Xiaotong Song, PhD

Education and Training

• Ph.D., Nanjing Medical University, China
• Post-Doctoral Fellow, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas

Research Interests

Dr. Song’s primary research interest is to develop novel and more effective vaccines and immunotherapies for cancers and infectious diseases. Dr. Song’s recent research has been focused on developing i) novel CAR-T/NK therapy for cancers via metabolic reprogramming; ii) neutralization escape variants of oncolytic virus suitable for systemic therapy; and iii) low immunogenic viral vector-based vaccines for infectious diseases such as coronavirus and HIV-1. These novel vaccines and immunotherapies will be evaluated ex vivo using state of the art immunological assays and in vivo using mouse models available in our laboratory. Importantly, the early translational study aims to develop a lead product which could be further evaluated in Phase I clinical trials and if successful, it has a great potential to be fully commercialized.

Selected Publications

Guo ZS, Lotze MT, Zhu Z, Storkus WJ, Song XT. Bi- and Tri-Specific T Cell Engager-Armed Oncolytic Viruses: Next-Generation Cancer Immunotherapy. Biomedicines. 2020 Jul 10;8(7). doi: 10.3390/biomedicines8070204. Review. PubMed PMID: 32664210; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC7400484.

Cao F, Nguyen P, Hong B, DeRenzo C, Rainusso N, Cruz T, Wu M, Liu H, Song X, Suzuki M, Wang L, Yustein J, Gottschalk S. Engineering oncolytic vaccinia virus to redirect macrophages to tumor cells. Advances in Cell and Gene Therapy. 2020 July; 8(11):491.

Wang T, Gnanaprakasam JNR, Chen X, Kang S, Xu X, Sun H, Liu L, Rodgers H, Miller E, Cassel TA, Sun Q, Vicente-Muñoz S, Warmoes MO, Lin P, Piedra-Quintero ZL, Guerau-de-Arellano M, Cassady KA, Zheng SG, Yang J, Lane AN, Song X*(Corresponding author), Fan TW*, Wang R*. Inosine is an alternative carbon source for CD8+-T-cell function under glucose restriction. Nat Metab. 2020 Jul;2(7):635-647. doi: 10.1038/s42255-020-0219-4. Epub 2020 Jun 15. PubMed PMID: 32694789; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC7371628.

Wang D, Huang XF, Hong B, Song XT, Hu L, Jiang M, Zhang B, Ning H, Li Y, Xu C, Lou X, Li B, Yu Z, Hu J, Chen J, Yang F, Gao H, Ding G, Liao L, Rollins L, Jones L, Chen SY, Chen H. Efficacy of intracellular immune checkpoint-silenced DC vaccine. JCI Insight. 2018 Feb 8;3(3). doi: 10.1172/jci.insight.98368. eCollection 2018 Feb 8. PubMed PMID: 29415891; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC5821183.

Yu F, Hong B, Song X. A T-cell Engager-armed Oncolytic Vaccinia Virus to Target the Tumor Stroma. Cancer Transl Med. 2017 June; 3(4):122.

Bonifant CL, Szoor A, Torres D, Joseph N, Velasquez MP, Iwahori K, Gaikwad A, Nguyen P, Arber C, Song XT, Redell M, Gottschalk S. CD123-Engager T Cells as a Novel Immunotherapeutic for Acute Myeloid Leukemia. Mol Ther. 2016 Sep 29;24(9):1615-26. Doi: 10.1038/mt.2016.116. Epub 2016 Jun 6. PubMed PMID: 27401038; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC5113097.

Velasquez MP, Torres D, Iwahori K, Kakarla S, Arber C, Rodriguez-Cruz T, Szoor A, Bonifant CL, Gerken C, Cooper LJ, Song XT, Gottschalk S. T cells expressing CD19-specific Engager Molecules for the Immunotherapy of CD19-positive Malignancies. Sci Rep. 2016 Jun 3;6:27130. doi: 10.1038/srep27130. PubMed PMID: 27255991; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4891739.

Zhou L, Liu X, Wang X, Sun Z, Song XT. CD123 redirected multiple virus-specific T cells for acute myeloid leukemia. Leuk Res. 2016 Feb;41:76-84. doi: 10.1016/j.leukres.2015.12.003. Epub 2015 Dec 19. PubMed PMID: 26740053.

Velasquez M, Torres D, Thakkar A, Kakarla S, Barth C, Song X, Gottschalk S. Costimulation to enhance the antitumor activity of CD19 eng T cells. J Immunother Cancer. 2015 November; 3(2):58.

DeRenzo C, Torres D, Tobin V, Nguyen P, Song X, Gottschalk S. B7-h3-specific engager T cells for the immunotherapy of pediatric solid tumors. J Immunother Cancer. J Immunother Cancer. 2015 November; 3(2):11.

Bonifant C, Torres D, Joseph N, Barth C, Velasquez M, Song X, Redell M, Gottschalk S. Adoptive immunotherapy for AML with CD123-engager T cells. J Immunother Cancer. 2015 November; 3(2):3.

Chen R, Song XT, Chen B. CD19 chimeric antigen receptor T cell therapy for the treatment of B cell lineage acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Discov Med. 2015 Oct;20(110):185-90. Review. PubMed PMID: 26562471. 

Iwahori K, Song XT, Gottschalk S. Response to "in vivo secretion of anti-CD3 × anti-tumor bispecific antibodies by gene-modified cells: over a decade of T-cell engagement". Mol Ther. 2015 Apr;23(4):613. doi: 10.1038/mt.2015.37. PubMed PMID: 25849424; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4395792.

Iwahori K, Kakarla S, Velasquez MP, Yu F, Yi Z, Gerken C, Song XT, Gottschalk S. Engager T cells: a new class of antigen-specific T cells that redirect bystander T cells. Mol Ther. 2015 Jan;23(1):171-8. doi: 10.1038/mt.2014.156. Epub 2014 Aug 21. PubMed PMID: 25142939; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4426792.

Yu F, Wang X, Guo ZS, Bartlett DL, Gottschalk SM, Song XT. T-cell engager-armed oncolytic vaccinia virus significantly enhances antitumor therapy. Mol Ther. 2014 Jan;22(1):102-11. doi: 10.1038/mt.2013.240. Epub 2013 Oct 17. PubMed PMID: 24135899; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC3978793.

Foster AE, Song XT. Modification of T lymphocytes to express tumor antigens. Methods Mol Biol. 2014;1139:169-76. doi: 10.1007/978-1-4939-0345-0_15. PubMed PMID: 24619679.

Song XT. Genetic modification of dendritic cells with RNAi. Methods Mol Biol. 2014;1139:119-30. doi: 10.1007/978-1-4939-0345-0_11. PubMed PMID: 24619675.

Gottschalk S, Yu F, Ji M, Kakarla S, Song XT. A vaccine that co-targets tumor cells and cancer associated fibroblasts results in enhanced antitumor activity by inducing antigen spreading. PLoS One. 2013;8(12):e82658. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0082658. eCollection 2013. PubMed PMID: 24349329; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC3861387.

Song XT. Combination of virotherapy and T-cell therapy: arming oncolytic virus with T-cell engagers. Discov Med. 2013 Dec;16(90):261-6. Review. PubMed PMID: 24333405.

Kakarla S, Chow KK, Mata M, Shaffer DR, Song XT, Wu MF, Liu H, Wang LL, Rowley DR, Pfizenmaier K, Gottschalk S. Antitumor effects of chimeric receptor engineered human T cells directed to tumor stroma. Mol Ther. 2013 Aug;21(8):1611-20. doi: 10.1038/mt.2013.110. Epub 2013 Jun 4. PubMed PMID: 23732988; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC3734659.

Zhu W, Shi G, Tang H, Lewis DE, Song XT. An effective vaccination approach augments anti-HIV systemic and vaginal immunity in mice with decreased HIV-1 susceptible α4β7high CD4+ T cells. Curr HIV Res. 2013 Jan;11(1):56-66. PubMed PMID: 23157585; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC3717605.

Hong B, Lee SH, Song XT, Jones L, Machida K, Huang XF, Chen SY. A super TLR agonist to improve efficacy of dendritic cell vaccine in induction of anti-HCV immunity. PLoS One. 2012;7(11):e48614. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0048614. Epub 2012 Nov 7. PubMed PMID: 23144910; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC3492467.

Kakarla S, Song XT, Gottschalk S. Cancer-associated fibroblasts as targets for immunotherapy. Immunotherapy. 2012 Nov;4(11):1129-38. doi: 10.2217/imt.12.112. Review. PubMed PMID: 23194363; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC3568630.

Hong B, Song XT, Rollins L, Berry L, Huang XF, Chen SY. Mucosal and systemic anti-HIV immunity controlled by A20 in mouse dendritic cells. J Clin Invest. 2011 Feb;121(2):739-51. doi: 10.1172/JCI42656. Epub 2011 Jan 4. PubMed PMID: 21206085; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC3026719.

Song XT, Turnis ME, Zhou X, Zhu W, Hong BX, Rollins L, Rabinovich B, Chen SY, Rooney CM, Gottschalk S. A Th1-inducing adenoviral vaccine for boosting adoptively transferred T cells. Mol Ther. 2011 Jan;19(1):211-7. doi: 10.1038/mt.2010.223. Epub 2010 Oct 19. PubMed PMID: 20959814; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC3017450.

Turnis ME, Song XT, Bear A, Foster AE, Gottschalk S, Brenner MK, Chen SY, Rooney CM. IRAK-M removal counteracts dendritic cell vaccine deficits in migration and longevity. J Immunol. 2010 Oct 1;185(7):4223-32. doi: 10.4049/jimmunol.0903507. Epub 2010 Sep 3. PubMed PMID: 20817880; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC3153346.

Fu X, Tao L, Rivera A, Williamson S, Song XT, Ahmed N, Zhang X. A simple and sensitive method for measuring tumor-specific T cell cytotoxicity. PLoS One. 2010 Jul 29;5(7):e11867. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0011867. PubMed PMID: 20686618; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC2912327.

Hong B, Ren W, Song XT, Evel-Kabler K, Chen SY, Huang XF. Human suppressor of cytokine signaling 1 controls immunostimulatory activity of monocyte-derived dendritic cells. Cancer Res. 2009 Oct 15;69(20):8076-84. doi: 10.1158/0008-5472.CAN-09-1507. Epub 2009 Sep 29. PubMed PMID: 19789342; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC2763040.

Song XT, Evel-Kabler K, Shen L, Rollins L, Huang XF, Chen SY. A20 is an antigen presentation attenuator, and its inhibition overcomes regulatory T cell-mediated suppression. Nat Med. 2008 Mar;14(3):258-65. doi: 10.1038/nm1721. Epub 2008 Mar 2. PubMed PMID: 18311150; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC3684168.

Song XT, Aldrich M, Chen SY. Suppressor of cytokine signaling 1 inhibition strategy to enhance anti-HIV vaccination. Expert Rev Vaccines. 2006 Aug;5(4):495-503. doi: 10.1586/14760584.5.4.495. Review. PubMed PMID: 16989630.

Song XT, Evel-Kabler K, Rollins L, Aldrich M, Gao F, Huang XF, Chen SY. An alternative and effective HIV vaccination approach based on inhibition of antigen presentation attenuators in dendritic cells. PLoS Med. 2006 Jan;3(1):e11. doi: 10.1371/journal.pmed.0030011. Epub 2006 Jan 3. PubMed PMID: 16381597; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC1323501.

Evel-Kabler K, Song XT, Aldrich M, Huang XF, Chen SY. SOCS1 restricts dendritic cells' ability to break self tolerance and induce antitumor immunity by regulating IL-12 production and signaling. J Clin Invest. 2006 Jan;116(1):90-100. doi: 10.1172/JCI26169. Epub 2005 Dec 15. PubMed PMID: 16357940; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC1312019.

Planque S, Bangale Y, Song XT, Karle S, Taguchi H, Poindexter B, Bick R, Edmundson A, Nishiyama Y, Paul S. Ontogeny of proteolytic immunity: IgM serine proteases. J Biol Chem. 2004 Apr 2;279(14):14024-32. doi: 10.1074/jbc.M312152200. Epub 2004 Jan 15. PubMed PMID: 14726510.