Publications

Selected Publications

• Queen, NJ, Deng, H, Huang, W, Mo, X, Wilkins, RK, Zhu, T, Wu, X, Cao, L. Environmental enrichment mitigates age-related metabolic decline and Lewis lung carcinoma growth in aged female mice. Cancer Prev Res 2021 Sep 17. Online ahead of print. PubMed PMID: 34535449 DOI: 10.1158/1940-6207.CAPR-21-0085.
• Bergin, SM, Xiao, R, Huang, W, Judd, CRT, Liu, X, Mansour, AG, Queen, NJ, Widstrom, KJ, Caligiuri, MA, Cao, L. Environmental activation of a hypothalamic BDNF-adipocyte IL-15 axis regulates adipose-natural killer cells. Brain Behav Immun 2021, 95, 447-488. PubMed PMID: 33989745 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbi.2021.05.005.
• Mansour, AG, Xiao, R, Bergin, SM, Huang, W, Chrislip, LA, Zhang, J, Ali, S, Queen, NJ, Caligiuri, MA, Cao, L. Enriched environment enhances NK cell maturation through hypothalamic BDNF in male mice. Eur J Immunol 2021, 51, 557-566. PubMed PMID: 33169371 DOI: 10.1002/eji.201948358.
• Ali, S, Mansour, AG, Huang, W, Queen, NJ, Mo, X, Anderson, JM, Hassan II, QN, Patel, RS, Wilkins, RK, Caligiuri, MA, Cao, L. CSF1R inhibitor PLX5622 and environmental enrichment additively improve metabolic outcomes in middle-aged female mice. Aging (Albany NY) 2020 12:2101-2122. PubMed PMID: 32007953 DOI: 10.18632/aging.102724.
• Hassan, QN 2nd, Queen, NJ, Cao, L. Regulation of aging and cancer by enhanced environmental activation of a hypothalamic-sympathoneural-adipocyte axis. Tranl Cancer Res 2020 Sep;9(9), 5687-5699. PubMed PMID: 33124111 DOI: 10.21037/tcr.2020.02.39
• Huang, W, Queen, NJ, McMurphy, TB, Ali, S, Cao, L. Adipose PTEN regulates adult adipose tissue homeostasis and redistribution via a PTEN-leptin-sympathetic loop. Mol Metab 2019, 30, 48-60. PubMed PMID: 31767180; DOI: 10.1016/j.molmet.2019.09.008
• Xiao, R, Mansour, AG, Huang, W, Chrislip, LA, Wilkins, RK, Queen, NJ, Youssef, Y, Mao, HC, Caligiuri, MA, Cao, L. Adipocytes: A novel target for IL-15/IL-15Ra cancer gene therapy. Molecular Therapy 2019, 27, 922-932. PubMed PMID: 30833178; DOI: 10.1016/j.ymthe.2019.02.011
• Xiao, R, Bergin, SM, Huang, W, Mansour, AG, Liu, X, Judd, RT, Widstrom, KJ, Queen, NJ, Wilkins, RK, Ali, S, Caligiuri, MA, Cao, L. Enriched environment regulates thymocyte development and alleviates experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis in mice. Brain Behav Immun 2019, 75, 137-148. PubMed PMID: 30287389 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbi.2018.09.028.
• Ali, S, Liu, X, Queen, NJ, Patel, RS, Wilkins, RK, Mo, X, Cao, L. Long-term environmental enrichment affects microglial morphology in middle-aged mice. Aging (Albany NY) 2019 11:2388-2402. PubMed PMID: 31039130 DOI: 10.18632/aging.101923.
• McMurphy, T, Huang, W, Liu, X, Siu, JJ, Queen, NJ, Xiao, R, Cao, L. Hypothalamic gene transfer of BDNF promotes healthy aging in mice. Aging Cell 2019: e12846. PubMed PMID: 30585393; DOI: 10.111/acel.12846
• McMurphy, T, Huang, W, Queen, NJ, Ali S, Widstrom, KJ, Liu, X, Xiao R, Siu JJ, Cao L. Implementation of environmental enrichment after middle age promotes healthy aging. Aging (Albany NY) 2018 10:1698-1721. PubMed PMID: 30036185 DOI: 10.18632/aging.101502.
• Siu, JJ, Queen, NJ, Liu, X, Huang, W, McMurphy, T, Cao, L. Molecular therapy of melanocortin-4-receptor obesity by an autoregulatory BDNF vector. Mol Ther Methods Clin Dev 2017, Sep 29;7:83-95. PubMed PMID: 29296625; DOI: 10.1016/j.omtm.2017.09.005.
• Huang, W, McMurphy, T, Liu, X, Wang, C, Cao, L. Genetic Manipulation of brown fat via oral administration of an engineered recombinant adeno-associated viral serotype vector. Molecular Therapy 2016, 24, 1062-1069. PubMed PMID: 26857843; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4923319.
• Xiao, R, Bergin, SM, Huang, W, Slater, AM, Liu, X, Judd, RT, Lin, EJ, Widstrom, KJ, Scoville, SD, Yu, J, Caligiuri, MA, Cao, L. Environmental and genetic activation of hypothalamic BDNF modulates T-cell immunity to exert an anticancer phenotype. Cancer Immunol Res 2016, 4, 488-497. PubMed PMID: 27045020 PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4891265 DOI: 10.1158/2326-6066.CIR-15-0297.
• Matthew During and Lei Cao. Treatment of metabolic-related disorders using hypothalamic gene transfer of BDNF and compositions therefor. U.S. Patent 9,265,843 B2. 02/23/2016. (The Ohio State University)
• During, M, Liu, X, Huang, W, Magee, D, Slater, A, McMurphy, T, Wang, C, Cao, L. Adipose VEGF links the white-to-brown fat switch with environmental, genetic, and pharmacological stimuli in male mice. Endocrinology 2015, 156, 2059-2073. PubMed PMID: 25763639; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4430610.
• Liu, X, McMurphy, T, Xiao, R, Slater, A, Huang, W, Cao, L. Hypothalamic gene transfer of BDNF inhibits breast cancer progression and metastasis in middle age obese mice. Mol Ther 2014, 22, 1275-1284. PubMed PMID: 24637454; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4089014.
• Liu, X, Magee, D, Wang, C, McMurphy, T, Slater, A, During, M, Cao, L. Adipose tissue insulin receptor knockdown via a new primate-derived hybrid recombinant AAV serotype. Mol Ther Methods Clin Dev 2014, 1, 8; PubMed PMID: 25383359; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4224270.
• Cao, L, During, MJ. What is the brain-cancer connection? Annu Rev Neurosci 2012, 35, 331-345. PubMed PMID: 22462541 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-neuro-062111-150546
• Cao, L*, Choi, EY, Liu, X, Martin, A, Wang, C, Xu, X, During, MJ. White to brown fat phenotypic switch induced by genetic and environmental activation of hypothalamic-adipocyte axis. Cell Metabolism 2011, 14, 324-338. PubMed PMID: 21907139; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC3172615. (* corresponding author)
• Cao, L*, Liu, X, Lin, EJ, Wang, C, Choi, EY, Riban, V, Lin, B, During, MJ. Environmental and genetic activation of a brain-adipocyte BDNF/Leptin axis causes cancer remission and inhibition. Cell 2010, 142, 52-64. PubMed PMID: 20603014; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC3784009. (* corresponding author)
• Cao, L, Lin, EJ, Cahill, MC, Wang, C, Liu, X, During, MJ. Molecular therapy of obesity and diabetes by a physiological autoregulatory approach. Nature Medicine 2009, 15, 447-54. PubMed PMID: 19270710; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC3900280.