Xiaowen Bai, MD, PhD

Associate Professor

Locations

Cell Biology, Neurobiology & Anatomy

Contact Information

Education

Postdoctoral, University of Texas, MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, 2007
PhD, Stem Cell Center, Beijing University, Beijing, China, 2004
MD, Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, Shanxi, China, 1993

Biography

My research interests are centered on the application of stem cells on disease modeling and tissue regeneration. The current major focus of the laboratory is to utilize gain- and loss-of-function approaches to examine the novel molecular mechanisms underlying the roles of non-coding RNAs, mitochondria, and genetic factors in neurodegeneration and cardiotoxicity in mice, and translate the findings to humans using stem cell-derived brain cells, heart cells, three-dimensional mini brains, and heart organoids.

Research Interests

Research Area 1: Non-coding RNAs, mitochondria, and cell stress-related genes in neurodegeneration:
Neurological disorders have emerged as a predominant healthcare concern in recent years due to their severe consequences on quality of life and prevalence throughout the world. Understanding the underlying mechanisms of these diseases and the interactions between different brain cell types is essential for the development of new therapeutics. Many drugs (e.g., anesthetics), environmental factors (e.g., alcohol), diseases, and genetic risks are related to neurodegeneration. We examine the novel molecular mechanisms underlying the roles of microRNAs, long non-coding RNAs, mitochondria, immediate early and other cell stress-related genes in neurodegeneration using both mouse, and human stem cell-derived brain cell and three-dimensional mini brain models

Human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived mini brain (left) and the neurons in mini brain (middle). Alcohol-induced neuroapoptosis (red) in neonatal mouse brain (right).

Research Area 2: Stem cell-mediated myocardial regeneration
Myocardial infarction is one of the major causes of death throughout the world. Currently, there is not a highly effective approach for treatment. Stem cells hold promise in repairing injured cardiac tissue. Our lab is involved in studying the effect of the transplantation of adipose tissue-derived stem cells and induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes on myocardial regeneration following ischemia injury. A molecular imaging method has been developed to investigate the molecular mechanisms controlling homing, engraftment, and survival of injected cells in vivo.

Research Area 3: The mechanisms of impaired cardioprotection under diabetic conditions
Hyperglycemia has been shown to be particularly detrimental to the cardioprotective effects, with the underlying mechanisms remaining largely unknown. We have developed and validated a clinically relevant model of functional human cardiomyocytes derived from both normal induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) and diabetes mellitus iPSCs. This in vitro model of human disease will enable developmental and comparative studies of normal and diabetic cardiomyocytes to address genetic and environmental mechanisms responsible for attenuation of cardioprotection signaling in diabetics.

Functional contracting human cardiomyocytes generated from induced pluripotent stem cells

Mitochondrial dynamics (movement, fusion and fission) in human neurons generated from embryonic stem cells. Green signals represent mitochondria. Red and yellow colors highlight mitochondria in process of fusion.

Dynamic Characterization of Structural, Molecular, and Electrophysiological Phenotypes of Human-Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell-Derived Cerebral Organoids, and Comparison with Fetal and Adult Gene Profiles.

(Logan S, Arzua T, Yan Y, Jiang C, Liu X, Yu LK, Liu QS, Bai X.) Cells. 2020 May 23;9(5) PMID: 32456176 PMCID: PMC7291286 SCOPUS ID: 2-s2.0-85085461803 05/28/2020
Proteasome activation by insulin-like growth factor-1/nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 signaling promotes exercise-induced neurogenesis.

(Niu X, Zhao Y, Yang N, Zhao X, Zhang W, Bai X, Li A, Yang W, Lu L.) Stem Cells. 2020 02;38(2):246-260 PMID: 31648402 SCOPUS ID: 2-s2.0-85075204508 10/28/2019
Fundamentals of stem cells: why and how patients' own adult stem cells are the next generation of medicine

(Alt EU, Schmitz C, Bai X.) Bioethics and Research on Adult Stem Cells. 2020; 01 01/01/2020
Genome-wide differential expression profiling of lncRNAs and mRNAs associated with early diabetic cardiomyopathy.

(Pant T, Dhanasekaran A, Bai X, Zhao M, Thorp EB, Forbess JM, Bosnjak ZJ, Ge ZD.) Sci Rep. 2019 10 25;9(1):15345 PMID: 31653946 PMCID: PMC6814824 SCOPUS ID: 2-s2.0-85074150710 10/28/2019
Fatty Acid-Treated Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell-Derived Human Cardiomyocytes Exhibit Adult Cardiomyocyte-Like Energy Metabolism Phenotypes.

(Horikoshi Y, Yan Y, Terashvili M, Wells C, Horikoshi H, Fujita S, Bosnjak ZJ, Bai X.) Cells. 2019 09 17;8(9) PMID: 31533262 PMCID: PMC6769886 SCOPUS ID: 2-s2.0-85080144549 09/20/2019
Studying Human Neurological Disorders Using Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells: From 2D Monolayer to 3D Organoid and Blood Brain Barrier Models.

(Logan S, Arzua T, Canfield SG, Seminary ER, Sison SL, Ebert AD, Bai X.) Compr Physiol. 2019 03 14;9(2):565-611 PMID: 30873582 PMCID: PMC6705133 SCOPUS ID: 2-s2.0-85062970410 03/16/2019
Microarray analysis of long non-coding RNA and mRNA expression profiles in diabetic cardiomyopathy using human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes.

(Pant T, Mishra MK, Bai X, Ge ZD, Bosnjak ZJ, Dhanasekaran A.) Diab Vasc Dis Res. 2019 01;16(1):57-68 PMID: 30482051 SCOPUS ID: 2-s2.0-85058938678 11/30/2018
Book review for Anesthesia and Neurotoxicity

(Bai X.) Anesthesia & Analgesia. 2018 127(2):e16 08/06/2018
Current status and strategies of long noncoding RNA research for diabetic cardiomyopathy.

(Pant T, Dhanasekaran A, Fang J, Bai X, Bosnjak ZJ, Liang M, Ge ZD.) BMC Cardiovasc Disord. 2018 10 20;18(1):197 PMID: 30342478 PMCID: PMC6196023 SCOPUS ID: 2-s2.0-85055075405 10/22/2018
Signaling network between the dysregulated expression of microRNAs and mRNAs in propofol-induced developmental neurotoxicity in mice.

(Jiang C, Logan S, Yan Y, Inagaki Y, Arzua T, Ma P, Lu S, Bosnjak ZJ, Bai X.) Sci Rep. 2018 09 21;8(1):14172 PMID: 30242182 PMCID: PMC6155049 SCOPUS ID: 2-s2.0-85053736036 09/23/2018
Propofol Alters Long Non-Coding RNA Profiles in the Neonatal Mouse Hippocampus: Implication of Novel Mechanisms in Anesthetic-Induced Developmental Neurotoxicity.

(Logan S, Jiang C, Yan Y, Inagaki Y, Arzua T, Bai X.) Cell Physiol Biochem. 2018;49(6):2496-2510 PMID: 30261491 PMCID: PMC6221186 SCOPUS ID: 2-s2.0-85054135596 09/28/2018
Ketamine Induces Neuroapoptosis in Stem Cell–Derived Developing Human Neurons Possibly through Intracellular Calcium/Mitochondria/microRNA Signaling Pathway

(Danielle Twaroski, Yasheng Yan, Congshan Jiang, Sarah Logan, Zeljko J. Bosnjak and Xiaowen Bai.) Mitochondrial Diseases. 2018; 08,29 08/29/2018

Xiaowen Bai, MD, PhD