Affiliations
Member, Monell Chemical Senses Center
Education
Ph.D., Molecular Biology; Yale University
Research Summary
Chemosensory disorders substantially impact the quality of life. Impairment of taste and smell contributes to malnutrition, cachexia, and depression in affected patients. Chemosensory loss, particularly olfactory loss, is an early symptom of Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s diseases. The mechanisms of chemosensory disorders remain largely unknown and there is a lack of specific and effective treatment for these disorders. The primary focus of our laboratory is to identify molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying chemosensory disorders. Our recent research also investigates how damaged chemosensory structures regenerate. Moreover, our lab is actively pursuing olfactory biomarkers for neurodegenerative diseases and the bidirectional interactions between chemosensory signaling and immune regulation in extra-oral tissues.
Keywords
neuroimmunology, inflammation, taste and smell disorders, aging, taste progenitor and stem cells, regeneration, olfactory biomarkers for neurodegenerative diseases
Representative Publications
Tu, K.; Zhou, M.; Tan, J.J.; Markos, L.; Cloud, C.; Zhou, M.; Hayashi, N.; Rawson, N.E.; Margolskee, R.F.; Wang, H. (2024). Chronic social defeat stress broadly inhibits gene expression in the peripheral taste system and alters taste responses in mice. Physiology & Behavior 275:114446. doi: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2023.114446. Online ahead of print.
Lin, C.; Jyotaki, M.; Quinlan, J.; Feng, S.; Zhou, M.; Jiang, P.; Matsumoto, I.; Huang, L.; Ninomiya, Y.; Margolskee, R.F.; Reed, D.R.; Wang, H. (2023) Lipopolysaccharide increases bitter taste sensitivity via epigenetic changes in Tas2r gene clusters. iScience 26(6):106920. doi: 10.1016/j.isci.2023.106920.
Ren, W*.; Cha, X.; Xu, R.; Liang, C.; Chou, J.; Zhang, X.; Li, F.; Wang, S.; Jiang, P.; Wang, H*.; Liu, H*.; Yu, Y*. (2023). Chemotherapy attenuates taste homeostasis and function through regulation of inflammatory response and metabolic process. Theranostics 13(9):2896-2913. *Co-corresponding authors.
Wu, Z.; Huang, Y.; Hu, W.; Ren, L.; Jiang, P.; Margolskee, R.F.; Wang, H*.; Feng, S*. (2022) Lipopolysaccharide-induced inflammation increases nitric oxide production in taste buds. Brain Behavior & Immunity 103: 145-153. *Co-corresponding authors.
Wang, H.; Matsumoto, I.; Jiang, P. (2022) Immune regulatory roles of cells expressing taste signaling elements in nongustatory tissues. Handbook of Experimental Pharmacology 275:271-293. doi: 10.1007/164_2021_468.
Feng, S.; Achoute, L.; Margolskee, R.F.; Jiang, P.; Wang, H. (2020) Lipopolysaccharide-induced inflammatory cytokine expression in taste organoids. Chemical Senses 45: 187-194.
Feng, P.; Chai, J.; Yi, H.; Redding, K.; Margolskee, R.F.; Huang, L.; Wang, H. (2018) Aggravated gut inflammation in mice lacking the taste signaling protein α-gustducin. Brain, Behavior, and Immunity, 71, 23-27.
Yoshikawa, K.; Wang, H.; Jaen, C.; Haneoka, M.; Saito, N.; Nakamura, J.; Adappa, N.D.; Cohen, N.A.; Dalton, P. (2018) The human olfactory cleft mucus proteome and its age-related changes. Scientific Reports, 8, 17170.
Feng, P.; Jotaki, M.; Kim, A.; Chai, J.; Simon, N.; Zhou, M.; Bachmanov, A.; Huang, L.; Wang, H. (2015) Regulation of bitter taste responses by tumor necrosis factor. Brain, Behavior, and Immunity 49: 32-421.
Feng, P.; Chai, J.; Zhou, M.; Simon, N.; Huang, L.; Wang, H. (2014) Interleukin-10 is produced by a specific subset of taste receptor cells and critical for maintaining structural integrity of mouse taste buds. Journal of Neuroscience. 34: 2689-2701.
