15867096 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
  8. Nutt SL, Metcalf D, D'Amico A, Polli M, Wu L. Dynamic regulation of PU.1 expression in multipotent hematopoietic progenitors. J Exp Med. 2005 Jan 17;201(2):221-31 PMID: 15657291 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
  9. Naik SH, Proietto AI, Wilson NS, Dakic A, Schnorrer P, Fuchsberger M, Lahoud MH, O'Keeffe M, Shao QX, Chen WF, Villadangos JA, Shortman K, Wu L. Cutting edge: generation of splenic CD8+ and CD8- dendritic cell equivalents in Fms-like tyrosine kinase 3 ligand bone marrow cultures.
    J Immunol. 2005 Jun 1;174(11):6592-7 PMID: 15905497 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE

Click here to view more PubMed publications

Current Laboratory Members

Faculty Member: Li Wu, MB MMedSc Beijing PhD Melb

PhD Student: Chin Nien Lee, MSc Taiwan

PhD Student: Priyanka Sathe, BSc Syd BSc(Hons) Melb

Postgraduate Student: Milon Pang, BSc(Hons) Melb

Research Assistant: Angela D'Amico

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