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Photo of  Meifeng Xu, MD, PhD

Meifeng Xu, MD, PhD

Professor

Pathology & Laboratory Medicine | College of Medicine

Education/Credentials
  • Doctorate: The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (Biological Studies)
  • Masters of Science in Pharmacology: Suzhou Medical College (Pharmacology)
  • Medical Degree: Suzhou Medical College (Medicine)
Contact Information
Research Interests

The research in our laboratory is focused on cell therapy to regenerate the damaged myocardium and restore cardiac function following a myocardial infarction. We use a combination of gene profiling, tissue engineering, physiological testing, and molecular imaging techniques to investigate whether the cardiac regenerative capacity of stem cells is associated with their survival, proliferation, and/or differentiation. We have obtained substantial expertise in this field, and have published our findings in p...

Peer Reviewed Publications

Wu, Zhichao; Liang, Jialiang; Huang, Wei; Jiang, Lin; Paul, Christian; Gao, Xiang; Alam, Perwez; Kanisicak, Onur; Xu, Meifeng; Wang, Yigang 2021. Immunomodulatory effects of mesenchymal stem cells for the treatment of cardiac allograft rejection. Experimental biology and medicine (Maywood, N.J.), 246 7, 851-860

Liu, Min; Shen, Ling; Xu, Meifeng; Wang, David Q-H; Tso, Patrick 2020. Estradiol Enhances Anorectic Effect of Apolipoprotein A-IV through ER?-PI3K Pathway in the Nucleus Tractus Solitarius. Genes, 11 12,

Wang, Jingcai; Gong, Min; Zuo, Shi; Xu, Jie; Paul, Chris; Li, Hongxia; Liu, Min; Wang, Yi-Gang; Ashraf, Muhammad; Xu, Meifeng 2020. WNT11-Conditioned Medium Promotes Angiogenesis through the Activation of Non-Canonical WNT-PKC-JNK Signaling Pathway. Genes, 11 11,

Xuan, Wanling; Wang, Lei; Xu, Meifeng; Weintraub, Neal L; Ashraf, Muhammad 2019. miRNAs in Extracellular Vesicles from iPS-Derived Cardiac Progenitor Cells Effectively Reduce Fibrosis and Promote Angiogenesis in Infarcted Heart. Stem cells international, 2019 , 3726392

Dong, Yingying; Zhang, Yi; Xia, Linlin; Wang, Ping; Chen, Jingyun; Xu, Meifeng; Liu, Xingyin; Xia, Yumin 2017. The deposition of anti-DNA IgG contributes to the development of cutaneous lupus erythematosus. Immunology letters, 191 , 1-9

Duan, Yuping; Zhu, Wei; Liu, Min; Ashraf, Muhammad; Xu, Meifeng 2017. The expression of Smad signaling pathway in myocardium and potential therapeutic effects. Histology and histopathology, 32 7, 651-659

Gong, Min; Yu, Bin; Wang, Jingcai; Wang, Yigang; Liu, Min; Paul, Christian; Millard, Ronald W; Xiao, De-Sheng; Ashraf, Muhammad; Xu, Meifeng 2017. Mesenchymal stem cells release exosomes that transfer miRNAs to endothelial cells and promote angiogenesis. Oncotarget, ,

Liu, Honghai; Paul, Christian; Xu, Meifeng 2017. Optimal Environmental Stiffness for Stem Cell Mediated Ischemic Myocardium Repair. Methods in molecular biology (Clifton, N.J.), 1553 , 293-304

Shen, Ling; Wang, David Q H; Xu, Meifeng; Woods, Stephen C; Liu, Min 2017. BDNF/TrkB signaling mediates the anorectic action of estradiol in the nucleus tractus solitarius. Oncotarget, 8 48, 84028-84038

Wu, Shi-Zheng; Li, Ying-Lan; Huang, Wei; Cai, Wen-Feng; Liang, Jialiang; Paul, Christian; Jiang, Lin; Wu, Zhi-Chao; Xu, Meifeng; Zhu, Ping; Wang, Yigang 2017. Paracrine effect of CXCR4-overexpressing mesenchymal stem cells on ischemic heart injury. Cell biochemistry and function, 35 2, 113-123

Ying, Shihui; Li, Dan; Xiao, Bin; Peng, Yaxin; Du, Shaoyi; Xu, Meifeng 2017. Nonlinear image registration with bidirectional metric and reciprocal regularization. PloS one, 12 2, e0172432

Cheng, Hong; Xu, Meifeng; Liu, Xiaoming; Zou, Xiaoyan; Zhan, Na; Xia, Yumin 2016. TWEAK/Fn14 activation induces keratinocyte proliferation under psoriatic inflammation. Experimental dermatology, 25 1, 32-7

Liu, Honghai; Qin, Wan; Wang, Zhonghai; Shao, Yonghong; Wang, Jingcai; Borg, Thomas K; Gao, Bruce Z; Xu, Meifeng 2016. Disassembly of myofibrils and potential imbalanced forces on Z-Discs in cultured adult cardiomyocytes. Cytoskeleton (Hoboken, N.J.), ,

Okada, Motoi; Kim, Ha Won; Matsu-ura, Kaoru; Wang, Yi-Gang; Xu, Meifeng; Ashraf, Muhammad 2016. Abrogation of Age-Induced MicroRNA-195 Rejuvenates the Senescent Mesenchymal Stem Cells by Reactivating Telomerase. Stem cells (Dayton, Ohio), 34 1, 148-59

Yang, Huaxiao; Borg, Thomas K; Ma, Zhen; Xu, Meifeng; Wetzel, George; Saraf, Laxmikant V; Markwald, Roger; Runyan, Raymond B; Gao, Bruce Z 2016. Biochip-based study of unidirectional mitochondrial transfer from stem cells to myocytes via tunneling nanotubes. Biofabrication, 8 1, 015012

Yu, Bin; Yang, Yueting; Liu, Huan; Gong, Min; Millard, Ronald W; Wang, Yi-Gang; Ashraf, Muhammad; Xu, Meifeng 2016. Clusterin/Akt Up-Regulation Is Critical for GATA-4 Mediated Cytoprotection of Mesenchymal Stem Cells against Ischemia Injury. PloS one, 11 3, e0151542

Cai, Wen-Feng; Kang, Kai; Huang, Wei; Liang, Jia-Liang; Feng, Yu-Liang; Liu, Guan-Sheng; Chang, De-Hua; Wen, Zhi-Li; Paul, Christian; Xu, Meifeng; Millard, Ronald W; Wang, Yigang 2015. CXCR4 attenuates cardiomyocytes mitochondrial dysfunction to resist ischaemia-reperfusion injury. Journal of cellular and molecular medicine, 19 8, 1825-35

Kang, Kai; Ma, Ruilian; Cai, Wenfeng; Huang, Wei; Paul, Christian; Liang, Jialiang; Wang, Yuhua; Zhao, Tiejun; Kim, Ha Won; Xu, Meifeng; Millard, Ronald W; Wen, Zhili; Wang, Yigang 2015. Exosomes Secreted from CXCR4 Overexpressing Mesenchymal Stem Cells Promote Cardioprotection via Akt Signaling Pathway following Myocardial Infarction. Stem cells international, 2015 , 659890

Yu, Bin; Kim, Ha Won; Gong, Min; Wang, Jingcai; Millard, Ronald W; Wang, Yigang; Ashraf, Muhammad; Xu, Meifeng 2015. Exosomes secreted from GATA-4 overexpressing mesenchymal stem cells serve as a reservoir of anti-apoptotic microRNAs for cardioprotection. International journal of cardiology, 182 , 349-60

Liu, Honghai; Chen, Ruikai; Yang, Huaxiao; Qin, Wan; Borg, Thomas K; Dean, Delphine; Xu, Meifeng; Gao, Bruce Z 2014. Enzyme-etching technique to fabricate micropatterns of aligned collagen fibrils. Biotechnology letters, 36 6, 1245-52

Wang, Yuhua; Huang, Wei; Liang, Jialiang; Wen, Zhili; Chang, Dehua; Kang, Kai; Wang, Jiapeng; Xu, Meifeng; Millard, Ronald W; Wang, Yigang 2014. Suicide gene-mediated sequencing ablation revealed the potential therapeutic mechanism of induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiovascular cell patch post-myocardial infarction. Antioxidants & redox signaling, 21 16, 2177-91

Gong, Min; Yu, Bin; Wang, Yi-Gang; Xu, Meifeng 2013. Bone marrow rejuvenation. An excellent potential therapy for age-related endothelial dysfunction. Circulation journal : official journal of the Japanese Circulation Society, 77 12, 2886-8

Huang, Wei; Dai, Bo; Wen, Zhili; Millard, Ronald W; Yu, Xi-Yong; Luther, Kristin; Xu, Meifeng; Zhao, Ting C; Yang, Huang-Tian; Qi, Zhihua; Lasance, Kathleen; Ashraf, Muhammad; Wang, Yigang 2013. Molecular strategy to reduce in vivo collagen barrier promotes entry of NCX1 positive inducible pluripotent stem cells (iPSC(NCX¹?)) into ischemic (or injured) myocardium. PloS one, 8 8, e70023

Liu, Honghai; Shao, Yonghong; Qin, Wan; Runyan, Raymond B; Xu, Meifeng; Ma, Zhen; Borg, Thomas K; Markwald, Roger; Gao, Bruce Z 2013. Myosin filament assembly onto myofibrils in live neonatal cardiomyocytes observed by TPEF-SHG microscopy. Cardiovascular research, 97 2, 262-70

Ma, Zhen; Liu, Qiuying; Yang, Huaxiao; Runyan, Raymond B; Eisenberg, Carol A; Xu, Meifeng; Borg, Thomas K; Markwald, Roger; Wang, Yifei; Gao, Bruce Z 2013. Laser patterning for the study of MSC cardiogenic differentiation at the single-cell level. Light, science & applications, 2 ,

Ma, Zhen; Yang, Huaxiao; Liu, Honghai; Xu, Meifeng; Runyan, Raymond B; Eisenberg, Carol A; Markwald, Roger R; Borg, Thomas K; Gao, Bruce Z 2013. Mesenchymal stem cell-cardiomyocyte interactions under defined contact modes on laser-patterned biochips. PloS one, 8 2, e56554

Yu, Bin; Gong, Min; He, Zhisong; Wang, Yi-Gang; Millard, Ronald W; Ashraf, Muhammad; Xu, Meifeng 2013. Enhanced mesenchymal stem cell survival induced by GATA-4 overexpression is partially mediated by regulation of the miR-15 family. The international journal of biochemistry & cell biology, 45 12, 2724-35

Yu, Bin; Gong, Min; Wang, Yigang; Millard, Ronald W; Pasha, Zeeshan; Yang, Yueting; Ashraf, Muhammad; Xu, Meifeng 2013. Cardiomyocyte protection by GATA-4 gene engineered mesenchymal stem cells is partially mediated by translocation of miR-221 in microvesicles. PloS one, 8 8, e73304

Zhang, Hong; Xu, Meifeng; Cui, Rongli; Guo, Xihong; Yang, Shangyuan; Liao, Liangsheng; Jia, Quanjie; Chen, Yu; Dong, Jinquan; Sun, Baoyun 2013. Enhanced performance of inverted organic photovoltaic cells using CNTs-TiO(X) nanocomposites as electron injection layer. Nanotechnology, 24 35, 355401

Huang W, Wang T, Zhang D, Zhao T, Dai B, Ashraf A, Wang X, Xu M, Millard RW, Fan GC, Ashraf M, Yu XY, Wang YG 2012. Mesenchymal Stem Cells Overexpressing CXCR4 Attenuate Remodeling of Post-myocardial Infarction by Releasing Matrix Metalloproteinase-9 Stem Cells Dev, 21 , 778-89

Huang, Wei; Wang, Tao; Zhang, Dongsheng; Zhao, Tiemin; Dai, Bo; Ashraf, Atif; Wang, Xiaohong; Xu, Meifeng; Millard, Ronald W; Fan, Guo-Chang; Ashraf, Muhammad; Yu, Xi-Yong; Wang, Yigang 2012. Mesenchymal stem cells overexpressing CXCR4 attenuate remodeling of postmyocardial infarction by releasing matrix metalloproteinase-9. Stem cells and development, 21 5, 778-89

Liang, Jialiang; Huang, Wei; Yu, Xiyong; Ashraf, Atif; Wary, Kishore K; Xu, Meifeng; Millard, Ronald W; Ashraf, Muhammad; Wang, Yigang 2012. Suicide gene reveals the myocardial neovascularization role of mesenchymal stem cells overexpressing CXCR4 (MSC(CXCR4)). PloS one, 7 9, e46158

Ma, Zhen; Liu, Qiuying; Liu, Honghai; Yang, Huaxiao; Yun, Julie X; Eisenberg, Carol; Borg, Thomas K; Xu, Meifeng; Gao, Bruce Z 2012. Laser-patterned stem-cell bridges in a cardiac muscle model for on-chip electrical conductivity analyses. Lab on a chip, 12 3, 566-73

Ma, Zhen; Liu, Qiuying; Liu, Honghai; Yang, Huaxiao; Yun, Julie X; Xu, Meifeng; Eisenberg, Carol A; Borg, Thomas K; Markwald, Roger; Gao, Bruce Z 2012. Cardiogenic Regulation of Stem-Cell Electrical Properties in a Laser-Patterned Biochip. Cellular and molecular bioengineering, 5 3, 327-336

Xu M, Millard RW, Ashraf M 2012. Role of GATA-4 in Differentiation and Survival of Bone Marrow Mesenchymal Stem Cells Prog Mol Biol Transl Sci., 111 , 217-241

Xu, Meifeng; Millard, Ronald W; Ashraf, Muhammad 2012. Role of GATA-4 in differentiation and survival of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells. Progress in molecular biology and translational science, 111 , 217-41

Zuo S, Jones WK, Li H, He Z, Pasha Z, Yang Y, Wang YG, Fan GC, Ashraf M, Xu M 2012. Paracrine Effect of Wnt11 Overexpressing Mesenchymal Stem Cells on Ischemic Injury Stem Cells Dev, 21 , 598-608

Zuo, Shi; Jones, W Keith; Li, Hongxia; He, Zhisong; Pasha, Zeeshan; Yang, Yueting; Wang, Yigang; Fan, Guo-Chang; Ashraf, Muhammad; Xu, Meifeng 2012. Paracrine effect of Wnt11-overexpressing mesenchymal stem cells on ischemic injury. Stem cells and development, 21 4, 598-608

Dai B, Huang W, Xu M, Millard RW, Gao MH, Hammond HK, Menick DR, Ashraf M, Wang Y 2011. Reduced Collagen Deposition in Infarcted Myocardium Facilitates Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells (iPSC) Engraftment and Angiomyogenesis for Improvement of Left Ventricular Function J Am Coll Cardiol, 58 , 2118-27

Dai, Bo; Huang, Wei; Xu, Meifeng; Millard, Ronald W; Gao, Mei Hua; Hammond, H Kirk; Menick, Donald R; Ashraf, Muhammad; Wang, Yigang 2011. Reduced collagen deposition in infarcted myocardium facilitates induced pluripotent stem cell engraftment and angiomyogenesis for improvement of left ventricular function. Journal of the American College of Cardiology, 58 20, 2118-27

He, Zhisong; Li, Hongxia; Zuo, Shi; Pasha, Zeeshan; Wang, Yigang; Yang, Yueting; Jiang, Wenping; Ashraf, Muhammad; Xu, Meifeng 2011. Transduction of Wnt11 Promotes Mesenchymal Stem Cell Transdifferentiation into Cardiac Phenotypes Stem cells and development, ,

Li H, Zuo S, Pasha Z, Yu B, He Z, Wang Y, Yang X, Ashraf M, Xu M 2011. GATA-4 promotes myocardial transdifferentiation of mesenchymal stromal cells via up-regulating IGFBP-4 Cytotherapy, 13 , 1057-1065

Li, Hongxia; Zuo, Shi; Pasha, Zeeshan; Yu, Bin; He, Zhisong; Wang, Yigang; Yang, Xiangjun; Ashraf, Muhammad; Xu, Meifeng 2011. GATA-4 promotes myocardial transdifferentiation of mesenchymal stromal cells via up-regulating IGFBP-4. Cytotherapy, 13 9, 1057-65

Zuo, Shi; Jones, W Keith; Li, Hongxia; He, Zhisong; Pasha, Zeeshan; Yang, Yueting; Wang, Yi-Gang; Fan, Guo-Chang; Ashraf, Muhammad; Xu, Meifeng 2011. Paracrine Effect of Wnt11 Overexpressing Mesenchymal Stem Cells on Ischemic Injury Stem cells and development, ,

Huang, Wei; Zhang, Dongsheng; Millard, Ronald W; Wang, Tao; Zhao, Tiemin; Fan, Guo-Chang; Ashraf, Atif; Xu, Meifeng; Ashraf, Muhammad; Wang, Yigang 2010. Gene manipulated peritoneal cell patch repairs infarcted myocardium Journal of molecular and cellular cardiology, 48 4, 702-12

Li, Hongxia; Zuo, Shi; He, Zhisong; Yang, Yueting; Pasha, Zeeshan; Wang, Yigang; Xu, Meifeng 2010. Paracrine factors released by GATA-4 overexpressed mesenchymal stem cells increase angiogenesis and cell survival American journal of physiology. Heart and circulatory physiology, 299 6, H1772-81

Wang, Xiaohong; Zhao, Tiemin; Huang, Wei; Wang, Tao; Qian, Jiang; Xu, Meifeng; Kranias, Evangelia G; Wang, Yigang; Fan, Guo-Chang 2009. Hsp20-engineered mesenchymal stem cells are resistant to oxidative stress via enhanced activation of Akt and increased secretion of growth factors Stem cells (Dayton, Ohio), 27 12, 3021-31

Dai, Ying; Ashraf, Muhammad; Zuo, Shi; Uemura, Ryota; Dai, Yan-Shan; Wang, Yigang; Haider, Husnain Kh; Li, Tingyu; Xu, Meifeng 2008. Mobilized bone marrow progenitor cells serve as donors of cytoprotective genes for cardiac repair Journal of molecular and cellular cardiology, 44 3, 607-17

Zhang, Dongsheng; Fan, Guo-Chang; Zhou, Xiaoyang; Zhao, Tiemin; Pasha, Zeeshan; Xu, Meifeng; Zhu, Yi; Ashraf, Muhammad; Wang, Yigang 2008. Over-expression of CXCR4 on mesenchymal stem cells augments myoangiogenesis in the infarcted myocardium Journal of molecular and cellular cardiology, 44 2, 281-92

Dai, Ying; Xu, Meifeng; Wang, Yigang; Pasha, Zeeshan; Li, Tingyu; Ashraf, Muhammad 2007. HIF-1alpha induced-VEGF overexpression in bone marrow stem cells protects cardiomyocytes against ischemia Journal of molecular and cellular cardiology, 42 6, 1036-44

Xu, Meifeng; Uemura, Ryota; Dai, Ying; Wang, Yigang; Pasha, Zeeshan; Ashraf, Muhammad 2007. In vitro and in vivo effects of bone marrow stem cells on cardiac structure and function Journal of molecular and cellular cardiology, 42 2, 441-8

Uemura, Ryota; Xu, Meifeng; Ahmad, Nauman; Ashraf, Muhammad 2006. Bone marrow stem cells prevent left ventricular remodeling of ischemic heart through paracrine signaling Circulation research, 98 11, 1414-21

Wang, Yigang; Haider, Husnain K; Ahmad, Nauman; Xu, Meifeng; Ge, Ruowen; Ashraf, Muhammad 2006. Combining pharmacological mobilization with intramyocardial delivery of bone marrow cells over-expressing VEGF is more effective for cardiac repair Journal of molecular and cellular cardiology, 40 5, 736-45

Xu M, Wani M, Dai Y, Wang J, Yan M, Ashraf M 2004. Differentiation of bone marrow stromal cells into cardiac phenotype requires intercellular communication with myocytes Circulation, 110 , 2658-65

Xu, Meifeng; Wani, Maqsood; Dai, Yan-Shan; Wang, Jiang; Yan, Mei; Ayub, Ahmar; Ashraf, Muhammad 2004. Differentiation of bone marrow stromal cells into the cardiac phenotype requires intercellular communication with myocytes Circulation, 110 17, 2658-65

Kudo, Mitsuhiro; Wang, Yigang; Wani, Maqsood A; Xu, Meifeng; Ayub, Ahmar; Ashraf, Muhammad 2003. Implantation of bone marrow stem cells reduces the infarction and fibrosis in ischemic mouse heart. Journal of molecular and cellular cardiology, 35 9, 1113-9

Kudo, Mitsuhiro; Wang, Yigang; Xu, Meifeng; Ayub, Ahmar; Ashraf, Muhammad 2002. Adenosine A(1) receptor mediates late preconditioning via activation of PKC-delta signaling pathway American journal of physiology. Heart and circulatory physiology, 283 1, H296-301

Xu, Meifeng; Ashraf, Muhammad 2002. Melatonin protection against lethal myocyte injury induced by doxorubicin as reflected by effects on mitochondrial membrane potential. Journal of molecular and cellular cardiology, 34 1, 75-9