 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
Member Information
Wenzhe Ho, M.D. MPH
Research Professor of Pediatrics
University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine
Director of Retrovirology Laboratory
Division of Allergy and Immunology
The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia
Office Phone: 215-590-4462
Office Fax: 215-590-2025
Email: ho@email.chop.edu
Website(s): http:// www.chop.edu
Education: Wuhan Medical University; University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine
Keywords: HIV, HCV, Drug abuse (Opioids, alcohol), Host Innate Immunity
Research and/or Clinical Interests:
To study the role of drug abuse in the immunopathogenesis of HIV/HCV infections.
Summary:
I am a viral immunologist with a research interest in how the body protects itself against viral infections, particularly human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV). I am also interested in investigating how drug abuse such as opioids and alcohol suppress human immune system and promote viral infections. Injection drug users (IDUs) are the single largest risk group for HCV infection and the co-infections with HIV and HCV are frequently found in IDUs. These two pathogens are also likely to be responsible for the highest morbidity and mortality rates among IDUs. Although injection drug use contributes significantly to HIV/HCV transmission, there is limited information available regarding whether drug abuse promotes HIV/HCV diseases.
Therefore, my laboratory is investigating the role of drug abuse in the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying the immune dysfunction seen in patients infected with HIV and/or HCV. We use in vitro, ex vivo and in vivo models to directly address whether drug abuse has the ability to promote HIV and/or HCV diseases. My studies have demonstrated that drugs such as morphine and alcohol have the ability to suppress host innate immunity against both HIV and HCV infections. My group recently reported that the host innate immune system has a key role in inhibiting HIV or HCV replication in human immune and hepatic cells. These studies provide crucial information for the design and development of innate immunity-based treatment for drug-abusing patients infected with HIV and/or HCV.
Representative Publications (Selected from 102):
Lai, J-P., Ho*, W-Z., Zhan, G-X., Yi, Y-J., Collman R.G., and Douglas , S.D. : Substance P antagonist (CP96, 345) inhibits HIV-1 replication in human mononuclear phagocytes. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA., 98:3970-3975, 2001. *Contributed equally to the study.
Li, Y., Wang, X., Douglas, S.D., and Ho, W-Z.: Methadone enhances HIV infection of human immune cells . J. Infect. Dis., 185:118-122. 2002.
Zhang, T., Li, Y., Douglas , S.D. , Lai, J-P., Metzger, D.S., O'Brien C.P., and Ho, W-Z.: Alcohol potentiates hepatitis C virus (HCV) replicon expression. Hepatology, 38: 57-65, 2003.
Li, Y., Merrill, J.D., Mooney, K., Song, L., Wang, X., Guo, C-J., Savani, R.C., Metzger, D.S., Douglas , S.D. , and Ho, W-Z.: Morphine enhances HIV infection of neonate immune cells. Pediatric Research, 54: 282-288, 2003.
Guo, C.J., Tan, N., Song, L., Douglas , S.D. , and Ho, W-Z.: Alpha-defensins inhibit HIV infection of macrophages through upregulation of CC-chemokines. AIDS, 1 8:1217-1218, 2004.
Li, Y., Zhang, T., Ho, C., Orange , J.S., Douglas , S.D. , and Ho , W-Z.: Natural killer cells inhibit hepatitis C virus expression. J. Leukoc. Biol. 76:1171-1179, 2004.
Li Y, Wang X, Douglas SD, Metzger DS, Woody G, Zhang T, Song L, Ho WZ.; CD8+ T cell depletion amplifies hepatitis C virus (HCV) replication in peripheral blood mononuclear cells. J Infect Dis., 192:1093-1101, 2005.
Zhang, T., Lin, R-T, Douglas , S.D. , Yang, G., Maxcey, C., Ho, C., Lai, J-P., Wang, Y-J., and Ho, W-Z.: Hepatitis C virus inhibits endogenous interferon alpha expression in human hepatic cells. Hepatology, 42:819-827, 2005.
Wang, X., Tan, N., Douglas, S. D., Zhang, T., Wang, Y-J., and Ho, W-Z: Morphine inhibits the anti-HIV activity of CD8+ T cells in latently infected immune cells. J. Leukoc. Biol., 78:772-776, 2005.
Wang, C-Q., Li, Y., Douglas , S.D. , Wang, X., Metzger , S.D. , Zhang, T., and Ho, W-Z.: Morphine withdrawal enhances hepatitis C replicon expression. Am. J. Pathol ., 167: 1333-1340, 2005.
Wang, X., Douglas , S-D., Peng, J-S., Metzger, D.S., O'Brien, C.P., Zhang, T., and Ho, W-Z.: Naltrexone inhibits alcohol-mediated enhancement of HIV infection of T lymphocytes. J. Leukoc. Biol ., 79:1166-1172, 2006.
