Ma-Li Wong, M.D.

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Work Titles
UCLA Professor, Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences
Education:
Degrees:
M.D.

Contact Information:

Work Email Address:

mali@ucla.edu


Work Phone Number:

206-6123

310-206-6123

Work Address:

Laboratory
Gonda
Los Angeles, CA 90095

Office
Gonda Ctr
Los Angeles, CA 90095


Detailed Biography:

Neuroimmunology and pharmacogenomics My NIH-funded research program consists of two parallel projects: (1) Mechanisms and pathways of brain-immune interactions and (2) pharmacogenomics. In the first project, we are ultimately interested in elucidating the mechanisms  by which immune mediators may be involved in the biology of major psychiatric disorders such as major depression.  Our work in this area has been supported by the NIH Intramural Program, an NIH grant, and foundation grants, and has resulted in 24 original research articles. Our findings include the following: [1] Localization of gene expression for several cytokines in intact rat brain: IL-1ra, IL-RI, caspase 1, SCF, IL-10, IL-13, and NOS2. [2] Identification of a function for brain IL-1ra as an endogenous neuroprotective molecule. [3] Discovery that peripheral inflammation (SIRS or sepsis) results in the induction of high levels of IL-1beta and NOS2 mRNA in rat brain.  [4] Demonstration that the central and peripheral cytokine compartments are integrated but differentially regulated. [5] Secretory sphingomyelinase (S-SMAse) regulation by cytokines in vivo: implications for atherogenesis. Our current  studies are aimed at identifying inflammation-regulated genes in rodent brain by DNA microarray and localizing cytokine gene expression in human postmortem brain in depression, schizophrenia, and bipolar disorder. My pharmacogenomics project is aimed at investigating the genomic basis for antidepressant response using differential mRNA display, DNA chips and real-time PCR to identify new downstream molecular targets of antidepressant action in the brain.

Publications:

A selected list of publications:

Hiroi, N, Wong M-L, Licinio J, Park C S, Young M, Gold PW, Chrousos GP, Bornstein SR   Expression of corticotropin releasing hormone receptors type I and type II mRNA in normal individuals and suicide victims, Molecular Psychiatry, 2001; in press: .
Wong M-L, Licinio J   Research and treatment approaches to depression, Nat Rev Neurosci, 2001; 2: 343-351.
Wong, ML Sternberg, EM   Immunological assays for understanding neuroimmune interactions Archives of neurology. , 2000; 57(7): 948-52.
Wong M-L, Xie B, Beatini N, Phu P, Marathe S, Johns A, Gold PW, Hirsch E, Williams KJ, LicinioJ, Tabas I   Acute systemic inflammation up-regulates secretory sphingomyelinase in vivo: A possible new link between inflammatory cytokines and atherogenesis, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA, 2000; 97: 8681-8686.
Wong, ML Kling, MA Munson, PJ Listwak, S Licinio, J Prolo, P Karp, B McCutcheon, IE Geracioti, TD DeBellis, MD Rice, KC Goldstein, DS Veldhuis, JD Chrousos, GP Oldfield, EH McCann, SM Gold, PW   Pronounced and sustained central hypernoradrenergic function in major depression with melancholic features: relation to hypercortisolism and corticotropin-releasing hormone Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. , 2000; 97(1): 325-30.
Wong M-L, Webster EL, Spokes H, Phu P, Ehrhart-Bornstein M, Park C-S, Rice KC, Chrousos GP, Licinio J, Gold PW   Chronic administration of the non-peptide CRH type 1 receptor antagonist antalarmin does not blunt hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, Life Sciences, 1999; 65: 53-58.
Deak, T Nguyen, KT Ehrlich, AL Watkins, LR Spencer, RL Maier, SF Licinio, J Wong, ML Chrousos, GP Webster, E Gold, PW   The impact of the nonpeptide corticotropin-releasing hormone antagonist antalarmin on behavioral and endocrine responses to stress Endocrinology. , 1999; 140(1): 79-86.
Licinio J, Negr?o AB, Mantzoros C, Kaklamani V, Wong M-L, Bongiorno PB, Negro PP, Mulla A, Cearnal L, Veldhuis JD, Flier JS, McCann SM, Gold PW   Sex differences in circulating human leptin pulse amplitude: Clinical implications, Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, 1998; 83: 4140-4147.
Licinio J, Negr?o AB, Christos Mantzoros, C, Kaklamani V, Wong M-L, Bongiorno PB, Mulla A, Veldhuis JD, Flier JS, McCann SM, Gold PW   Synchronicity of frequently-sampled 24-hour concentrations of circulating leptin, luteinizing hormone, and estradiol in healthy women, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA, 1998; 95: 2541-2546.
Licinio J, Mantzoros C, Negr?o AB, Cizza G, Wong M-L, Bongiorno PB, Chrousos GP, Karp B, Ellen C, Flier JS, Gold PW   Human leptin is secreted in a pulsatile fashion, Nature Medicine, 1997; 3: 575-579.
Licinio J, Wong, M-L   Pathways and mechanisms for cytokine signalling of the central nervous system, Journal of Clinical Investigation, 1997; 100: 2941-2947.
Loddick, SA Wong, ML Bongiorno, PB Gold, PW Licinio, J Rothwell, NJ   Endogenous interleukin-1 receptor antagonist is neuroprotective Biochemical and biophysical research communications. , 1997; 234(1): 211-5.
Licinio, J Wong, ML   Interleukin 1 receptor antagonist gene expression in rat pituitary in the systemic inflammatory response syndrome: pathophysiological implications Molecular psychiatry. , 1997; 2(2): 99-103.
Wong, ML Bongiorno, PB Rettori, V McCann, SM Licinio, J   Interleukin (IL) 1beta, IL-1 receptor antagonist, IL-10, and IL-13 gene expression in the central nervous system and anterior pituitary during systemic inflammation: pathophysiological implications Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. , 1997; 94(1): 227-32.
Wong, ML Khatri, P Licinio, J Esposito, A Gold, PW   Identification of hypothalamic transcripts upregulated by antidepressants Biochemical and biophysical research communications. , 1996; 229(1): 275-9.
Wong, ML Bongiorno, PB al-Shekhlee, A Esposito, A Khatri, P Licinio, J   IL-1 beta, IL-1 receptor type I and iNOS gene expression in rat brain vasculature and perivascular areas Neuroreport. , 1996; 7(15-17): 2445-8.
Wong M-L, Rettori V, Al-Shekhlee A, Bongiorno PB, Canteros G, McCann SM, Gold PW, Licinio J   Inducible nitric oxide synthase gene expression, Nature Medicine, 1996; 2: 581-584.
Licinio J and Wong M-L   Interleukin 1? and fever, Nature Medicine, 1996; 2: 1314-1315.
Wong M-L, Al-Shekhlee A, Bongiorno PB, Esposito A, Khatri P, Sternberg ES, Gold PW, Licinio J   Localization of urocortin messenger RNA in rat brain and pituitary, Molecular Psychiatry, 1996; 1: 307-312.
Wong, ML Xin, WW Duman, RS   Rat LCR1: cloning and cellular distribution of a putative chemokine receptor in brain Molecular psychiatry. , 1996; 1(2): 133-40.
Licinio, J Bongiorno, PB Gold, PW Wong, ML   The gene encoding for the novel transacting factor proopiomelanocortin corticotropin-releasing hormone responsive element binding protein 1 (PCRH-REB-1) is constitutively expressed in rat pituitary and in discrete brain regions containing CRH or CRH receptors: pathophysiological implications Endocrinology. , 1995; 136(10): 4709-12.
Wong, ML Loddick, SA Bongiorno, PB Gold, PW Rothwell, NJ Licinio, J   Focal cerebral ischemia induces CRH mRNA in rat cerebral cortex and amygdala Neuroreport. , 1995; 6(13): 1785-8.
Licinio, J Gold, PW Wong, ML   A molecular mechanism for stress-induced alterations in susceptibility to disease Lancet. , 1995; 346(8967): 104-6.
Wong, ML Licinio, J Pasternak, KI Gold, PW   Localization of corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) receptor mRNA in adult rat brain by in situ hybridization histochemistry Endocrinology. , 1994; 135(5): 2275-8.
Xin W, Terwigler RZ, Wong M-L, Rimland J, Nestler EJ, Duman R   Characterization and functional expression of a somatostatin receptor coupled with adenylylcyclase, Molecular and Cellular Neurosciences, 1993; 4: 259-266.
Licinio J, Wong M-L, Altemus M, Bongiorno PB, Bernat A, Tamarkin L, Gold PW   Twenty-four hour concentrations of circulating interleukin-2 in healthy women exhibit episodic fluctuations: analysis of integrated basal levels and discrete pulse proper, Endocrine, 1993; 1: 120-128.
Wong, ML Smith, MA Licinio, J Doi, SQ Weiss, SR Post, RM Gold, PW   Differential effects of kindled and electrically induced seizures on a glutamate receptor (GluR1) gene expression Epilepsy research. , 1993; 14(3): 221-7.
Wong, ML Weiss, SR Gold, PW Doi, SQ Banerjee, S Licinio, J Lad, R Post, RM Smith, MA   Induction of constitutive heat shock protein 73 mRNA in the dentate gyrus by seizures Brain research. Molecular brain research. , 1992; 13(1-2): 19-25.
Licinio, J Wong, ML Gold, PW   Localization of interleukin-1 receptor antagonist mRNA in rat brain Endocrinology. , 1991; 129(1): 562-4.

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