Jaerang Rho
  • Ph. D.
  • Jaerang Rho
  • Immunology & Medical Microbiology
  • N11-611
  • Laboratory of Immunology & Medical Microbiology (N11-611)
  • +82-42-821-6420, 7546
  • jrrho@cnu.ac.kr

Academic Career

  • Ph. D., 1996, Molecular Virology, KAIST

Career

  • Post-Doc., 1996-2000, Immunology, Rockefeller University
  • Post-Doc., 2000-2002, Immunology, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine
  • Professor, 2002-present, Immunology & Medical Microbiology, Dept. of Microbiology & Molecular Biology, CNU

Research Interests

The term "Osteoimmunology" has been coined to encourage an interdisciplinary approach to understanding the cross-talk between bone and the immune system. Despite extensive cross-talk between bone metabolism and the immune system, the mechanisms by which one regulates the other, and the biological implications of such interactions, are poorly understood. It has recently come to be appreciated that the skeletal and immune systems regulate each other to a much greater degree than previously believed. In particular, various pathological conditions which lead to excessive bone loss, such as rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, periodontal diseases, and some tumor-associated bone abnormalities have been shown to be influenced by cellular components (e.g., T lymphocytes) as well as by soluble factors produced by infiltrating lymphocytes (e.g., interferon produced by infiltrating lymphocytes).
Future preventative treatments for these bone-related diseases that impact the quality of life will require a high degree of specificity and selectivity. In this regard, my research is focused on the molecular analysis of the osteoimmune system. The better understanding of how the osteoimmune system operates in normal and pathological situations is likely to lay the groundwork for future therapies for the variety of diseases that affect both bone and the immune system.

Current research projects:

(1) Study how osteoclast differentiation or function is regulated
(2) Study how TRAF6 modulates RANK- or TLR- mediated signaling in bone or immune system
(3) Study how TRAF2 controls TNF-induced inflammation
(4) Study how MDSC regulates autoimmune inflammatory disease or cancer development.

Selected Publication

  • Yu J, Choi S, Kim H, Lee N, Yun H, Kim S, Jeong S, Rho J. Generation of an osteoblast-based artificial niche that supports in vitro B lymphopoiesis. Experimental & Molecular Medicine. 2017. Aug 1. [Epub ahead of print].
  • Yu J, Yun H, Shin B, Kim Y, Park ES, Choi S, Yu J, Amarasekara DS, Kim S, Inoue J, Walsh MC, Choi Y, Takami M, Rho J. Interaction of TRAF6 and Vav3 in the RANK Signaling Complex Enhances Osteoclastogenesis. Journal of Biological Chemistry. 2016. Sep 23;291(39):20643-60.
  • Park ES, Choi S, Shin B, Yu J, Yu J, Hwang JM, Yun H, Chung YH, Choi JS, Choi Y, Rho J. TRAF-interacting protein (TRIP) negatively regulates the TRAF2 ubiquitin-dependent pathway by suppressing the TRAF2-sphingosine 1-phosphate (S1P) interaction. Journal of Biological Chemistry. 2015. Apr 10; 290(15): 9660-9673.
  • Amarasekara DS, Yu J, Park ES, Choi S, Yu J, Rho J. Bone Loss Triggered by the Cytokine Network in Inflammatory Autoimmune Diseases. Journal of Immunology Research. 2015. May 1. 2015:832127.
  • Shin B, Yu J, Park ES, Choi S, Yu J, Hwang JM, Yun H, Chung YH, Hong KS, Choi JS, Takami M, Rho J. Secretion of a truncated Ostm1 mutant inhibits osteoclastogenesis through downregulation of the Blimp1-NFATc1 axis. Journal of Biological Chemistry. 2014. Dec 26;289(52):35868-81.
  • Park ES, Kim J, Ha TU, Choi JS, Hong KS & Rho J. 2013. TDAG51 deficiency promotes oxidative stress-induced apoptosis through the generation of reactive oxygen species in mouse embryonic fibroblasts. Experimental & Molecular Medicine. 45. e35.
  • Yu J, Choi S, Park ES, Shin B, Yu J, Lee SH, Takami M, Kang JS, Meong H, Rho J. 2012. D- chiro-inositol Negatively Regulates the Formation of Multinucleated Osteoclasts by Down-Regulating NFATc1. J. Clinical Immunology. 32(6):1360-71.
  • Yu J, Shin B, Park ES, Yang S, Choi S, Kang M, Rho J. 2009. Protein arginine methyltransferase 1 regulates herpes simplex virus replication through ICP27 RGG- box methylation. Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communication. 391(1):322-8.
  • Lee SH, Kim T, Park ES, Yang S, Jeong D, Choi Y, Rho J. 2008. NHE10, an osteoclast- specific member of the Na+/H+ exchanger family, regulates osteoclast differentiation and survival. Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communication. 369(2):320-6.
  • Park ES, Choi S, Kim JM, Jeong Y, Choe J, Park CS, Choi Y, Rho J. 2007. Early embryonic lethality caused by targeted disruption of the TRAF-interacting protein (TRIP) gene. Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communication. 363(4):971-7.