Prof. Ben J. Gu has recently joined Journal of Exploratory Research in Pharmacology as co-Editor-in-Chief alongside Prof. Ramón Cacabelos. Prof. Gu is the head of the Innate Phagocytosis Laboratory in the Florey Institute of Neuroscience & Mental Health, Australia. Prof. Gu’s research focuses on the molecular mechanism(s), which establish peripheral T cell tolerance, the interaction between T cell and antigen presenting cells, and neuroimmune regulation.

Some selected publications:

Gu BJ, Wiley JS. Rapid ATP-induced release of matrix metalloproteinase 9 is mediated by the P2X7 receptor. Blood. 2006;107(12):4946-4953. doi: 10.1182/blood-2005-07-2994. PMID: 16514055.

Gu BJ, Saunders BM, Jursik C, Wiley JS. The P2X7-nonmuscle myosin membrane complex regulates phagocytosis of nonopsonized particles and bacteria by a pathway attenuated by extracellular ATP. Blood. 2010;115(8):1621-1631. doi: 10.1182/blood-2009-11-251744. PMID: 20007545.

Gu BJ, Field J, Dutertre S, Ou A, Kilpatrick TJ, Lechner-Scott J,et al. A rare P2X7 variant Arg307Gln with absent pore formation function protects against neuroinflammation in multiple sclerosis. Hum Mol Genet. 2015;24(19):5644-5654. doi: 10.1093/hmg/ddv278. PMID: 26188005.

Gu BJ, Huang X, Ou A, Rembach A, Fowler C, Avula PK,et al. Australian imaging, biomarkers and lifestyle (AIBL) study. Innate phagocytosis by peripheral blood monocytes is altered in Alzheimer's disease. Acta Neuropathol. 2016;132(3):377-389. doi: 10.1007/s00401-016-1596-1593. PMID: 27411339.

Gu BJ, Wiley JS. P2X7 as a scavenger receptor for innate phagocytosis in the brain. Br J Pharmacol. 2018;175(22):4195-4208. doi: 10.1111/bph.14470. PMID: 30098011.