Cao Lab
Research
Our Focus
Major research focus is to study the role of immune system in disease development and find a cure to treat diseases through immune modulation approach including vaccination and natural product. I am currently working on vaccine for Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease.
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Dendritic cell (DC) therapy, also known as a dendritic cell vaccine, is a process that has been approved for the treatment of various cancers. The patient's dendritic cells are taken from the blood and cultured in the lab to identify a certain antigen or protein. They are then re-injected back into the patient. Our lab is the only lab working to sensitize DCs to different pathological peptides in both Alzheimer's and Parkinson's in the hope of mounting a safe, yet effective, immune response.
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Our lab is one of a few studying potential benefits that extremely low doses of THC and CBD may have as it relates to Alzheimer's. Low doses of these molecules, too low to induce neuron damage, can inhibit amyloid beta peptide aggregation and enhance mitochondrial activity. We are studying the therapeutic benefit of these molecules in animal models of Alzheimer's.
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From our data, long-term exposure to high-frequency electromagnetic field (EMF) treatment prevents cognitive impairment in Alzheimer's transgenic (Tg) mice and improves memory in normal mice. As a reference, EMF signals from cell phones are within the 450-2100 MHz range and our studies were carried out at 918 MHz. We are currently studying EMF as it relates to mitochondrial function.
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We have examined the effects that different chemical compounds such as Coffee, Caffeine and Melatonin have on the Alzheimer's disease progress. In animal studies with these molecules, we have seen that there are levels of cognitive improvement and decreased levels of amyloid beta peptide. Our current work relates to mechanisms of action of these compounds and how we can better deliver them to the sites of disease.
Selected Publications
Song G, Yang H, Pham P, Brown B, Lin X, Hong Y, Sinu P, Cai J, Li X, Leon M, Gordon M, Morgan D, Zhang S, and Cao C. An Immunomodulatory Therapeutic Vaccine Targeting Oligomeric Amyloid Beta. J Alzheimers Dis. 2020. PMID: 32925044.
Shen N, Song G, Yang H, Lin X, Brown B, Hong Y, Cai J, Cao C. Identifying the Pathological Domain of Alpha- Synuclein as a Therapeutic for Parkinson’s Disease Int J Mol Sci. 2019 May 11;20(9). pii: E2338.
Chen Y, Yang JL, Xue ZZ, Cai QC, Hou C, Li HJ, Zhao LX, Zhang Y, Gao CW, Cong L, Wang TZ, Chen DM, Luo SQ, Yao Q, Zhu QS, Cao C Effects and mechanism of microRNA-218 against lung cancer Molecular Medicine Reports 2020 https://doi.org/10.3892/mmr.2020.11666
Wang M, Gao R, Sang P, Zheng M, Shi Y, Xu H, Cao C, and Cai J,. Dimeric γ-AApeptides with Potent and Selective Antibacterial Activity Front. Chem. 2020|
Su, M., Wang, M., Hong, Y., Nimmagadda, A., Shen, N., Shi, Y., Gao, R., Zhang, E. Cao, C., Cai, J. 2019. Polymyxin derivatives as broad-spectrum antibiotic agents. Chemical Communications, 55(87), 13104-13107.
Perez A, Li T, Hernandez S, Zhang RY, and Cao C. The Rationale of using Coffee and Melatonin as Alternative Treatment for Alzheimer’s disease. J of Alz Dis and Parkinsonism. Jan 2016, 6:205
Lin X, Bai G, Sutherland K, Costanza F, Breitenkamp K, Sill K, Cai J, Cao C. Polymer-Encapsulated Aβ Peptide Fragments as an Oligomeric-Specific Vaccine for Alzheimer’s disease. J. Biomed. Nanotechnol., 2016 Jul 12(7), 1421-1430.
Cao, C., Li, Y., Liu, H., Bai, G., Mayl, J., Lin, X., Sutherland, K., Nabar, N., Cai, J., 2014. The potential therapeutic effects of THC on Alzheimer’s disease. J. Alzheimers Dis. JAD 42, 973–984.