Shunbin Ning, PhD

Shunbin Ning, PhD 

Associate Professor  | Infectious, Inflammatory and Immunologic Disease

VA Building 119, Room 206
423.439.8232

Graduate: Wuhan University, China, PhD, Cell Biology, Genetics 2001; BS, 1996, Cell Biology
Postdoc: UNC at Chapel Hill, 2002-2006, Tumor Virology & Immunology
Research Associate: UNC at Chapel Hill, 2007-2008, Tumor Virology & Immunology 

Brief Bio

Shunbin Ning, Ph.D., Associate Professor in the Department of Medicine, completed postdoctoral training at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill. Prior to joining the faculty, he was an assistant professor at the University of Miami, where he was active in the Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center.

RESEARCH INTERESTS

Chronic Viral Infection, Inflammation and Immunity, and Oncogenesis

Viruses contribute to more than 20% of all cancers worldwide. These virally induced malignant diseases are the leading cause of death in immunocompromised individuals with HIV co-infection, in which HIV plays a pro-oncogenic role. As the first identified oncovirus, Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV/HHV4) is associated with a variety of lymphomas and carcinomas, and is the etiological pathogen of Burkitt’s lymphoma (BL), Hodgkin lymphoma (HL), nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) and infectious mononucleosis in immunocompetent individuals. EBV, and two other oncogenic viruses Kaposi’s sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV) and human papillomavirus (HPV), are causally involved in AIDS-related malignancies. Virus-associated lymphomas are often difficult to treat, due to their aggression (i.e. BL), the inadequate dose intensity, or exacerbation of infection in immunosuppressed patients.

Dr. Ning’s research interest focuses on the interaction between AIDS-related oncogenic viruses (EBV, HCV, HTLV1) and the host innate immune system in developing cancers. The mechanistic studies involve Type I interferon (IFN) response, DNA damage response (DDR), selective autophagy, ubiquitination, immunoediting, inflammaging and immunosenescence, and cell death. Deciphering the molecular events controlling the interaction between oncogenic viruses and cellular mechanisms related to host innate immune system will help us understand the role of innate immune system in viral oncogenesis and may identify potential targets for immunotherapeutic treatment for virus-associated diseases and cancers.

Dr. Ning serves as the Editor-in-Chief for The Open COVID Journal and serves on the editorial board of multiple journals including Annals of Clinical Virology, Annals of Inflammation Research, Trends in Immunotherapy, International Journal of Immunology, Herpesviridae (eBook), Trends in Immunotherapy, Coronavirus, etc. More recent publications can be found at: https://works.bepress.com/shunbin-ning/ and https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Shunbin_Ning.

Representative Publications

1. Wang L, Sparks-Wallace A, Casteel JL, Howell MEA, Ning S: Algorithm-Based Meta-Analysis Reveals the Mechanistic Interaction of the Tumor Suppressor LIMD1 With Non-Small-Cell Lung Carcinoma. Frontiers in Oncology 2021, 11(1031).10.3389/fonc.2021.632638

2. Nguyan LNT, Nguyen LN, Zhao J, Schank M, Dang X, Cao D, Khanal S, Thakuri BKC, Lu Z, Zhang J, Li Z, Morrison ZD, Wu XY, Gazzar ME, Ning S, Wang L, Moorman JP, Yao ZQ: Long non-coding RNA GAS5 regulates T cell functions via miR21-mediated signaling in people living with HIV. Frontiers in Immunology 2021. PMID: 33776993

3. Wang L, Zhao J, Nguyan LNT, Adkins JL, Schank M, Khanal S, Nguyen LN, Dang X, Cao D, Thakuri BKC, Lu Z, Zhang J, Zhang Y, Wu XY, Gazzar ME, Ning S, Moorman JP, Yao ZQ: Blockade of SARS-CoV-2 spike protein mediated cell-cell fusion using COVID-19 convalescent plasma. Scientific Reports 2021. 11: 5558. PMID: 33692386

4. Klionsky DJ, Abdel-Aziz AK, Abdelfatah S, Abdellatif M, Abdoli A, Abel S, Abeliovich H, Abildgaard MH, Abudu YP, Acevedo-Arozena A, Adamopoulos IE, Adeli K, Adolph TE, Adornetto A, Aflaki E, Agam G, Agarwal A, Aggarwal BB, Agnello M, Agostinis P, …… Ning S, et al: Guidelines for the use and interpretation of assays for monitoring autophagy (4th edition)(1). Autophagy 2021, 17(1):1-382.10.1080/15548627.2020.1797280 PMID: 33634751

5. Wang L, Ning S: TRIMming Type I Interferon-Mediated Innate Immune Response in Antiviral and Antitumor Defense. Viruses 2021, 13(2):279. PMID: 33670221

6. Cao D, Khanal S, Wang L, Li Z, Zhao J, Nguyen LN, Nguyen LNT, Dang X, Schank M, Thakuri BKC, Zhang J, Lu Z, Wu XY, Morrison ZD, El Gazzar M, Ning S, Moorman JP, Yao ZQ: A Matter of Life or Death: Productively Infected and Bystander CD4 T Cells in Early HIV Infection. Frontiers in Immunology 2021, 11(3760).10.3389/fimmu.2020.626431. PMID: 33643305

7. Thakuri BKC, Zhang J, Zhao J, Nguyen LN, Nguyen LNT, Khanal S, Cao D, Dang X, Schank M, Wu XY, Morrison ZD, Gazzar ME, Li Z, Jiang Y, Ning S, Wang L, Moorman JP, Yao ZQ: LncRNA HOTAIRM1 promotes MDSC expansion and suppressive functions through the HOXA1-miR124 axis during HCV infection. Scientific Reports 2020, 10(1):22033.10.1038/s41598-020-78786-1 PMID: 33328510

8. Thakuri BKC, Zhang J, Zhao J, Nguyen LN, Nguyen LNT, Schank M, Khanal S, Dang X, Cao D, Lu Z, Wu XY, Jiang Y, El Gazzar M, Ning S, Wang L, Moorman JP, Yao ZQ: HCV-Associated Exosomes Upregulate RUNXOR and RUNX1 Expressions to Promote MDSC Expansion and Suppressive Functions through STAT3–miR124 Axis. Cells 2020, 9(12):2715. PMID: 33353065

9. Schank M, Zhao J, Wang L, Li Z, Cao D, Nguyen LN, Dang X, Khanal S, Nguyen LNT, Thakuri BKC, Ogbu SC, Lu Z, Zhang J, Wu XY, Morrison ZD, El Gazzar M, Ning S, Moorman JP, Yao ZQ: Telomeric injury by KML001 in human T cells induces mitochondrial dysfunction through the p53-PGC-1α pathway. Cell Death & Disease 2020, 11(12):1030-1030. PMID: 33268822

10. Zhang J, Thakuri BKC, Zhao J, Nguyen LN, Nguyen LNT, Cao D, Dang X, Khanal S, Schank M, Lu Z, Wu XY, Morrison ZD, Gazzar ME, Li Z, Jiang Y, Ning S, Wang L, Moorman JP, Yao ZQ: LncRNA HOTAIRM1 promotes MDSC expansion and suppressive functions through up-regulating HOXA1 expression during latent HIV infection. AIDS 2020. PMID: 33048872

11. Khanal S, Tang Q, Cao D, Zhao J, Nguyen LN, Oyedeji OS, Dang X, Nguyen LNT, Schank M, Thakuri BKC, Ogbu C, Morrison ZD, Wu XY, Zhang Z, He Q, El Gazzar M, Li Z, Ning S, Wang L, Moorman JP, Yao ZQ: Telomere and ATM Dynamics in CD4 T-Cell Depletion in Active and Virus-Suppressed HIV Infections. J Virol 2020, 94(22):JVI.01061-01020.10.1128/JVI.01061-20 PMID: 32907975

12. Dang X, Ogbu SC, Zhao J, Nguyen LNT, Cao D, Nguyen LN, Khanal S, Schank M, Thakuri BKC, Wu XY, Morrison ZD, Zhang J, Li Z, El Gazzar M, Ning S, Wang L, Wang Z, Moorman JP, Yao ZQ: Inhibition of topoisomerase IIA (Top2α) induces telomeric DNA damage and T cell dysfunction during chronic viral infection. Cell Death & Disease 2020, 11(3):196.10.1038/s41419-020-2395-2 PMID: 32193368

13. Wang L, Howell M, Sparks-Wallace A, Hawkins C, Nicksic C, Kohne C, Moorman J, Yao Z, Ning S. p62-mediated Selective Autophagy Endows Virus-transformed Cells with Insusceptibility to DNA Damage under Oxidative Stress. PLoS Pathogens. 2019. 15(4): e1007541. PMID: 31017975

14. Wang L, Howell M, McPeak B, Riggs K, Kohne C, Yohanon J.-U., Foxler DE, Sharp TV, Moorman JP, Yao ZQ, Ning S*. LIMD1 is induced by and required for LMP1 signaling, and protects EBV-transformed cells from DNA damage-induced cell death. Oncotarget. 2018. 9:6282-6297. PMID: 29464072.

15. Zhou J*, Yang X*, Ning S*, Wang L, Wang K, Zhang Y, Yuan F, Li F, Zhuo D, Tang L, Zhuo D. Identification of KANSARL as the First Cancer Predisposition Fusion Gene Specific to the Population of European Ancestry Origin. Oncotarget. 2017. 8(31):50594-50607. PMID: 28881586. PMCID: PMC5584173 (Highlighted at RNA-Seq blog). * Contributed equally to this project

16. Wang L, Wang Y, Zhao J, Ren J, Hall KH, Moorman JP, Yao ZQ, Ning S*. LUBAC modulates LMP1 activation of NFκB and IRF7. Journal of Virology. 2017. 91(4): e1138-16. PMID: 27903798

17. Wang L, Ren J, Li G, Moorman JP, Yao ZQ, Ning S. LMP1 Signaling Pathway Activates IRF4 in Latent EBV Infection and A Positive Circuit between PI3K and Src Is Required. Oncogene. 2017. 36(16):2265-2274. PMID: 27819673

18. Wang L, Zhao J, Ren J, Hall KH, Moorman JP, Yao ZQ, Ning S*. Protein Phosphatase 1 abrogates IRF7-mediated type I IFN response in antiviral immunity. European Journal of Immunology. 2016. 46(10):2409-2419. PMID: 27469204

19. Wang L, Zhao J, Ren JP, Wu XY, Morrison ZD, Elgazzar MA, Ning S, Moorman JP, Yao ZQ. Expansion of myeloid-derived suppressor cells promotes differentiation of regulatory T cells in HIV-1+ individuals. AIDS. 2016. 30(10):1521-1531. PMID: 26959508.

20. Wang L, Yao Z, Jonathan M, Xu Y, Ning S. Gene expression profiling identifies IRF4-associated molecular signatures in hematological malignancies. PLoS One. 2014. 9(9):e106788. PMID: 25207815

21. Wang L, Ning S. IRF4 is activated through c-Src-mediated tyrosine phosphorylation in virus-transformed cells. Journal of Virology. 2013. 87(17): 9672-9679. PMID: 23804646 (Chosen for “Spotlight” by the editors)

22. Wang L, Toomey NL, Diaz LA, Walker G, Ramos JC, Barber GN, Ning S. Oncogenic IRFs provide a survival advantage for EBV- or HTLV1- transformed cells through induction of BIC expression. Journal of Virology. 2011. 85(16): 8328-8337. PMID: 21680528

23. Ning S*, Pagano J. The A20 deubiquitinase activity negatively regulates ubiquitination-mediated LMP1 activation of IRF7. Journal of Virology 2010. 84(12): 1630-1638. PMID: 20392859 * Corresponding author

24. Ling Wang, Shunbin Ning. "Toll-free" pathways for production of type I interferons. AIMS Allergy and Immunology. 2017. 1(3): 143-163. PMID: 29202128 Free full text PDF

25. Ling Wang, Guangyu Li, Zhi Q. Yao, Jonathan Moorman, Shunbin Ning. MicroRNA regulation of viral immunity, latency, and carcinogenesis of selected tumor viruses and HIV. Reviews in Medical Virology. 2015. 25: 320-341. PMID: 26258805

26. Wang L, Howell ME, Hensley CR, Ning K, Moorman JP, Yao ZQ, Ning S: The Master Antioxidant Defense is Activated during EBV Latent Infection. Journal of Virology 2023, In revision. 

27. Wang L, Hensley CR, Howell ME, Ning S: Bioinformatics-Driven Identification of p62 as A Crucial Oncogene in Liver Cancer. Front Oncol 2022, 12:923009.10.3389/fonc.2022.923009 35814476