Dr Huan Cao

Dr Huan Cao
Dr Huan Cao
Dr Huan Cao

Dr

Lecturer

About
Email Address
h.cao@abdn.ac.uk
Office Address
3.25 Institute of Medical Sciences
Foresterhill Campus
Ashgrove Road West
AB25 2ZD

View on Map

School/Department
School of Medicine, Medical Sciences and Nutrition

Biography

I have always been fascinated by how things work behind the scenes in nature.  It was after reading Natural Sciences at Cambridge and starting my PhD in immunology, also at Cambridge, that I found the love for a particular branch of immunology that involves sugar recognition.  During my PhD, I discovered the mechanism of evolution for a family of sugar recognising receptors know as Siglecs.  One particular Siglec, Siglec-15, was found through my work in the PhD, to be a key molecule that is highly specially expressed on leukaemia cells.  This fueled my passion for the research on sugar immune recognition because I saw the clinical implications and future benefits for patients beyond the academic endevour.

My adventures in sugar immune recognition reached a peak here in Aberdeen, where I discovered that the fundamental connection between that pathology of Sickle cell disease and malaria resistance lies in the recognition of a key sugar molecule, known as high mannose.  This discovery, published in Nature Communications, attracted much media attention.  The high mannose signal, for the first time, provides a fundamental understanding between immune recognition and clearance of old and damaged cells, excessive anaemia in sickle cell disease and the advantage of the sickle gene in combating malaria resistance.  This work is providing a foundation in future treatments of sickle cell disease, malaria infection and even novel ways to clear cancer cells.

Discovering this beauty of the inner workings of nature's and the potential in adapting these learnings to assist medical developments continues to fuel my explorations in this field.

External Memberships

British Society of Immunology

Latest Publications

View My Publications

Prizes and Awards

  1. IMS internal small grant award. £5,000.  From January 2019.  Filtration device for removing neoplastic and autoimmune cells from the blood stream.
  2. Friends of Anchor. £9,000. From January 2019. Development of potential new diagnostics and therapies for sickle cell anaemia.
  3. Wellcome Trust. Role of mannose receptor in recognition of dying cells by macrophages.  Period: 30/05/16 → 25/07/16.  Funder project reference: 201940/Z/16/Z.  Investigators: Barker, RN, Vickers, MA, Cao, H
  4. Medical Research Scotland. £2,000. Construction and use of chimeric phagocytic receptors to reprogram macrophages to clear pathogenic cells by phagocytosis. Period: 22/05/17 → 17/07/17. Funder project reference: VAC-1057-2017.  Investigators: Vickers, MA, Cao, H
  5. Travel Grant eFIS (2014)
Research

Research Overview

My main interest is how sugar recognition influences immune responses.  This originated from my PhD in Cambridge with the discovery of leukaemic expression of a new sialic acid binding lectin known as Siglec-15.  This discovery now offers a “magic bullet” approach to treat the disease.  In Aberdeen, I employed plant lectins to discover the key “eat-me” sugar signals common to malaria-infected and sickle cell disease red blood cells.  This signal triggers phagocytosis through the macrophage mannose receptor.  Serendipitously, by working with blood samples from patients who have had spleens removed, I discovered that the same sugar signals are the “aging” molecule for removal of end-of-life red blood cells.  These sugars are known as high mannoses and I look forward with great excitement to exploring their fascinating roles in malaria, cellular aging, sickle cell disease and cancer.

Research interests:

  • Novel glycan-immune interactions between diseased cells with the immune system
  • Microvesicle characterisation
  • Antibody and cellular based immune therapy
  • Phage display
  • Novel mechanisms in antigen presentation
  • Phagocytosis mechanisms and receptor-ligand interactions

 

Disease model interests

  • Diabetes and the role of red cells
  • Immunotherapy of cancers
  • Sickle cell disease
  • Leukaemia (acute myeloid leukaemia and chronic lymphocytic leukaemia) and leukaemic stem cells

Research Areas

Biomedical Sciences

Supervising

Current Research

Currently I am working on the two aspects of the sickle-mannose axis.  The first is understanding the complexity of the underlying molecular basis built into the cytoskeleton of the cell for presenting mannose as an eat me signal.  The second is to develop commercialisation opportunities based on novel applications of glycan signals.  These include diagnostic tools for underlying medical issues and new therapeutic angles of treating solid tumours.

Past Research

My past research has primary been focused in three areas of glyco-immunology.  The first is in novel activating, sugar binding, Siglec molecules and the development of anti-leukaemia "magic bullet" drug.  The second is in recognition of damaged red blood cells.  The third aspect of research is on how sickle cell disease and malaria resistance depend on a key sugar recognition mechanism.

Collaborations

Dr Louise Boyle (Senior Lecturer, Cambridge).  The role of glycan recognition in the antigen processing pathway of TAPBPR.  Publication: eLife 2017

 

Profs. Stuart Haslam and Anne Dell (Head of Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College, London).  Glycomics analysis of aging and diseased cells.

 

Prof Alex Rowe (University of Edinburgh).  Interaction between sugar recognition and malaria resistance.

 

Prof Marcel Jaspars (Head of Department of Chemistry, University of Aberdeen). Structural basis for recognition of aging and disease.

Supervision

My current supervision areas are: Biomedical Sciences.

Specialization in teaching:

 

My specialization in academic teaching is the field of glycan recognition, glycomics, evolution and their relationship with immunology.  Courses and topics I would like to develop include:

  • Glycomics and immunology
  • Translational aspects of immunology
  • Evolutionary immunology

I particularly enjoy the teaching aspect of science and interactions with students.  Over the last four years, I have been giving lectures and seminars for the undergraduate Immunology course for the University of Aberdeen.  I have also given practical demonstrations for both the University of Aberdeen and Cambridge.

 

Close supervision of students has allowed me opportunity to communicate, plan and advise students in their laboratory projects, which has resulted in many publications.  This is one of the most rewarding aspect of my work.  Since my PhD I have taught and supervised BSc, Masters and PhD students at University of Aberdeen, Cambridge and Dundee, including small group supervisions of undergraduates at Downing College, Cambridge. 

 

Leading students deeper into and working at the boundaries of the unknown aspects of Immunology and sciences is an essential part of my vision for my future career development.

 

Teaching history:

 

  • Lectures, Immunology, BSc, University of Aberdeen 2018 – Present
  • Lecture, Introduction to Flow Cytometry, Masters, University of Aberdeen 2019
  • Workshop for BSc, Glycomics and Immunology, University of Aberdeen 2019- present
  • Exam marking, Immunology, BSc, 2018 – present
  • Co-supervision, PhD students, University of Aberdeen, 2019 to present
  • Co-supervision, BSc, Masters, Summer students, University of Aberdeen, 2012 – present
  • Co-supervision, BSc honors project, University of Dundee, 2010-2011
  • Practical class demonstration, Biochemistry and Pathology, University of Cambridge, 2008-2009
  • Small group supervision teaching, Downing College, University of Cambridge, 2007-2009.
Publications

Page 1 of 2 Results 1 to 10 of 14

Show 10 | 25 | 50 | 100 results per page