Joshua L. Hood, M.D., Ph.D.

Education:Joshua L. Hood, M.D., Ph.D.

B.S., Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (Major 1), Centre College, Danville, KY; 1999
B.S., Chemistry (Major 2), Centre College, Danville, KY; 1999
Ph.D., Microbiology, University of Kentucky College of Medicine, Lexington, KY; 2004
M.D., Medicine, University of Kentucky College of Medicine, Lexington, KY; 2006
Residency, Clinical Pathology (Laboratory Medicine), Barnes-Jewish Hospital, Department of Pathology and Immunology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO; 2009
Post-Doc, Nanomedicine, Washington University School of Medicine, Department of Medicine, Consortium for Translational Research in Advanced Imaging and Nanomedicine, St. Louis, MO; 2009

Current Positions:

Associate Professor of Pharmacology and Toxicology
Member, Experimental Therapeutics & Diagnostics Program, Brown Cancer Center
Scientist, Hepatobiology and Toxicology COBRE, Project PI

Contact Information:

Kosair Charities Clinical & Translational Research Building
University of Louisville
505 South Hancock Street
Louisville, KY 40202
Phone:  502 852 8411
Email:  joshua.hood@louisville.edu

Research Description

The study of extracellular vesicle (EV) function, biomarkers and derivative therapeutics comprise the primary research interests of our laboratory.  EVs include exosomes, naturally occurring biological nanovesicles approximately < 200 nm in size, shedding vesicles, typically   > 200 nm, and apoptotic bodies.  EVs have been shown to participate in cell-to-cell communication including RNA transport between cells.  Tumor EVs participate in pathogenic tumor processes including angiogenesis, immune suppression, growth, metastasis, and others.

In past investigations we discovered that melanoma exosomes prepare lymph nodes for metastasis by establishing pre-metastatic niches.  We are continuing to build on this finding by investigating the influence of tumor EVs on macrophage-mediated tumor supportive functions and developing means to convert EVs into biocompatible therapeutic nanocarriers to target and treat tumor microenvironments.  These research pursuits provide a translational platform to develop novel EV-based biomarkers and personalized immunotherapeutics to treat melanoma, glioma, lung, and liver cancer.

Literature Cited:

  1. Sriwastva MK, Teng Y, Mu J, Xu F, Kumar A, Sundaram K, Malhotra RK, Xu Q, Hood JL, Zhang L, Yan J, Merchant ML, Park JW, Dryden GW, Egilmez NK, Zhang HG.  An extracellular vesicular mutant KRAS-associated protein complex promotes lung inflammation and tumor growth.  Journal of Extracellular Vesicles 2023 Feb;12(2):e12307.  PMID: 36754903.  PMCID: PMC9908562.
  2. Shiri F, Feng H, Petersen KE, Sant H, Bardi GT, Schroeder LA, Merchant ML, Gale BK, *Hood JL.  Separation of U87 glioblastoma cell-derived small and medium extracellular vesicles using elasto-inertial flow focusing (a spiral channel).  Scientific Reports 2022 Apr;12(1):6146.  doi: 10.1038/s41598-022-10129-8.  PMID: 35414673.  PMCID: PMC9005724.
  3. Thomas JJ, Harp KO, Bashi A, Hood JL, Botchway F, Wilson MD, Thompson WE, Stiles JK, Driss A.  MiR-451a and let-7i-5p loaded extracellular vesicles attenuate heme-induced inflammation in hiPSC-derived endothelial cells.  Frontiers in Immunology 2022 Dec 22;13:1082414.  PMID: 36618355.  PMCID: PMC9815029.
  4. Bardi GT, Al-Rayan N, Richie JL, Yaddanapudi K, *Hood JL.  Detection of inflammation-related melanoma small Extracellular Vesicle (sEV) mRNA content using primary melanocyte sEVs as a reference.  International Journal of Molecular Sciences 2019 Mar 12;20(5)1235.  PMCID: PMC6429302.
  5. Bardi GT, Smith MA, *Hood JL.  Melanoma exosomes promote mixed M1 and M2 macrophage polarization.  Cytokine 2018 May;105:63-72.  doi: 10.1016/j.cyto.2018.02.002.  Epub 2018 Feb 17.  PMID: 29459345.  PMCID: PMC5857255.
  6. Hu L, Wickline SA, *Hood JL.  Magnetic resonance imaging of melanoma exosomes in lymph nodes.  Magnetic Resonance in Medicine 2015 Jul;74(1):266-71.  doi: 10.1002/mrm.25376.  Epub 2014 Jul 22.  PMID: 25052384.  PMCID: PMC4422779.
  7. *Hood JL, Scott MJ, Wickline SA.  Maximizing exosome colloidal stability following electroporation.  Analytical Biochemistry 2014 Mar 1;448:41-9.  doi: 10.1016/j.ab.2013.12.001. Epub 2013 Dec 9.  PMCID: PMC3954633.
  8. *Hood JL, Jallouk AP, Campbell N, Ratner L, Wickline SA.  Cytolytic nanoparticles attenuate HIV-1 infectivity.  Antiviral Therapy 2012;18(1):95-103.  doi: 10.3851/IMP2346.  Epub 2012 Sep 6.   PMID: 22954649.
  9. *Hood JL, San Roman S, Wickline SA.  Exosomes released by melanoma cells prepare sentinel lymph nodes for tumor metastasis.  Cancer Research 2011 Jun 1;71(11):3792-801.  doi: 10.1158/0008-5472.CAN-10-4455. Epub 2011 Apr 8.  PMID: 21478294.  [ http://cancerres.aacrjournals.org/content/71/11/3792.long ]
  10. *Hood JL, Pan H, Lanza GM, Wickline SA.  Paracrine induction of endothelium by tumor exosomes.  Laboratory Investigation 2009 Nov;89(11):1317-28.  doi: 10.1038/labinvest.2009.94. Epub 2009 Sep 28.  PMCID: PMC3316485.

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