Renren Wen, PhD

Associate Professor; Investigator, Versiti Blood Research Institute

Locations

BRI 212

Contact Information

Education

PhD, University of Tennessee Medical School, 1996
Postdoctoral Training, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN

View Dr. Wen's Versiti Profile

Research Interests

Wen lab has two different but interconnected research focuses. One focus of the Wen lab is aimed at understanding the signaling pathways that govern proper T and B cell activation and communications and how aberrant signaling in T and B cells will lead to human diseases. The lab has studied the mechanisms by which molecules in antigen receptor signaling pathways, such as phospholypase C gamma (PLC) and B-cell lymphoma 10 (Bcl10) and molecules in cytokine signaling pathways, including Grb2-associated binding (Gab) proteins in controlling and modulating T and B cell development and activation and how aberrant functions of these molecules lead to lymphopenia and autoimmunity. Studies are performed primarily in gene edited mouse models.

The second and the current major focus of the Wen lab is to understand the interplay between immune system and coagulation system in healthy and disease states. Currently, the lab is studying how antibodies regulate the function of platelets and other cells involved in the coagulation system, and the prevalence, ontogeny, activation, and regulation of B cells that make such antibodies in healthy people and in patients with heparin-induced thrombocytopenia and thrombosis (HIT) or COVID-19. Studies will be performed in both human and mouse systems with the goal of understanding the molecular pathogenesis underlying antibody mediated thrombotic complications in HIT and COVID-19 and developing new diagnostic and therapeutic tools for these conditions.

PLCγ-dependent mTOR signalling controls IL-7-mediated early B cell development.

(Yu M, Chen Y, Zeng H, Zheng Y, Fu G, Zhu W, Broeckel U, Aggarwal P, Turner A, Neale G, Guy C, Zhu N, Chi H, Wen R, Wang D.) Nat Commun. 2017 Nov 13;8(1):1457 PMID: 29133930 PMCID: PMC5684131 SCOPUS ID: 2-s2.0-85034212045 11/15/2017
IVIg for Treatment of Severe Refractory Heparin-Induced Thrombocytopenia.

(Padmanabhan A, Jones CG, Pechauer SM, Curtis BR, Bougie DW, Irani MS, Bryant BJ, Alperin JB, Deloughery TG, Mulvey KP, Dhakal B, Wen R, Wang D, Aster RH.) Chest. 2017 Sep;152(3):478-485 PMID: 28427966 PMCID: PMC5812774 SCOPUS ID: 2-s2.0-85028972116 04/22/2017
Phospholipase Cγ1 is required for pre-TCR signal transduction and pre-T cell development.

(Fu G, Yu M, Chen Y, Zheng Y, Zhu W, Newman DK, Wang D, Wen R.) Eur J Immunol. 2017 Jan;47(1):74-83 PMID: 27759161 PMCID: PMC5559087 SCOPUS ID: 2-s2.0-84999652051 10/21/2016
Kras Is Critical for B Cell Lymphopoiesis.

(Chen Y, Zheng Y, You X, Yu M, Fu G, Su X, Zhou F, Zhu W, Wu Z, Zhang J, Wen R, Wang D.) J Immunol. 2016 Feb 15;196(4):1678-85 PMID: 26773157 PMCID: PMC4744498 SCOPUS ID: 2-s2.0-84958580592 01/17/2016
Evaluation of nestin or osterix promoter-driven cre/loxp system in studying the biological functions of murine osteoblastic cells.

(Su X, Yu M, Qiu G, Zheng Y, Chen Y, Wen R, Fu G, Zhu W, Chen J, Wu N, Ma P, Chen W, Wu Z, Wang D.) Am J Transl Res. 2016;8(3):1447-59 PMID: 27186271 PMCID: PMC4859630 05/18/2016
A Critical Role of IL-21-Induced BATF in Sustaining CD8-T-Cell-Mediated Chronic Viral Control.

(Xin G, Schauder DM, Lainez B, Weinstein JS, Dai Z, Chen Y, Esplugues E, Wen R, Wang D, Parish IA, Zajac AJ, Craft J, Cui W.) Cell Rep. 2015 Nov 10;13(6):1118-1124 PMID: 26527008 PMCID: PMC4859432 SCOPUS ID: 2-s2.0-84946826734 11/04/2015
Critical role of CD4 T cells in PF4/heparin antibody production in mice.

(Zheng Y, Yu M, Padmanabhan A, Aster RH, Yuan L, Wen R, Wang D.) Blood. 2015 Mar 12;125(11):1826-9 PMID: 25595736 PMCID: PMC4357587 SCOPUS ID: 2-s2.0-84941938986 01/18/2015
Restoration of responsiveness of phospholipase Cγ2-deficient platelets by enforced expression of phospholipase Cγ1.

(Zheng Y, Adams T, Zhi H, Yu M, Wen R, Newman PJ, Wang D, Newman DK.) PLoS One. 2015;10(3):e0119739 PMID: 25793864 PMCID: PMC4368822 SCOPUS ID: 2-s2.0-84925859948 03/21/2015
B-cell tolerance regulates production of antibodies causing heparin-induced thrombocytopenia.

(Zheng Y, Wang AW, Yu M, Padmanabhan A, Tourdot BE, Newman DK, White GC, Aster RH, Wen R, Wang D.) Blood. 2014 Feb 06;123(6):931-4 PMID: 24357731 PMCID: PMC3916881 SCOPUS ID: 2-s2.0-84897574667 12/21/2013
Critical role for mouse marginal zone B cells in PF4/heparin antibody production.

(Zheng Y, Yu M, Podd A, Yuan L, Newman DK, Wen R, Arepally G, Wang D.) Blood. 2013 Apr 25;121(17):3484-92 PMID: 23460609 PMCID: PMC3637017 SCOPUS ID: 2-s2.0-84879407772 03/06/2013
Phospholipase Cγ2 plays a role in TCR signal transduction and T cell selection.

(Fu G, Chen Y, Schuman J, Wang D, Wen R.) J Immunol. 2012 Sep 01;189(5):2326-32 PMID: 22837484 PMCID: PMC3528184 SCOPUS ID: 2-s2.0-84865414173 07/28/2012
Critical role for Gimap5 in the survival of mouse hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells.

(Chen Y, Yu M, Dai X, Zogg M, Wen R, Weiler H, Wang D.) J Exp Med. 2011 May 09;208(5):923-35 PMID: 21502331 PMCID: PMC3092340 SCOPUS ID: 2-s2.0-79956105663 04/20/2011