Qisheng Tu
Qisheng Tu, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
Division of Oral Biology
Department of General Dentistry
Tufts University School of Dental Medicine
Boston, MA 02111
Tel: 617-636-0341
Email: qisheng.tu@tufts.edu
Research Focuses
Currently my research efforts have been focused on the development of new therapies to bone-related diseases. First, I am investigating the molecular events downstream of adiponectin signaling in osteoclast, which can be used in future therapy to refractory periodontitis found in type 2 diabetes. Second, I am working on a BSP conditional knockout mouse model in order to further investigate the role of BSP in bone remodeling and related bone diseases. Third, I am also researching on induced pluripotent stem cells (IPS), which can be used in future tissue engineering studies.
Other Interests
BSP in malignancy and bone metastasis; microRNA in bone formation and regeneration.
Selected Publications
Garner SC., Pi M., Tu, Q., Quarles LD. (2001) Rickets in Cation-sensing receptor-deficient mice: an unexpected skeletal phenotype. Endocrinology Sep;142(9): 3996-4005
Liu, S., Guo R., Tu Q., Quarles LD. (2002) Overexpression of phex in osteoblasts fails to rescue the Hyp-mouse phenotype. J Biol Chem Feb 1; 277(5): 3686-97
Pi M., Spurney RF., Tu, Q., Hinson T, Quarles LD. (2002) CasR activation of Rho involves filamin and RhoGEF. Endocriology Oct; 143(10): 3830-8
Tu Q., Pi M., Simpson L, Quarles LD. (2003) Transfer of CasR deficiency onto the GCM2 null background rescues the perinatal lethality and skeletal phenotype in CasR deficient mice. Journal of Clinical Investigation Apr;111(7):1029-37.
Tu Q., Pi M., Quarles LD. (2003) Calcyclin mediates SRE-activation by an osteoblastic extracellular cation sensing mechanism. J Bone and Mineral Reseach Oct;18(10):1825-3
Tu Q, Yamauchi M, Pageau SC, Chen JJ. (2004) Autoregulation of bone sialoprotein gene in pre-osteoblastic and non-osteoblastic cells. Biochem Biophys Res Commun. Apr 2;316(2):461-7.
Li L, Zhu J, Tu Q, Yamauchi M, Sodek J, Karsenty G, Tang J and Chen JJ (2005) An in vivo Model to Study Osteogenic Gene Regulation: Targeting an Avian Retroviral Receptor (TVA) to Bone with the Bone Sialoprotein (BSP) Promoter. J Bone and Mineral Reseach, Aug;20(8):1403-13.
Valverde P, Tu Q, Chen JJ. (2005) BSP and RANKL induce osteoclastogenesis and bone resorption synergistically. J Bone and Mineral Reseach. Sep; 20(9):1669-79
Paz J, Wade K, Kiyoshima1 K, Sodek J, Tang J, Tu Q, Yamauchi M and Chen J. (2005) Tissue- and Bone Cell-Specific Expression of Bone Sialoprotein is Directed by a 9.0 kb Promoter in Transgenic Mice. Matrix Biology. Aug;24(5):341-52.
Tu Q, Valverde P, Chen J. (2006) Osterix enhances proliferation and osteogenic potential of bone marrow stromal cells. Biochem Biophys Res Commun. Mar 24;341(4):1257-65.
Tu Q, Zhang,J, James L, Dickson J, Tang J, Yang P, Chen J. (2007). Cbfa1/Runx2-Deficiency Delays Bone Wound Healing and Locally Delivered cbfa1/Runx2 Promotes Bone Repair in Animal Models.Wound Repair and Regeneration.May-Jun;15(3):404-12
Tu Q., Valverde P, Li S., Yang P. and Chen J. (2007) Osterix Overexpression in Bone Marrow Stromal Cells Stimulates Healing of Critical-sized Defects in murine Calvarial Bone. Tissue Engineering. Oct;13(10):2431-40. (Corresponding author)
Li S., Tu Q., Zhang J, Stein G, Chen J. (2008) Systemically transplanted bone marrow stromal cells contributing to bone tissue regeneration Journal of Cellular Physiology. 215(1):204-9.
Valverde P, Fix A, Zhang J, Zhu J, Tang J, Tu Q, and Chen J. (2008) Overexpression of bone sialoprotein leads to an uncoupling of bone formation and bone resorption in mice. J Bone and Mineral Reseach. Nov;23(11):1775-88 . (Corresponding author)
Zhao Y, Wang C, Li S, Song H, Wei F, Pan K, Zhu K, Yang P, Tu Q, Chen J. (2008) Expression of Osterix in mechanical stress-induced osteogenic differentiation of periodontal ligament cells in vitro. Eur J Oral Sci. Jun;116(3):199-206.
J. Zhang, J. Zhu, P. Valverde, L. Li, S. Pageau, Q. Tu, R. Nishimura, T. Yoneda, P. Yang W. Zheng, W. Ma and J. Chen. (2008) Phenotypic analysis of dlx5 overexpression in postnatal bone. Journal Dental Research. 2008 87: 45-50.
Qisheng Tu, Jin Zhang, Jeff Paz, Katherine Wade, Jake Chen. (2008) Haploinsufficiency of Runx2 results in bone formation decrease and different BSP expression pattern changes in two transgenic mouse models. Journal of Cellular Physiology. Oct;217(1):40-7
Qisheng Tu, Jin Zhang, Amanda Fix, Zhi-yuan Zhang, Jake Chen. (2009) Targeted Overexpression of BSP in Osteoclasts Promotes Bone Metastasis of Breast Cancer. Journal of Cellular Physiology Jan;218(1):135-45.(Corresponding author)
Zhang J, Tu Q, Chen J. (2009) Applications of transgenics in studies of bone sialoprotein. J Cell Physiol. Jul; 220(1):30-4. Review.