Biography

Dr. Kai Xu Lab
https://structuralbio.wix.com/xulab

Dr. Xu specializes in structural biology, vaccine design, and antibody therapeutics development. With a background in neuroscience and structural biology, Dr. Xu has pursued innovative research that bridges basic science and translational applications. His work aims to advance our understanding of viral entry mechanisms and immune responses, with a particular focus on developing novel therapeutic approaches against emerging infectious diseases.

Dr. Xu began his scientific journey in neuroscience, where he applied structural biology to explore molecular mechanisms underlying neuronal development and neurodegenerative diseases. Driven by a desire to impact global health, Dr. Xu transitioned to structure-based vaccine and antibody research during his postdoctoral training, concentrating on viral pathogens and host immune interactions. This led to the development of new antibody-based therapeutics and immunization strategies for diseases with limited treatment options.

As director of the Structural Biology Core at Institute of Molecular Medicine, UTHealth Houston, Dr. Xu has spearheaded projects using state-of-the-art X-ray crystallography, cryo-electron microscopy, and computational tools to tackle challenges in protein structure and function. His NIH-funded program integrates nanobody technology with AI-assisted protein engineering to generate novel therapeutic and vaccine candidates against infectious agents, including Henipaviruses and Coronaviruses. Notably, Dr. Xu led the groundbreaking research on neutralizing antibodies for a divergent Henipavirus variant and on nanobodies targeting SARS-CoV-2, contributing to the field of viral immunology and antibody engineering.

Dr. Xu continues to expand his research in collaboration with experts in immunology, virology and AI, investigating viral mutations’ structural impacts on immune recognition and antibody efficacy. Through his research, Dr. Xu aims to drive innovations in structural biology and immunotherapy, building a foundation for safer and more effective treatments for infectious diseases.

Education

B.S. in Biochemistry – Xiamen University
Ph.D. in Neuroscience – Weill Medical College
Postdoctoral Fellowship– Vaccine Research Center

Areas of Interest

Clinical Interests

  • Structural Biology & Protein Engineering: Utilizing advanced structural techniques, including X-ray crystallography and cryo-electron microscopy, to unravel complex protein architectures and mechanisms involved in viral entry and immune response.
  • Vaccine and Antibody Therapeutics: Design and development of targeted vaccine strategies and antibody therapeutics against viral pathogens, emphasizing structure-based approaches for improved efficacy and specificity.
  • Nanobody Drug Discovery: Harnessing nanobody technology for drug discovery, combining structural analysis with AI-driven protein engineering to create novel nanobody-based therapies for infectious diseases.

Publications

Visit the PubMed profile page

Selected Publications

Qu P, Xu K, Faraone JN, Goodarzi N, Zheng YM, Carlin C, Bednash JS, Horowitz JC, Mallampalli RK, Saif LJ, Oltz EM, Jones D, Gumina RJ, Liu SL. Immune evasion, infectivity, and fusogenicity of SARS-CoV-2 BA.2.86 and FLip variants. Cell. 2024 Feb 1;187(3):585-595.e6

Qu P, Evans JP, Faraone JN, Zheng YM, Carlin C, Anghelina M, Stevens P, Fernandez S, Jones D, Lozanski G, Panchal A, Saif LJ, Oltz EM, Xu K, Gumina RJ, Liu SL. Enhanced neutralization resistance of SARS-CoV-2 Omicron subvariants BQ.1, BQ.1.1, BA.4.6, BF.7, and BA.2.75.2. Cell Host Microbe. 2023 Jan 11;31(1):9-17.e3.

Wang Z, Dang HV, Amaya M, Xu Y, Yin R, Yan L, Hickey AC, Annand EJ, Horsburgh BA, Reid PA, Smith I, Eden JS, Xu K, Broder CC, Veesler D. Potent monoclonal antibody-mediated neutralization of a divergent Hendra virus variant. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2022 May 31;119(22):e2122769119

Xu J, Xu K, Jung S, Conte A, Lieberman J, Muecksch F, Lorenzi JCC, Park S, Schmidt F, Wang Z, Huang Y, Luo Y, Nair MS, Wang P, Schulz JE, Tessarollo L, Bylund T, Chuang GY, Olia AS, Stephens T, Teng IT, Tsybovsky Y, Zhou T, Munster V, Ho DD, Hatziioannou T, Bieniasz PD, Nussenzweig MC, Kwong PD, Casellas R. Nanobodies from camelid mice and llamas neutralize SARS-CoV-2 variants. Nature. 2021 Jul;595(7866):278-282.

Chen Y, Xu K, Piccoli L, Foglierini M, Tan J, Jin W, Gorman J, Tsybovsky Y, Zhang B, Traore B, Silacci-Fregni C, Daubenberger C, Crompton PD, Geiger R, Sallusto F, Kwong PD, Lanzavecchia A. Structural basis of malaria RIFIN binding by LILRB1-containing antibodies. Nature. 2021 Apr;592(7855):639-643.

Laing ED, Navaratnarajah CK, Cheliout Da Silva S, Petzing SR, Xu Y, Sterling SL, Marsh GA, Wang LF, Amaya M, Nikolov DB, Cattaneo R, Broder CC, Xu K. Structural and functional analyses reveal promiscuous and species specific use of ephrin receptors by Cedar virus. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2019 Oct 8;116(41):20707-20715.

Xu K, Acharya P, Kong R, Cheng C, Chuang GY, Liu K, Louder MK, O’Dell S, Rawi R, Sastry M, Shen CH, Zhang B, Zhou T, Asokan M, Bailer RT, Chambers M, Chen X, Choi CW, Dandey VP, Doria-Rose NA, Druz A, Eng ET, Farney SK, Foulds KE, Geng H, Georgiev IS, Gorman J, Hill KR, Jafari AJ, Kwon YD, Lai YT, Lemmin T, McKee K, Ohr TY, Ou L, Peng D, Rowshan AP, Sheng Z, Todd JP, Tsybovsky Y, Viox EG, Wang Y, Wei H, Yang Y, Zhou AF, Chen R, Yang L, Scorpio DG, McDermott AB, Shapiro L, Carragher B, Potter CS, Mascola JR, Kwong PD. Epitope-based vaccine design yields fusion peptide-directed antibodies that neutralize diverse strains of HIV-1. Nat Med. 2018 Jun;24(6):857-867

Kong R, Xu K, Zhou T, Acharya P, Lemmin T, Liu K, Ozorowski G, Soto C, Taft JD, Bailer RT, Cale EM, Chen L, Choi CW, Chuang GY, Doria-Rose NA, Druz A, Georgiev IS, Gorman J, Huang J, Joyce MG, Louder MK, Ma X, McKee K, O’Dell S, Pancera M, Yang Y, Blanchard SC, Mothes W, Burton DR, Koff WC, Connors M, Ward AB, Kwong PD, Mascola JR. Fusion peptide of HIV-1 as a site of vulnerability to neutralizing antibody. Science. 2016 May 13;352(6287):828-33.

Xu K, Wu Z, Renier N, Antipenko A, Tzvetkova-Robev D, Xu Y, Minchenko M, Nardi-Dei V, Rajashankar KR, Himanen J, Tessier-Lavigne M, Nikolov DB. Neural migration. Structures of netrin-1 bound to two receptors provide insight into its axon guidance mechanism. Science. 2014 Jun 13;344(6189):1275-9.