Biographical Sketch

Dr. Wang received a BS degree in Zoology at the National Taiwan University and a PhD degree in Biological Science at the University of Texas at Austin.  She performed her postdoctoral work with Drs. Kirsten Fischer Lindahl and Johann Deisenhofer at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical School, where she began her studies on the structure and function of MHC class Ib molecules.  This research area continued to be the main focus of her lab.  Dr. Wang held a faculty appointment at the University of Chicago from 1994 to 2008.  She joined the faculty of Northwestern University in May 2008.

Contact Information:

Office Location: Searle 3-401

Office: (312) 503-9748

Lab: (312) 503-1093

Fax: (312) 503-9594

e-mail: chyung-ru-wang@northwestern.edu

Research Abstract

The research of Dr. Wang’s laboratory focuses on two of the MHC class Ib molecules, H2-M3 and CD1.  These molecules have unusual binding specificity for antigens that are conserved in bacteria.  H2-M3 presents N-formylated peptides to cytotoxic T cells while CD1 presents lipid antigens to several distinct subsets of T cells.  The high degree of conservation of these microbial antigens combined with the limited polymorphism of M3 and CD1 make these two molecules attractive targets for T-cell based vaccines against intracellular pathogens for a genetically diverse population.  Dr. Wang’s laboratory has generated several animal models to examine the roles of M3 and CD1 in T cell development, autoimmune diseases, and defense against infectious agents, including Listeria monocytogenes and Mycobacterium tuberculosis.  Using these model systems, Dr. Wang and colleagues study the mechanisms that regulate the selection and in vivo function of M3-restricted and CD1-restricted T cells.  Additionally, these models are used to characterize novel microbial antigens recognized by MHC class Ib-restricted T cells.  Studies on this relatively uncharacterized segment of the mammalian immunologic repertoire may lead to improved methods for vaccination against infectious diseases.

Research Interests

Antigen Presentation, T Cell Development and Regulation, Infectious Diseases, and Autoimmune Diseases

Publications

Chun, T., Grandea III, A. G., Lybarger, L., Forman, J., Van Kaer, L., & Wang, C.-R. (2001)  Functional roles of TAP and tapasin in the assembly of M3/N-formylated peptide complexes.  J. Immunol. 167:1507-1514.

Chun, T., Serbina, N. V., Dawn N., Wang, B., Chiu, N. M., Flynn, J. L., & Wang, C.-R. (2001)  Induction of M3-restricted CTL responses by N-formylated peptides derived from Mycobacterium tuberculosis.  J. Exp. Med. 193: 1213-1220.

Wang, B., Geng, Y.-B., & Wang, C.-R. (2001) Increased incidence and accelerated onset of diabetes in CD1-deficient nonobese diabetic mice.  J. Exp. Med. 194: 313-320.

Wang, B., Chun, T., Rulifson, I. C., Exley, M., Balk, S. P., & Wang, C.-R. (2001)  Human CD1d functions as a restriction element and a transplantation antigen in mice.  J. Immunol. 166:3829-3836.

Chun, T., Page, M.J., Gapin, L., Matsuda, J.L., Xu, H., Nguyen, Hyung, H.-S., Stanic, A.K., Joyce, S., Koltun, W.A., Chorney, M.J., Kronenberg, M., & Wang, C.-R. (2003) CD1d-expressing dendritic cells but not thymic epithelial cells can mediate negative selection of NKT cells.  J. Exp. Med. 197:907-918.

Xu, H., Chun, T., Parsons, A., Nguyen, H., & Wang, C.-R. (2003) Expression of CD1d under the control of a MHC class Ia promoter skews the development of NKT cells, but not CD8⁺ T cells.  J. Immunol. 171:4105-4112.

Wilson, M.T., Johansson, C., Olivares-Villagomez, D., Singh, A.K., Stanic, A.K., Wang, C.-R., Joyce, S., Wick, M.J., &Van Kaer, L. (2003) The response of natural killer T cells to glycolipid antigens is characterized by surface receptor down-modulation and expansion.  Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 100:10913-10918.

Yang, J.-Q., Saxena, V., Chun, T., Xu, H., Hong S., Van Kaer, L., Wang, C.-R. & Singh, R. R. (2003)  Immunoregulatory role of CD1d-reactive NKT cells in inflammatory dermatitis.  J. Immunol. 171:4439-4446.

Shen, Y., Zhukorskaya, N.L., Zimmer, M.I., Soelaiman, S., Bergson, P., Wang, C.-R., Gibbs, C. S., and Tang, W.J. (2004)  Selective inhibition of anthrax edema factor by adefovir, an approved drug against the infection of hepatitis B virus.  Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 101:3242-3247.

Geng, Y., Laslo, P., Barton, K., & Wang, C.-R. (2005)  Transcription regulation of CD1d1 by Ets family members.  J. Immunol. 175:1022-1029.

Parekh, V.V., Wilson, M.T, Olivarse-Villagomez, D., Singh, A.K., Wu, L., Wang, C.-R., Joyce, S., &Van Kaer, L. (2005)  Glycolipid antigen induces long-term NKT cell anergy in mice.  J. Clin. Inv. 115:2572-2583.

Zimmer, M.I., Colmone, A., Felio, K., Ma, A., Honglin Xu & Wang, C.-R. (2006)  A cell-type specific CD1d expression program modulates iNKT cell development and function.  J. Immunol. 176:1421-1430.

Zhang, M., Park, S.-M., Wang, Y., Shah, R., Liu, N., Murmann, A. E., Wang, C.-R., Peter, M. E. and Ashton-Rickardt, P.G. (2006)  Serine protease inhibitor 6 protects cytotoxic T cells from self-inflicted injury by ensuring the integrity of cytotoxic granules.  Immunity 24: 451-461.

Xu, H. Chun, T., Choi, H., Wang B. & Wang,C.-R. (2006)  Impaired response to Listeria in H2-M3-deficient mice reveals a nonredundant role of MHC class Ib-specific T cells in host defense.  J. Exp. Med. 203:449-459.

VanderLaan, P.A., Reardon, C. A., Sagiv, Y., Blachowicz, L., Lukens, J., Nissenbaum, M., Wang, C.-R., and Getz, G. S. (2007) Characterization of the natural killer T-cell response in an adoptive transfer model of atherosclerosis. Am. J. Pathology 170:1100-1107.

Wang, T., Chen, L., Ahmed, E., Ma, L.,Yin, D., Zhou, P., Shen, J., Xu, H., Wang, C.-R., Alegre, M. L., Chong, A. (2008)  Prevention of allograft tolerance by bacterial infection with Listeria monocytogenes. J Immunol. 180:5991-5999.

Swanson, P. A., Pack, C. D., Hadley, A., Wang, C.-R., Stroynowski, I., Jensen, P. E. & Lukacher A. E. (2008)  A MHC class Ib-restricted CD8 T cell response confers antiviral immunity. J. Exp. Med. (in press).