RESEARCH DESCRIPTION

My research has been focusing on neuronal injury and neurodegenerative diseases. In general major research areas include: 1, investigation of pathological changes after CNS and PNS injury as well as in neurodegenerative diseases; 2, finding new methods to prevent neuronal degeneration and improve axonal regeneration.  Currently, we focus on spinal cord injury and peripheral nerve injury models. By using microsurgical techniques and applying small molecules drug, stem cell transplant, biomaterials we will investigate how to improve neuronal survival, axonal regeneration and functional recovery after neuronal injury.

DEGREES, EDUCATION AND ACADEMIC APPOINTMENT

MD, MS, Sun Yat-Sun University, 1975 and 1981 respectively

PhD, Eastern Virginia Medical School, Virginia, USA, 1991.

Postdoc Fellow, Eastern Virginia Medical School, Virginia, USA, 1991-1993

Assistant Professor, Department of Neurosurdery, Eastern Virginia Medical School, Virginia, U.S.A.1993-1996

Assistant Professor, Department of Anatomy, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, 1996-1997

Associate Professor, Department of Anatomy, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, 1997-2007.

Professor, Department of Anatomy, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, 2007-2017.

Professor, Guangzhou-Hong Kong-Macau Institute of CNS regeneration, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China, 2017-.

RECENT SELECTED PUBLICATION

1.      1. Mi S, Hu B, Hahm K, LuoY, Hui SK, Yuan Q, Wong WM, Wang L, SuHX, Chu TH, Guo JS, Zhang WM, So KF, Pepinsky B, Shao ZH, Graff C, Garber E, Jung V, Wu XK, Wu W: LINGO-1 Antagonist Promotes Spinal Cord Remyelination and Axonal Integrity in MOG-Induced Experimental Autoimmune Encephalomyelitis. Nature Medicine, 13:1228-1233, 2007. (Cover image and cover story).

2.    2. Zhan XD, Gao MY, Jiang YW, Zhang WW, Wong WM, Yuan QJ, Su HX, Kang XN, Dai X, Zhang WY, Guo JS, Wu W, Nanofiber scaffolds facilitate functional regeneration of peripheral nerve injury, Nanomedicine 9:305-315, 2013. (Selected as cover story and feature article).

3.    3. Sun Y, Li W, Wu X, Zhang N, Zhang Y, Ouyang S, Song X, Fang X, Seeram R, Xue W, He L and Wu W: Functional Self-Assembling Peptide Nanofiber Hydrogels Designed for Nerve Degeneration. ACS Appl Mater Interfaces, 8(3):2348-59, 2016.

4.    4.  Wu H, Deng RX, Chen XM, Wong WM, Chen HS, Gao XL, Nie YC, Wu W, and Shen JG: Caveolin-1 Is Critical for Lymphocyte Trafficking into Central Nervous System during Experimental Autoimmune Encephalomyelitis. J of Neuroscience, 36(19):5193–5199, 2016.

5.    5.  Zhang N, Lou Y, He L, Zhou L and Wu W: A self-assembly peptide nanofibrous scaffold reduces inflammatory response and promotes functional recovery in a mouse model of intracerebral hemorrhage. Nanomedicine: NBM, 12:1205-1217, 2016.

6.    6.   Hei Ming Lai, Wai-Lung Ng, Steve M. Gentleman, and Wutian Wu: Chemical Probes for Visualizing Intact Animal and Human Brain Tissue. Cell Chemical Biology. 2017 24:659-672.

7.    7.   Hei Ming Lai, Alan King Lun Liu, Harry Ho Man Ng, Marc H. Goldfinger, Tsz Wing Chau, John DeFelice, Bension S. Tilley, Wai Man Wong, Wutian Wu & Steve M. Gentleman: Next generation histology methods for threedimensional imaging of fresh and archival human brain tissues. Nature Communications (2018) 9:1066

8.    8.  Tian Zhou, Yiming Zheng, Li Sun, Smaranda Ruxandra Badea, Yuanhu Jin, Yang Liu, Alyssa J. Rolfe, Haitao Sun, Xi Wang, Zhijian Cheng, Zhaoshuai Huang, Na Zhao, Xin Sun, Jinhua Li, Jianqing Fan, Choogon Lee, Timothy L. Megraw, Wutian Wu, Guixue Wang and Yi Ren: Microvascular endothelial cells engulf myelin debris and promote macrophage recruitment and fibrosis after neural injury. Nature Neuroscience, https://doi.org/10.1038/s41593-018-0324-9, 2019.

9.    9.  Chen SX, Hou YH, Zhao ZK, Luo YH, Lv SQ, Wang QH, Li J, He LM, Zhou LB and Wu W: Neuregulin-1 accelerates functional motor recovery by improving motoneuro survival after brachial plexus root avulsion in mice. Neuroscience, 404:510-518, 2019.

10.  10. Na Zhang, Junquan Lin, Vincent Po Hen Lin, Ulla Milbreta, Jiah Shin Chin, Elaine Guo Yan Chew, Michelle Mulan Lian, Jia Nee Foo, Kunyu Zhang, Wutian Wu, and Sing Yian Chew: A 3D Fiber-Hydrogel Based Non-Viral Gene Delivery Platform Reveals that microRNAs Promote Axon Regeneration and Enhance Functional Recovery Following Spinal Cord Injury. Advanced Science, DOI: 10.1002/advs.202100805, 2021.

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