Xingbin Ai PhD
Adjunct Assistant Professor, Pulmonary, Allergy, Sleep & Critical Care Medicine
72 E. Concord Street | (617) 414-3291aix@bu.edu

Sections
Pulmonary, Allergy, Sleep & Critical Care Medicine
Centers
Evans Center for Interdisciplinary Biomedical Research
Biography
Expertise and interests include:
REGULATION OF STEM CELL FUNCTION AND AGING BY HEPARAN SULFATE AND SULFS:
Environmental signals play crucial roles in self-renewal of stem cells, tissue regeneration and aging. Ai lab investigates heparan sulfate-dependent mechanisms that regulate extracellular signaling during stem cell maintenance and regeneration of the skeletal muscle. Our study is focused on two heparan sulfate-modifying enzymes called Sulfs.
NEUROGENESIS AND NEUROPLASTICITY IN PULMONARY DISEASES:
The respiratory tract is known to be innervated by two groups of neurons. The intrinsic neurons have cell bodies located within the tissue, while the extrinsic neurons have their cell bodies located in the central and peripheral nervous system and their axons innervating airway smooth muscle and neuroendocrine cells. Ai lab investigates neurotrophic signals that regulate neurogenesis in developing lung and neuroplasticity in pulmonary diseases. Our goal is to understand physiological roles of neural innervation in respiratory function, diseases and regeneration.
AIRWAY SMOOTH MUSCLE DEVELOPMENT AND REMODELING IN ASTHMA:
Airway smooth muscle hyperplasia and hyper-reactivity are key features of asthma. Ai lab, in collaboration with Dr. Alan Fine’s lab, investigates mechanisms underlying the formation and remodeling of airway smooth muscle. We are particularly interested in the sonic hedgehog pathway in control of airway smooth muscle development.
Education
Neuroscience/Neurology, PhD, Case Western Reserve University
Genetics & Genomics, BS, Fudan University
Publications
Aubert O, Miyake Y, Amonkar GM, Dinwoodie OM, Varisco BM, Marotta M, Zhao C, Wagner R, Chen YW, Moscatello A, Tiozzo C, Varelas X, Lerou PH, Peiro JL, Keijzer R, Ai X. Fetal Tracheal Occlusion Corelates with Normalized YAP Expression and Alveolar Epithelial Differentiation in CDH. Am J Respir Cell Mol Biol. 2024 Dec 11. PMID: 39661950.
Published on 11/1/2024Zhao C, Bai Y, Wang W, Amonkar GM, Mou H, Olejnik J, Hume AJ, Mühlberger E, Lukacs NW, Fearns R, Lerou PH, Ai X. Activation of STAT3-mediated ciliated cell survival protects against severe infection by respiratory syncytial virus. J Clin Invest. 2024 Nov 01; 134(21). PMID: 39484716.
Published on 1/1/2024Bankoti K, Wang W, Amonkar GM, Xiong L, Shui JE, Zhao C, Van E, Mwase C, Park JA, Mou H, Fang Y, Que J, Bai Y, Lerou PH, Ai X. Airway Basal Stem Cells in COVID-19 Exhibit a Proinflammatory Signature and Impaired Mucocililary Differentiation. Am J Respir Cell Mol Biol. 2024 Jan; 70(1):26-38. PMID: 37699145.
Published on 11/1/2023Dylong F, Riedel J, Amonkar GM, Peukert N, Lieckfeldt P, Sturm K, Höxter B, Tse WH, Miyake Y, Moormann M, Bode LM, Mayer S, Keijzer R, Lacher M, Ai X, Gosemann JH, Wagner R. Overactivated Epithelial NF-?B Disrupts Lung Development in Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia. Am J Respir Cell Mol Biol. 2023 Nov; 69(5):545-555. PMID: 37552822.
Published on 9/21/2023Zhao C, Wang W, Bai Y, Amonkar G, Mou H, Olejnik J, Hume AJ, Mühlberger E, Fang Y, Que J, Fearns R, Ai X, Lerou PH. Age-related STAT3 signaling regulates severity of respiratory syncytial viral infection in human bronchial epithelial cells. bioRxiv. 2023 Sep 21. PMID: 37781574.
Published on 6/6/2023Bai Y, Li G, Yung L, Yu PB, Ai X. Intrapulmonary arterial contraction assay reveals region-specific deregulation of vasoreactivity to lung injuries. Am J Physiol Lung Cell Mol Physiol. 2023 Aug 01; 325(2):L114-L124. PMID: 37278410.
Published on 6/1/2023Zhang Y, Black KE, Phung TN, Thundivalappil SR, Lin T, Wang W, Xu J, Zhang C, Hariri LP, Lapey A, Li H, Lerou PH, Ai X, Que J, Park JA, Hurley BP, Mou H. Human Airway Basal Cells Undergo Reversible Squamous Differentiation and Reshape Innate Immunity. Am J Respir Cell Mol Biol. 2023 Jun; 68(6):664-678. PMID: 36753317.
Published on 2/24/2023Wang W, Garcia C, Shao F, Cohen JA, Bai Y, Fine A, Ai X. Lung dopaminergic nerves facilitate the establishment of TH2 resident memory cells in early life. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 2023 Aug; 152(2):386-399. PMID: 36841266.
Published on 1/3/2023Krishnamoorthy N, Walker KH, Brüggemann TR, Tavares LP, Smith EW, Nijmeh J, Bai Y, Ai X, Cagnina RE, Duvall MG, Lehoczky JA, Levy BD. The Maresin 1-LGR6 axis decreases respiratory syncytial virus-induced lung inflammation. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2023 Jan 10; 120(2):e2206480120. PMID: 36595677.
Published on 5/5/2022Bai Y, Ai X. Utilizing the Precision-Cut Lung Slice to Study the Contractile Regulation of Airway and Intrapulmonary Arterial Smooth Muscle. J Vis Exp. 2022 May 05; (183). PMID: 35604150.
Media Mentions
Published on 2/27/2022
Xingbin Ai, PhD: How the Nervous System Influences Pediatric Asthma
View full list of 1 media mentions.