
Overview
overview
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Dr. Xugang Xia is a professor and associate vice president for translational neuroscience at the Center for Translational Sciences and in the Robert Stempel College of Public Health and Social Work at Florida International University. Dr. Xia received his Bachelor’s degree of medicine and Master’s degree of neurologic rehabilitation from Hunan Medical University in China and received Doctor’s degree of medicine from Tubingen University in Germany. He completed postdoctoral training at the University of Massachusetts Medical School. He spent 10 years at Thomas Jefferson University where he was promoted from assistant professor to full professor in eight years. He then moved to University of Central Florida College of Medicine before he joined FIU in 2019.
Initially trained as a neurologist and further trained as a researcher, I have a passion for understanding and treating neurodegenerative diseases including amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and Parkinson’s disease (PD). He has served on federal and private grant review panels. To examine disease mechanisms, we choose the rats rather than the mice as a relevant animal model to reproduce disease phenotypes observed in patients carrying a genetic mutation and we use multidisciplinary approach to reveal molecular pathways leading to neurodegeneration in disease conditions.
The laboratory rats are chosen to express causative genetic mutations at physiological or excessive levels. Compared to laboratory mice, laboratory rats are easier for behavioral tests and for multiple samplings and thus are chosen for expressing disease-causing mutations. Our team has established a system for producing transgenic, knockin, and knockout rats by pronuclear injection of transgene DNA and CRISPR/Cas9 encoded RNA. We have created many lines of mutant rats and have deposited characterized rat lines to the RRRC rat resource and research center (www.rrrc.us) for free distribution to academic investigators.
Disease mechanisms are examined in mutant rats for ALS. We reproduce disease phenotypes in transgenic or knockin rats expressing a disease-causing mutation and examine the effects of pathogenic mutation on gene function at a systematic level. We have unequivocally shown that overexpression of the ALS gene TPD-43 in the motor neurons or the astrocytes is sufficient to cause cell-autonomous or non-cell-autonomous neurodegeneration in a rat model. Using RNA sequencing and proteomics, we are going to reveal molecular mechanisms underlying neuronal death in the disease. Meanwhile, our team is searching for genetic mutation causing a recessive form of familial ALS.
Genetic causes are investigated for familial PD. We are collaborating with researchers worldwide to discover novel genes in which pathogenic mutations cause PD in affected families. Using mutant rats as a relevant model, we are going to examine candidate genes for the effect of a mutation on dopaminergic function at a systematic level.
research interests
- Neurodegenerative diseases; amyotrophic lateral sclerosis; Parkinson’s disease; human genetics; mutant rats; molecular biology
Scholarly & Creative Works
selected publications
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Article
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2020Detergent-insoluble inclusion constitutes the first pathology in PFN1 transgenic ratsFull Text via DOI: 10.1111/jnc.15139 Web of Science: 000558663100001
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2016Increased Ubqln2 expression causes neuron death in transgenic ratsFull Text via DOI: 10.1111/jnc.13748
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2015Pathogenic Ubqln2 gains toxic properties to induce neuron deathFull Text via DOI: 10.1007/s00401-014-1367-y
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2014Profiling the genes affected by pathogenic TDP-43 in astrocytesFull Text via DOI: 10.1111/jnc.12660
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2013Reactive astrocytes secrete lcn2 to promote neuron deathFull Text via DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1218497110
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2012Mutant TDP-43 in motor neurons promotes the onset and progression of ALS in ratsFull Text via DOI: 10.1172/JCI59130
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2011Temporal expression of mutant LRRK2 in adult rats impairs dopamine reuptakeFull Text via DOI: 10.7150/ijbs.7.753
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2009Developing tTA transgenic rats for inducible and reversible gene expressionFull Text via DOI: 10.7150/ijbs.5.171
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2008A construct with fluorescent indicators for conditional expression of miRNAFull Text via DOI: 10.1186/1472-6750-8-77
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2006Transgenic RNAi: Accelerating and expanding reverse genetics in mammalsFull Text via DOI: 10.1007/s11248-006-0023-2
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2003An enhanced U6 promoter for synthesis of short hairpin RNAFull Text via DOI: 10.1093/nar/gng098
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Note
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Other Scholarly Work
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2014Cytosolic PINK1 escapes form mitochondria to promote dendritic outgrowth. 787-789.Full Text via DOI: 10.1111/jnc.12529 Web of Science: 000332347300001
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Review
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2006Promises and challenges in developing RNAi as a research tool and therapy for neurodegenerative diseases. 220-231.Full Text via DOI: 10.1159/000089629
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Research
principal investigator on
- TMEM20 and Neurodegeneration in Parkinson's Disease awarded by Neurological Disorders and Stroke 2020 - 2025
- Gene Deregulation in Cortical Dementia awarded by National Institute on Aging 2019 - 2024
- Study on PFN1 Pathobiology Using Rat Models awarded by Neurological Disorders and Stroke 2019 - 2024
- Study on HNRNPA1 Pathobiology in ALS awarded by Neurological Disorders and Stroke 2019 - 2022
- Redesign Rat Model for ALS Research awarded by Neurological Disorders and Stroke 2019 - 2020
co-principal investigator on
- Study on Neurodegeneration using TDP-43 Transgenic Rats awarded by Neurological Disorders and Stroke 2019 - 2021
Contact
full name
- Xugang Xia
Identifiers
ORCID iD
- https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1114-9666 (confirmed)