About Dr. Wu 

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Dr. Yuntao Wu is a professor at NCBID, George Mason University, Manassas, Virginia, USA. He has been studying viruses for over 30 years, and for the past 20 years, he has been primarily focused on studying HIV infection of blood CD4 T cells and macrophages. Dr. Wu received his Ph.D. in Molecular Virology from Queen’s University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada. He received his postdoctoral training at NIH, studying HIV-1 pre-integration transcription in blood resting CD4 T cells (Science, 2001, 293:1503). Currently, his lab studies chemokine co-receptor signaling and the role of cofilin in HIV infection and pathogenesis (Cell, 2008, 134:782; Science Advances, 2019, 5:eaat7911). Recently, his lab also studies the mechanisms of PSGL-1 restriction of HIV infectivity (Nature Microbiology, 2019, 4:8132; PNAS, 2020, in print)

 

Major Research Focus 

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HIV-1 subverts the immune system during pathogenic infection, resulting in a gradual depletion of CD4 T cells and a loss of immune functionality that ultimately results in Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS).  In line with this, HIV-1 has evolved a complex network of interactions with cellular proteins by which this coercion occurs. Our research, as of the Yoder et al 2008 publication (Cell, 2008, 134:782), has predominantly focused on a particular subset of cellular factors, those that constitute the actin cytoskeletal system of the cell. Our research has indicated that actin cytoskeletal dynamics is a key feature during early infection events, including reverse transcription and nuclear migration within the cell. Our goal is to identify cytoskeletal factors that play pivotal roles in HIV-1 replication and determine the functions of these factors.  We have previously identified Cofilin, an actin-depolymerization factor, as a critical factor in early HIV-1 infection events.  Much of our research is now focusing on the upstream factors of Cofilin, those being LIMK1/2, p21-activated kinases, and certain cellular phosphatases, among others. Emergently, our goal is to create a framework of understanding on which the development of anti-HIV pharmaceuticals can proceed.  In this endeavor, we have sought a degree of reproducibility and accuracy in our research constituting a standard of research quality to which all of our findings are subject. Recently our lab's research has expanded to study HIV restriction factors, including PSGL-1.

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