Bojing Shao, Ph.D.

Platelets function primarily in hemostasis and thrombosis. Recent studies have expanded the platelet function to innate immune response and tissue homeostasis. My research is focused on the role of platelet receptors in thrombosis, microangiopathy, and the host response to infections.

CLEC-2 is a membrane receptor mainly expressed on platelets. The only known ligand for CLEC-2 is podoplanin, which is expressed on many cell types including alveolar epithelial cells, lymphatic endothelial cells, and podocytes. In healthy animals, podoplanin is not expressed on blood cells and the blood vessel wall. Engagement of CLEC-2 by podoplanin plays an essential role in separation of lymphatic vessels from veins, maintenance of blood vessel integrity, and tumor metastasis.

I have found that CLEC-2 interacts with the platelet receptor GPIb. I have also found that circulating monocytes in septic mice express podoplanin. Deletion of CLEC-2 impairs GPIb-dependent platelet activation and enhances liver dysfunction in sepsis. Thus, I am using various mouse genetic models, constructed cell lines, and recombinant proteins to study the CLEC-2-mediated or -regulated intracellular signaling in the pathogenesis of arterial thrombosis, thrombotic small blood vessel damage, and sepsis. The ultimate goal of my current research is to develop therapeutic approaches to prevent arterial thrombotic occlusion and to protect the liver function in sepsis.

B.S., Suzhou Medical College, Suzhou, Jiangsu, China, 1997
M.S., Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu, China, 2003
Ph.D., University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK, 2011

Selected Publications

Yun L, Fu J, Ling Y, Yago T, McDaniel MJ, Song J, Bai X, Kondo Y, Qin Y, Hoover C, McGee S, Shao B, Liu Z, Sonon R, Azadi P, Marth JD, McEver RP, Ruan C, Xia L. 2017. Sialylation on O-glycans protects platelets from clearance by liver Kupffer cells. Proc Natl Acad Sci, USA. 114(31):8360-8365. PMID: 28716912 PMCID: PMC5547648

Panicker SR, Mehta-D'souza P, Zhang N, Klopocki A, Shao B, McEver RP. 2017. Circulating soluble P-selectin must dimerize to promote inflammation and coagulation in mice. Blood. 130(2):181-191. PMID: 28515093 PMCID: PMC5510792

Yago Y, Petrich B, Zhang N, Liu Z, Shao B, Ginsberg M, McEver RP. 2015. Block neutrophil integrin activation prevents ischemia-reperfusion injury. J Exp Med. 212 (8):1267-81.  PMID: 26169939 PMCID: PMC4516797

Shao B, Yago T, Setiadi H, Wang Y, Mehta-D'Souza P, Fu J, Crocker PR, Rodgers W, Xia L, McEver RP. 2015. O-glycans direct selectin ligands to lipid rafts on leukocytes. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A.112 (28):8661-6. PMID: 26124096 PMCID: PMC4507194

Shao B, Yago T, Coghill PA, Klopocki AG, Mehta-D’Souza P, Schmidtke DW, Rodgers W, McEver RP. 2012. Signal-dependent slow leukocyte rolling does not require cytoskeletal anchorage of P-selectin glycoprotein ligand-1 (PSGL-1) or integrin alphaLbeta2. J Biol Chem 287:19585-19598. PMID: 22511754 PMCID: PMC3365994

Shao B, Wahrenbrock MG, Yao L, David T, Coughlin SR, Xia L, Varki A, McEver RP. Carcinoma mucins trigger reciprocal activation of platelets and neutrophils in a murine model of Trousseau syndrome. 2011. Blood 118:4015-4023. PMID: 21860019  PMCID: PMC3204725 Featured as Plenary Paper in Blood.

Cardiovascular Biology Research Program, MS 45
Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation
825 N.E. 13th Street
Oklahoma City, OK 73104

Phone: (405) 271-3979
Fax: (405) 271-3137
E-mail: bojing-shao@omrf.org