Dr HUANG Fang-Ping | fphuang@hkucc.hku.hk
Assistant Professor (Immunology)
MB Shantou; MSc Glasgow; MUA Glasgow; PhD Glasgow
Dendritic Cells & T regulatory Cells In Immunity & Autoimmunity
Research Description
Every member in our research group has an interest in dendritic cells (DC), a cell type that plays crucial roles in both immunity and tolerance.
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DC-T cell cross-talk (Huang YG) |
We study immune regulatory mechanisms in health and disease, with a particular emphasis on the roles of DC in pathogenesis of autoimmunity and mechanism of anti-tumor immunity. Ma Liang (PhD student) studies the mechanism of autoimmunity in murine models. He has recently demonstrated how DC upon interactions with certain type of dying cells may induce pathogenic autoantibodies (anti-dsDNA) leading to the development of a systemic autoimmune disease similar to human SLE (systemic lupus erythematosus) (Photo below). He has also investigated the underlying mechanism for the DC-induced lupus disease in susceptible versus resistant mouse strains (EJI, 2005). Yang Cuihong (PhD student) is interested in the role of DC in tolerance induction, and how a regulatory T cell may be involved in lupus pathogenesis. Sun Qian (PhD student) studies DC lineage origins and differentiation in patients with leukemia and in a gene-knock-in leukemic mouse model. To Kar Wing (PhD student) undertakes a project to determine how DC can be molecularly modified and functionally conditioned to generate DC-based tumor vaccines with high efficacy. Chen Yuxiao (Cheng Yu Tung Fellow) works on a project to study the role of T regulatory cells in liver cancer and potential implications in DC-based immunotherapy. Tang Woody is a MSc student interested in DC migratory and homing properties following interactions with dying cells, and in response to inflammatory stimuli.
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A novel strain of “butterfly” – body of evidence (Eur J Immunol, 2005) |
Lo Chi Kin (Lab manager), Wong On Hong (RA) and myself facilitate the research programs above, and investigating at transcriptional level the mechanisms of DC functional changes upon interactions with dying cells, and after modulation by various immune modulators. In addition, I remain also interested in how DC may be involved in oral Prion transmission.
Selected Publications
Ma L, Chan KW, Trendell-Smith NJ, Wu A, Tian L, Lam AC, Chan AK, Lo CK, Chik S, Ko KH, To CKW, Kam SK, Li XS, Yang CH, Leung SY, Ng MH, Stott DI, Liew FY, MacPherson GG, Huang FP. Systemic Autoimmune Disease Induced by Dendritic Cells that have Captured Necrotic but not Apoptotic Cells in Susceptible Mouse Strains. European Journal of Immunology 2005 35:3364-75. (‘In This Issue’ highlight, Editorial Comments).
Wong OH, Huang FP, Chiang AKS. Differential responses of cord and adult blood-derived dendritic cells to endogenous and exogenous danger signals. Immunology 2005; 155:13-20 (Front Cover).
Huang FP and MacPherson GG. Dendritic cells and oral transmission of prions. Adv Drug Delivery Rev 2004; 56:906-13.
Macpherson G, Milling S, Yrlid U, Cousins L, Turnbull E, Huang FP. Uptake of antigens from the intestine by dendritic cells. Ann NY Acad Sci 2004;1029:75-82.
Huang FP, Farquhar CF, Mabbott NA, Bruce ME and MacPherson GG. Migrating intestinal dendritic cells transport PrPSc from the gut. J Gen Virol 2002; 83:267-71.
Esfandiari E, McInnes I, Lindop G, Huang FP, Field M, and Liew FY. A proinflammatory role of IL-18 in the development of spontaneous autoimmune disease. J Immunol 2001;167(9):5338-47.
Huang FP and MacPherson GG. Continuing education of the immune system – dendritic cells, immune regulation and tolerance. Current Molecular Medicine 2001; 1:457-468.
MacPherson GG, Huang FP and Liu LM. Intestinal Dendritic Cells. In “Dendritic Cells (2nd ed.) Biology and Clinical Applications” (Chapter 25). Edited by Lotze MT and Thomson AW. Harcourt International Academic Press, 2001 (August).
MacPherson GG, Wykes M, Huang FP, and Jenkins CD. Isolation of dendritic cells from rat lymph and spleen. In “Methods in Molecular Medicine: Dendritic Cell Protocols” Part I (Chapter 4). Ed. by Robinson SP and Stagg AJ. Totowa, N.J.: Humana Press, 2001.
Huang FP, Platt N, Wykes M, Major JR, Powell TJ, Jenkins CD, MacPherson GG. A discrete subpopulation of dendritic cells transports apoptotic intestinal epithelial cells to T cell areas of mesenteric lymph nodes. J Exp Med 2000, 191:435- 443. (Front Cover Story, Editorial Comments).
Huggins ML, Huang FP, Xu D, Lindop G and Stott DI. Modulation of autoimmune disease in the MRL-lpr/lpr mouse by IL-2 and TGF-1 gene therapy using attenuated Salmonella typhimurium as gene carrier. Lupus 1999; 8: 29-38.
Xu D, Chang WL, Leung BP, Huang FP, Wheeler R, Piedrafita D, Robinson JH and Liew FY. Selective expression of a stable cell surface molecule on type 2 but not type 1 helper T-cells. J Exp Med 1998; 187:787-794.
Huang FP, Niedbala W, Wei X-Q, Xu D, Feng GJ, Robinson JH, Lam C, and Liew FY. Nitric oxide regulates Th1 cell development through the inhibition of IL-12 synthesis by macrophages. Eur J Immunol 1998; 28:4062-4070.
Maclean A, Wei X-Q, Huang FP, Alalem UAH, Chan WL and Liew FY. Mice lacking inducible nitric oxide synthase are more susceptible to Herpes simplex virus infection despite enhanced Th1 cell responses. J Gen Virol 1998; 79:825-830.
Huang FP, Xu D, Esfandiari E, Sands W, Wei X-Q and Liew FY. Mice defective in Fas are highly susceptible to Leishmania major infection despite elevated interleukin-12 synthesis, strong Th1 responses and enhanced nitric oxide production. J Immunol 1998; 160:4143-4147. (Cutting Edge).
Casey JJ, Wei XQ, Orr DJ, Gracie JA, Huang FP, Bolton EM, Liew FY and Bradley JA. Skin allograft rejection in mice lacking inducible nitric oxide synthase. Transplantation 1997; 64:589-593.
McInnes IB, Mughales JAI, Field M, Leung BP, Huang FP, Dixon R, Sturrock RD, Wilkinson PC, Liew FY. The role of interleukin-15 in T cell migration and activation in rheumatoid arthritis. Nature Medicine 1996; 2:175-182.
McInnes IB, Leung BP, Field M, Wei X-Q, Huang FP, Sturrock RD, Kinninmonth A, Weidner J, Mumford R and Liew FY. Production of nitric oxide in the synovial membrane of rheumatoid and osteoarthritis patients. J Exp Med 1996; 184:1519-1524.
Huang FP, Feng GJ, Lindop GBM, Stott DI and Liew FY. The role of interleukin-12 and nitric oxide in the development of spontaneous autoimmune disease in MRL/MP-lpr/lpr mice. J Exp Med 1996; 183:1447-1460.
McInnes IB, Almughales J, Huang FP, Sturrock RD, Field M, Wilkinson PC, Liew FY. A role for interleukin-15 in T cell migration and activation in rheumatoid-arthritis (RA). Arthritis Rheum 1995; 38:490.
Wei XQ, Charles IG, Smith A, Ure J, Feng G-J, Huang FP, Xu D, Muller W, Moncada S, and Liew FY. Altered immune responses in mice lacking inducible nitric oxide synthase. Nature 1995; 375:408-411.
Huang FP, Stott DI. Dual inhibitory and stimulatory activities in serum from SLE patients and lupus mice that regulate the proliferation of an IL-2-dependent T cell line. Lupus 1995; 4: 297-303.
Huang FP, Stott DI. Restoration of an early, progressive defect in responsiveness to T-cell activation in lupus mice by exogenous IL-2. Autoimmunity 1993; 15: 19-29.