Kerui Wu

About Professor Wu

Curriculum Vitae

KWU CV, PDF Version, Sep 2024

Laboratory Website

Biography

Dr. Wu became a member of JSNN in August 2023, following the culmination of his postdoctoral research at Wake Forest University’s Department of Cancer Biology, where he served as an NIH T32 Postdoctoral Research Fellow. He holds an undergraduate degree in Clinical Medicine from Nanjing Medical University and earned his Ph.D. in Cancer Biology from Wake Forest University. Dr. Wu’s academic career has been focused on uncovering the intricate molecular mechanisms that govern physiological and pathophysiological processes. His research also explores innovative bioengineering approaches to advance both engineering and biomedical sciences.

Research

• Bioengineering Synthetic Cells: Dr. Wu focuses on designing and engineering synthetic cells that mimic natural cellular functions. These systems are applied to study and regulate fundamental biological processes, offering potential breakthroughs in both basic science and biomedical applications.

• Investigating Cell-Cell Communication in the Immune Regulation: His research explores how cell-to-cell communication shapes immune responses, both in maintaining health and in driving disease processes, particularly within the immune system.
• Nanoparticle drug development: Dr. Wu is developing nanoparticle-based drug carriers designed to improve the delivery and efficacy of therapeutic agents, with the goal of creating more targeted treatments for cancer and other diseases.
• Tumor Microenvironment and Metastasis: He explores the role of the tumor microenvironment in promoting cancer progression and metastasis, aiming to identify key mechanisms that could be targeted to prevent cancer spread and improve treatment outcomes.

Honors & Awards

• 2024 DOD LCRP Concept Award  HT9425-24-1-0043
• 2024 Lung Cancer Initiative Innovation in Lung Cancer Research Award
• 2024 NC Biotech Flash Grant 2024-FLG-0066
• 2024 NC Biotech Flash Grant 2024-FLG-0078
• 2024 UNCG Internal Research Award
• 2023 NIH T32 Postdoctoral Research Fellowship
• 2023 Top-10 Women’s Health Research of WFU
• 2022 Director’s Excellence in Cancer Research Award

Selected Publications

Wu, Kerui, et al. “Engineering an active immunotherapy for personalized cancer treatment and prevention of recurrence.” Science Advances 9.17 (2023): eade0625.

Zhao, Dan*, Wu, Kerui*, et al. “Exosomal miR-1304-3p promotes breast cancer progression in African Americans by activating cancer-associated adipocytes.” Nature Communications 13.1 (2022): 7734. (*co-first authors)

Wu, Kerui, et al. “Exosomal miR-19a and IBSP cooperate to induce osteolytic bone metastasis of estrogen receptor-positive breast cancer.” Nature Communications 12.1 (2021): 5196.

Wu, Kerui, et al. “Extracellular vesicles as emerging targets in cancer: Recent development from bench to bedside.” Biochimica et Biophysica Acta (BBA)-Reviews on Cancer 1868.2 (2017): 538-563.

Wu, Kerui, et al. “Non-coding RNAs in cancer brain metastasis.” Frontiers in bioscience (Scholar edition) 8 (2016): 187.

Wu, Kerui, et al. “Roles of the cyclooxygenase 2 matrix metalloproteinase 1 pathway in brain metastasis of breast cancer.” Journal of Biological Chemistry 290.15 (2015): 9842-9854.