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Xin M. Luo, PhD

Assistant Head for Grad Studies and Student Professional Development
  • Associate Professor
  • Immunology
Xin Luo
Department of Biomedical Sciences and Pathobiology
VA-MD College of Veterinary Medicine
Virginia Tech
205 Duck Pond Drive
Blacksburg, VA 24061

PhD, Immunology, 2006
Pennsylvania State University
University Park, PA

MS, Nutritional Sciences, 2001
Pennsylvania State University
University Park, PA

Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, 1998
Peking University
Beijing, China

  • The research interests in the Luo Laboratory are immunological and microbial regulation of autoimmunity and immunodeficiency. On the immunological side, we are interested in the roles of dendritic cells in inflammation; while on the microbial side, we focus on how commensal bacteria in the gut affect the host immune system, and vice versa. We utilize murine models and human patient samples to study various diseases including systemic lupus erythematosus and primary immunodeficiencies.

2018–present
Associate Professor

Department of Biomedical Sciences and Pathobiology
Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine
Virginia Tech
Blacksburg, VA

2012–2018
Assistant Professor

Department of Biomedical Sciences and Pathobiology
Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine
Virginia Tech
Blacksburg, VA

September-December 2011
Scientist II

Cell Signaling Technology

2010–2011
Research Scientist

Division of Biology
California Institute of Technology
Pasadena, CA

2005–2010
Postdoctoral Fellow

Mentor: David Baltimore (Nobel Laureate)
Division of Biology
California Institute of Technology
Pasadena, CA

  • American Association of Immunologists  
  1. Mu Q, Zhang H, Luo XM (2015) SLE: Another Autoimmune Disorder Influenced by Microbes and Diet? Frontiers in Immunology doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2015.00608.
  2. Liao X, Li S, Settlage RE, Sun S, Ren J, Reihl AM, Zhang H, Karyala SV, Reilly CM, Ahmed SA, Luo XM. (2015) Cutting Edge: Plasmacytoid Dendritic Cells in Late-Stage Lupus Mice Defective in Producing IFN-α. Journal of Immunology. 195:4578-4582.
  3. Zhang H, Luo XM (2015) Control of commensal microbiota by the adaptive immune system. Gut Microbes 6(2):156-60.
  4. Liao X, Ren J, Wei CH, Ross AC, Cecere TE, Jortner BS, Ahmed SA, Luo XM. (2015) Paradoxical effects of all-trans-retinoic acid on lupus-like disease in the MRL/lpr mouse model. PLoS One. 10(3):e0118176.
  5. Zhang H, Sparks JB, Karyala SV, Settlage R, Luo XM. (2014) Host adaptive immunity alters gut microbiota. ISME Journal 9(3):770-81.
  6. Zhang H, Liao X, Sparks JB, Luo XM. (2014) Dynamics of gut microbiota in autoimmune lupus. Applied Environmental Microbiology 80(24):7551-60.
  7. Luo XM, Lei MYY. (2012) Recombination activating gene-2 regulates CpG-mediated interferon-alpha production in mouse bone marrow-derived plasmacytoid dendritic cells. PLoS One 7(10): e47952.
  8. Luo XM, Lei MYY, Feidi RA, West AP, Balazs AB, Bjorkman PJ, Yang L, Baltimore D. (2010) Dimeric 2G12 as a potent protection against HIV-1. PLoS Pathogens 6(12): e1001225.
  9. Luo XM, Maarschalk E, O'Connell RM, Wang P, Yang L, Baltimore D. (2009) Engineering human hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells to produce a broadly neutralizing anti-HIV antibody after in vitro maturation to human B lymphocytes. Blood 113(7): 1422-1431.
  10. Luo XM, Ross AC. (2005) Physiological and receptor-selective retinoids modulate interferon-gamma signaling by increasing the expression, nuclear localization, and functional activity of interferon regulatory factor-1. Journal of Biological Chemistry 280(43): 36228-36236.