Xiulei Mo, PhD

Research Program

Discovery and Developmental Therapeutics
Phone Number

404-727-1335
Email Address

xiu-lei.mo@emory.edu

Biography

Xiulei Mo, PhD, is an assistant professor in the Department of Pharmacology and Chemical Biology at Emory University School of Medicine.

Dr. Mo is a member of the Discovery and Developmental Therapeutics Research Program at Winship Cancer Institute of Emory University.

Education

Dr. Mo earned his PhD in Biomedical Science from Auburn University in Auburn, Alabama. He completed his post-doctoral training in Pharmacology at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia.

Titles & Roles

Assistant Professor, Department of Pharmacology and Chemical Biology

Emory University School of Medicine

Research

The long-term goal of Dr. Mo's research is to understand the molecular basis underlying tumor initiation, progression and drug resistance, and to bridge the gap between vast cancer genomic dataset and unmet clinical need. A major focus of Dr. Mo's research is to understand and target "undruggable" loss-of-function tumor suppressor genes through system biology approach to identify rewired cell signaling network and vulnerabilities, and through chemical biology approach to discover small molecules to restore tumor suppressor function in cancer.

Using SMAD4 tumor suppressor gene as an example, Dr. Mo’s research is focusing on (1) providing mechanistic insight to understand how SMAD4 loss-of-function mutation drive tumorigenesis and cancer development in context-dependent manner in various tumor lineages, such as pancreatic and colon cancer, and (2) discovery of small molecular glue to restore mutant SMAD4 tumor suppressive functions.

Grants

View Grants

Grant Number	Title
1R37CA255459-01A1	Discovery of small molecule mutant SMAD4-PPI inducers
3R37CA255459-04S1	Activation of TGFb signaling using novel SMAD4 molecular glues
5R37CA255459-02	Discovery of small molecule mutant SMAD4-PPI inducers
5R37CA255459-03	Discovery of small molecule mutant SMAD4-PPI inducers
5R37CA255459-04	Discovery of small molecule mutant SMAD4-PPI inducers

Publications

Title/Journal	Authors	Publication Date
Uncovering the rewired IAP-JAK regulatory axis as an immune-dependent vulnerability of LKB1-mutant lung cancer. Nature communications	C Shu, J Li, J Rui, D Fan, Q Niu, R Bai, D Cicka, S Doyle, A Wahafu, X Zheng, Y Du, AA Ivanov, DB Doxie, KM Dhodapkar, J Carlisle, T Owonikoko, G Sica, Y Liu, S Ramalingam, MV Dhodapkar, W Zhou, X Mo, H Fu	03/08/2025
Decoding the functional impact of the cancer genome through protein-protein interactions. Nature reviews. Cancer	H Fu, X Mo, AA Ivanov	03/01/2025
Gain-of-function variants in SMAD4 compromise respiratory epithelial function. The Journal of allergy and clinical immunology	ME Lindsay, ER Scimone, J Lawton, R Richa, LM Yonker, YP Di, K Buch, W Ouyang, X Mo, AE Lin, H Mou	01/01/2025
A multiplexed time-resolved fluorescence resonance energy transfer ultrahigh-throughput screening assay for targeting the SMAD4-SMAD3-DNA complex. Journal of molecular cell biology	W Ouyang, Q Li, Q Niu, M Qui, H Fu, Y Du, X Mo	04/10/2024
TMPRSS2 and SARS-CoV-2 SPIKE interaction assay for uHTS. Journal of molecular cell biology	D Cicka, Q Niu, M Qui, K Qian, E Miller, D Fan, X Mo, AA Ivanov, SG Sarafianos, Y Du, H Fu	08/03/2023
A multiplexed time-resolved fluorescence resonance energy transfer ultrahigh-throughput screening assay for targeting SMAD4-SMAD3-DNA complex. bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology	W Ouyang, Q Niu, M Qui, H Fu, Y Du, X Mo	07/15/2023
Ligand dependent interaction between PC-TP and PPARδ mitigates diet-induced hepatic steatosis in male mice. Nature communications	SA Druzak, M Tardelli, SG Mays, M El Bejjani, X Mo, KM Maner-Smith, T Bowen, ML Cato, MC Tillman, A Sugiyama, Y Xie, H Fu, DE Cohen, EA Ortlund	05/12/2023
Acquisition of taxane resistance by p53 inactivation in ovarian cancer cells. Acta pharmacologica Sinica	C Shu, X Zheng, A Wuhafu, D Cicka, S Doyle, Q Niu, D Fan, K Qian, AA Ivanov, Y Du, X Mo, H Fu	09/01/2022
Systematic discovery of mutation-directed neo-protein-protein interactions in cancer. Cell	X Mo, Q Niu, AA Ivanov, YH Tsang, C Tang, C Shu, Q Li, K Qian, A Wahafu, SP Doyle, D Cicka, X Yang, D Fan, MA Reyna, LAD Cooper, CS Moreno, W Zhou, TK Owonikoko, S Lonial, FR Khuri, Y Du, SS Ramalingam, GB Mills, H Fu	05/26/2022
A time-resolved fluorescence resonance energy transfer screening assay for discovery of protein-protein interaction modulators. STAR protocols	C Tang, Q Niu, D Cicka, Y Du, X Mo, H Fu	09/17/2021
Hypomorph mutation-directed small-molecule protein-protein interaction inducers to restore mutant SMAD4-suppressed TGF-β signaling. Cell chemical biology	C Tang, X Mo, Q Niu, A Wahafu, X Yang, M Qui, AA Ivanov, Y Du, H Fu	05/20/2021
An expanded universe of cancer targets. Cell	WC Hahn, JS Bader, TP Braun, A Califano, PA Clemons, BJ Druker, AJ Ewald, H Fu, S Jagu, CJ Kemp, W Kim, CJ Kuo, M McManus, G B Mills, X Mo, N Sahni, SL Schreiber, JA Talamas, P Tamayo, JW Tyner, BK Wagner, WA Weiss, DS Gerhard	03/04/2021
Development of a miniaturized 3D organoid culture platform for ultra-high-throughput screening. Journal of molecular cell biology	Y Du, X Li, Q Niu, X Mo, M Qui, T Ma, CJ Kuo, H Fu	08/01/2020
HTiP: High-Throughput Immunomodulator Phenotypic Screening Platform to Reveal IAP Antagonists as Anti-cancer Immune Enhancers. Cell chemical biology	X Mo, C Tang, Q Niu, T Ma, Y Du, H Fu	03/21/2019
Large tumor suppressor 2, LATS2, activates JNK in a kinase-independent mechanism through ASK1. Journal of molecular cell biology	L Rusnak, C Tang, Q Qi, X Mo, H Fu	12/01/2018
AKT1, LKB1, and YAP1 Revealed as MYC Interactors with NanoLuc-Based Protein-Fragment Complementation Assay. Molecular pharmacology	X Mo, Q Qi, AA Ivanov, Q Niu, Y Luo, J Havel, R Goetze, S Bell, CS Moreno, LA Cooper, MA Johns, FR Khuri, Y Du, H Fu	04/01/2017