Xin Lei

PhD student
x.lei@lumc.nl +31 (0)71 526 2908

Research

My PhD research focuses on the development and function of hematopoietic progenitor cells, mainly the oligopotent myeloid progenitor that gives rise to granulocytes, macrophages, osteoclasts and dendritic cells (GMODP) and its downstream progenitors, as well as their potential use in the immunotherapy field. Using a mouse model with intranasal inoculation, we aim to study the role of the myeloid progenitors in innate host protection against bacterial infection at mucosal sites. We also study myeloid cell development in human. Firstly, we study a myeloid neoplastic human disease, called Langerhans cell histiocytosis (LCH), which is driven by sporadic activating mutations in the MAP kinase pathway. We developed a method to grow Langerhans cell-like cells from GMODP cells in vitro to identify mutated LCH cells in the offspring. Using this method, we aim to study the role of mutation carrying GMODP in disease development of LCH. Furthermore, more and more people realize the importance of classical dendritic cell type 1 (cDC1) in cancer immunity, and its rarity in our bodies. Our main focus is therefore on developing a standard protocol for generating in vitro cDC1 like cells derived from GMODP that can cross prime CD8 T cells and relay the help of CD4 T cells. 

 

Curriculum vitae

I obtained my Bachelor and MD degrees in clinical medicine at the Sun-Yat Sen University. After that, I received the Kelin Scholarship sponsored by the First Affiliated Hospital of Sun-Yat Sen University. With this scholarship, I’ve been working in Prof. Jannie Borst’s group as a research associate under the supervision of assistant professor Dr. Yanling Xiao from December 2017 to November 2019, first in the Netherlands Cancer Institute and then in Leiden University Medical Center. During my work in Prof. Borst’s group, I became intrigued by the plasticity and complexity of hematopoietic progenitor cells, and their potential use in the cancer immunotherapy. This motivated me to join the lab of Prof. Jannie Borst as a PhD student in December 2019.

Publications

  • Bone marrow-derived myeloid progenitors as driver mutation carriers in high- and low-risk Langerhans cell histiocytosis.

    Xiao, Y., van Halteren, A.G.S., Lei, X., Borst, J., Steenwijk, E.C., de Wit, T., Grabowska, J., Voogd, R., Kemps, P.G., Picarsic, J., van den Bos, C., and Borst, J.

    Blood 136: 2188-2199, 2020.

  • Flagellin/TLR5 stimulate myeloid progenitors to enter lung tissue and to locally differentiate into macrophages

    Lei, X., Palomero, J., de Rink, I., de Wit, T., van Baalen, M., Xiao, Y., and Borst, J.

    Front. Immunol. 12:621665, 2021.

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