Holger Russ, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
Department:
MD-PHARMACOLOGY / THERAPEUTICS
Business Phone:
(352) 273-9940
Business Email:
holger.russ@ufl.edu
Teaching Profile
Courses Taught
2023
PAS5026 Pharmacotherapeu 2
2024-2025
BMS6632 Endo and Reproduction
2024-2025
GMS6009 Principles of Drug Action and Therapeutics
2024-2025
GMS6560 Molecules to Man: Past, Present and Future Therapeutic Strategies for Disease
2024-2025
DEN6262 Prin of Pharmacology
2024-2025
GMS5905 Special Topics in Biomedical Sciences
2025
PAS5076 Pharmacotherapeutics II
Research Profile
The emphasis of our lab is to develop innovative regenerative medicine approaches with a focus on understanding the underlying molecular and cellular mechanisms resulting in autoimmune type 1 diabetes (T1D) in humans. The lab employs state-of-the-art human pluripotent stem cell technology and primary human cell/tissue culture with genome engineering approaches to model and potentially treat patients. The Russ lab has successfully worked on different aspects of translational research, which led to several original and important contributions to the fields of pancreatic beta-, thymus- and pluripotent stem cell- biology. The lab’s long-term goal is to understand why T1D develops, to develop novel intervention and treatment modalities, and to train and enable the next generation of scientists focused on regenerative medicine strategies.
Publications
Academic Articles
2025
Harnessing cellular therapeutics for type 1 diabetes mellitus: progress, challenges, and the road ahead.
Nature reviews. Endocrinology.
21(1):14-30
[DOI] 10.1038/s41574-024-01029-0.
[PMID] 39227741.
2024
Combinatorial genetic engineering strategy for immune protection of stem cell-derived beta cells by chimeric antigen receptor regulatory T cells.
Cell reports.
43(11)
[DOI] 10.1016/j.celrep.2024.114994.
[PMID] 39561045.
2024
Cryopreservation of Stem Cell-Derived β-Like Cells Enriches for Insulin-Producing Cells With Improved Function.
Diabetes.
73(10):1687-1696
[DOI] 10.2337/db24-0346.
[PMID] 39083654.
2024
Human peripancreatic adipose tissue paracrine signaling impacts insulin secretion, blood flow, and gene transcription.
The Journal of clinical endocrinology and metabolism.
[DOI] 10.1210/clinem/dgae767.
[PMID] 39484843.
2024
Peptide Coated Polycaprolactone-Benzalkonium Chloride Nanocapsules for Targeted Drug Delivery to the Pancreatic β-Cell.
bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology.
[DOI] 10.1101/2024.07.15.603612.
[PMID] 39071322.
2024
Peptide-Coated Polycaprolactone-Benzalkonium Chloride Nanocapsules for Targeted Drug Delivery to the Pancreatic β-Cell.
ACS applied bio materials.
7(10):6451-6466
[DOI] 10.1021/acsabm.4c00621.
[PMID] 39315885.
2024
Role of Sec61α2 Translocon in Insulin Biosynthesis.
Diabetes.
73(12):2034-2044
[DOI] 10.2337/db24-0115.
[PMID] 39325584.
2024
Sox9 regulates alternative splicing and pancreatic beta cell function.
Nature communications.
15(1)
[DOI] 10.1038/s41467-023-44384-8.
[PMID] 38238288.
2024
The RNA binding protein HNRNPA2B1 regulates RNA abundance and motor protein activity in neurites.
bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology.
[DOI] 10.1101/2024.08.26.609768.
[PMID] 39253515.
2023
A fast chemical reprogramming system promotes cell identity transition through a diapause-like state.
Nature cell biology.
25(8):1146-1156
[DOI] 10.1038/s41556-023-01193-x.
[PMID] 37550515.
2023
Cell Replacement Therapy for Type 1 Diabetes Patients: Potential Mechanisms Leading to Stem-Cell-Derived Pancreatic β-Cell Loss upon Transplant.
Cells.
12(5)
[DOI] 10.3390/cells12050698.
[PMID] 36899834.
2023
Enrichment of stem cell-derived pancreatic beta-like cells and controlled graft size through pharmacological removal of proliferating cells.
Stem cell reports.
18(6):1284-1294
[DOI] 10.1016/j.stemcr.2023.05.010.
[PMID] 37315522.
2023
Generation of functional thymic organoids from human pluripotent stem cells.
Stem cell reports.
18(4):829-840
[DOI] 10.1016/j.stemcr.2023.02.013.
[PMID] 36963390.
2023
Nutrient-dependent regulation of β-cell proinsulin content.
The Journal of biological chemistry.
299(7)
[DOI] 10.1016/j.jbc.2023.104836.
[PMID] 37209827.
2023
Regulatory approval of islet transplantation for treatment of type 1 diabetes: Implications and what is on the horizon.
Molecular therapy : the journal of the American Society of Gene Therapy.
31(11):3107-3108
[DOI] 10.1016/j.ymthe.2023.10.011.
[PMID] 37865099.
2023
The beta cell-immune cell interface in type 1 diabetes (T1D).
Molecular metabolism.
78
[DOI] 10.1016/j.molmet.2023.101809.
[PMID] 37734713.
2022
Emerging diabetes therapies: Bringing back the β-cells.
Molecular metabolism.
60
[DOI] 10.1016/j.molmet.2022.101477.
[PMID] 35331962.
2022
From the dish to humans: A stem cell recipe for success.
Cell metabolism.
34(2):193-196
[DOI] 10.1016/j.cmet.2022.01.002.
[PMID] 35108510.
2022
Generation of functional human thymic cells from induced pluripotent stem cells.
The Journal of allergy and clinical immunology.
149(2):767-781.e6
[DOI] 10.1016/j.jaci.2021.07.021.
[PMID] 34331993.
2022
High-throughput identification of RNA localization elements in neuronal cells.
Nucleic acids research.
50(18):10626-10642
[DOI] 10.1093/nar/gkac763.
[PMID] 36107770.
2022
Human stem cell derived beta-like cells engineered to present PD-L1 improve transplant survival in NOD mice carrying human HLA class I.
Frontiers in endocrinology.
13
[DOI] 10.3389/fendo.2022.989815.
[PMID] 36506044.
2022
Stem cell-based multi-tissue platforms to model human autoimmune diabetes.
Molecular metabolism.
66
[DOI] 10.1016/j.molmet.2022.101610.
[PMID] 36209784.
2022
Stem-Cell-Derived β-Like Cells with a Functional PTPN2 Knockout Display Increased Immunogenicity.
Cells.
11(23)
[DOI] 10.3390/cells11233845.
[PMID] 36497105.
2021
Amylin, Aβ42, and Amyloid in Varicella Zoster Virus Vasculopathy Cerebrospinal Fluid and Infected Vascular Cells.
The Journal of infectious diseases.
223(7):1284-1294
[DOI] 10.1093/infdis/jiaa513.
[PMID] 32809013.
2021
ENTPD3 Marks Mature Stem Cell-Derived β-Cells Formed by Self-Aggregation In Vitro.
Diabetes.
70(11):2554-2567
[DOI] 10.2337/db20-0873.
[PMID] 34380694.
2021
Found in Translation: Novel Insights Into Type 1 Diabetes and β-Cell Biology.
Diabetes.
70(10):2185-2186
[DOI] 10.2337/dbi21-0031.
[PMID] 34593539.
2021
In vitro generation of peri-islet basement membrane-like structures.
Biomaterials.
273
[DOI] 10.1016/j.biomaterials.2021.120808.
[PMID] 33895491.
2021
Modeling Hypoxia-Induced Neuropathies Using a Fast and Scalable Human Motor Neuron Differentiation System.
Stem cell reports.
16(4)
[DOI] 10.1016/j.stemcr.2021.03.006.
[PMID] 33852882.
2021
Proinsulin-Reactive CD4 T Cells in the Islets of Type 1 Diabetes Organ Donors.
Frontiers in endocrinology.
12
[DOI] 10.3389/fendo.2021.622647.
[PMID] 33841327.
2021
Protecting Stem Cell Derived Pancreatic Beta-Like Cells From Diabetogenic T Cell Recognition.
Frontiers in endocrinology.
12
[DOI] 10.3389/fendo.2021.707881.
[PMID] 34305820.
2021
Strategies for durable β cell replacement in type 1 diabetes.
Science (New York, N.Y.).
373(6554):516-522
[DOI] 10.1126/science.abh1657.
[PMID] 34326233.
2021
Use of Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells to Build Isogenic Systems and Investigate Type 1 Diabetes.
Frontiers in endocrinology.
12
[DOI] 10.3389/fendo.2021.737276.
[PMID] 34858326.
2020
FMRP promotes RNA localization to neuronal projections through interactions between its RGG domain and G-quadruplex RNA sequences.
eLife.
9
[DOI] 10.7554/eLife.52621.
[PMID] 32510328.
2020
LIN28B Impairs the Transition of hESC-Derived β Cells from the Juvenile to Adult State.
Stem cell reports.
14(1):9-20
[DOI] 10.1016/j.stemcr.2019.11.009.
[PMID] 31883920.
2020
Loss of the transcription factor MAFB limits β-cell derivation from human PSCs.
Nature communications.
11(1)
[DOI] 10.1038/s41467-020-16550-9.
[PMID] 32488111.
2020
Modeling Hypoxia-Induced Neuropathies Using a Fast and Scalable Human Motor Neuron Differentiation System.
Stem cell reports.
14(6):1033-1043
[DOI] 10.1016/j.stemcr.2020.04.003.
[PMID] 32386561.
2020
Varicella-Zoster Virus Infection of Primary Human Spinal Astrocytes Produces Intracellular Amylin, Amyloid-β, and an Amyloidogenic Extracellular Environment.
The Journal of infectious diseases.
221(7):1088-1097
[DOI] 10.1093/infdis/jiz560.
[PMID] 31665341.
2019
Author Correction: Recapitulating endocrine cell clustering in culture promotes maturation of human stem-cell-derived β cells.
Nature cell biology.
21(6)
[DOI] 10.1038/s41556-019-0316-3.
[PMID] 30914825.
2019
Recapitulating endocrine cell clustering in culture promotes maturation of human stem-cell-derived β cells.
Nature cell biology.
21(2):263-274
[DOI] 10.1038/s41556-018-0271-4.
[PMID] 30710150.
2019
Stem Cell Derived Organoids in Human Disease and Development.
Stem cells international.
2019
[DOI] 10.1155/2019/7919427.
[PMID] 31827533.
2018
Replication confers β cell immaturity.
Nature communications.
9(1)
[DOI] 10.1038/s41467-018-02939-0.
[PMID] 29396395.
2018
β Cell replacement: improving on the design.
Current opinion in endocrinology, diabetes, and obesity.
25(4):251-257
[DOI] 10.1097/MED.0000000000000418.
[PMID] 29846237.
2017
Mitigating Ischemic Injury of Stem Cell-Derived Insulin-Producing Cells after Transplant.
Stem cell reports.
9(3):807-819
[DOI] 10.1016/j.stemcr.2017.07.012.
[PMID] 28803916.
2017
Nanoporous Immunoprotective Device for Stem-Cell-Derived β-Cell Replacement Therapy.
ACS nano.
11(8):7747-7757
[DOI] 10.1021/acsnano.7b01239.
[PMID] 28763191.
2016
Dynamic Proteomic Analysis of Pancreatic Mesenchyme Reveals Novel Factors That Enhance Human Embryonic Stem Cell to Pancreatic Cell Differentiation.
Stem cells international.
2016
[DOI] 10.1155/2016/6183562.
[PMID] 26681951.
2016
Human islets contain four distinct subtypes of β cells.
Nature communications.
7
[DOI] 10.1038/ncomms11756.
[PMID] 27399229.
2016
Human pancreatic beta-like cells converted from fibroblasts.
Nature communications.
7
[DOI] 10.1038/ncomms10080.
[PMID] 26733021.
2015
Controlled induction of human pancreatic progenitors produces functional beta-like cells in vitro.
The EMBO journal.
34(13):1759-72
[DOI] 10.15252/embj.201591058.
[PMID] 25908839.
2015
Inhibition of ZEB1 expression induces redifferentiation of adult human β cells expanded in vitro.
Scientific reports.
5
[DOI] 10.1038/srep13024.
[PMID] 26264186.
2014
Dicer regulates differentiation and viability during mouse pancreatic cancer initiation.
PloS one.
9(5)
[DOI] 10.1371/journal.pone.0095486.
[PMID] 24788257.
2014
Small molecules facilitate the reprogramming of mouse fibroblasts into pancreatic lineages.
Cell stem cell.
14(2):228-36
[DOI] 10.1016/j.stem.2014.01.006.
[PMID] 24506886.
2014
Taming the young and restless–epigenetic gene regulation in pancreas and beta-cell precursors.
The EMBO journal.
33(19):2135-6
[DOI] 10.15252/embj.201489751.
[PMID] 25154606.
2014
The chromatin regulator Brg1 suppresses formation of intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasm and pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma.
Nature cell biology.
16(3):255-67
[DOI] 10.1038/ncb2916.
[PMID] 24561622.
2013
Generation of functional thymic epithelium from human embryonic stem cells that supports host T cell development.
Cell stem cell.
13(2):219-29
[DOI] 10.1016/j.stem.2013.04.004.
[PMID] 23684540.
2012
Making β cells from adult tissues.
Trends in endocrinology and metabolism: TEM.
23(6):278-85
[DOI] 10.1016/j.tem.2012.03.005.
[PMID] 22537825.
2012
Redifferentiation of expanded human pancreatic β-cell-derived cells by inhibition of the NOTCH pathway.
The Journal of biological chemistry.
287(21):17269-17280
[DOI] 10.1074/jbc.M111.319152.
[PMID] 22457355.
2011
Development of human insulin-producing cells for cell therapy of diabetes.
Pediatric endocrinology reviews : PER.
9(2):590-7
[PMID] 22397143.
2011
Epigenetic memory and preferential lineage-specific differentiation in induced pluripotent stem cells derived from human pancreatic islet beta cells.
Cell stem cell.
9(1):17-23
[DOI] 10.1016/j.stem.2011.06.007.
[PMID] 21726830.
2011
Insulin-producing cells generated from dedifferentiated human pancreatic beta cells expanded in vitro.
PloS one.
6(9)
[DOI] 10.1371/journal.pone.0025566.
[PMID] 21984932.
2009
Epithelial-mesenchymal transition in cells expanded in vitro from lineage-traced adult human pancreatic beta cells.
PloS one.
4(7)
[DOI] 10.1371/journal.pone.0006417.
[PMID] 19641613.
2008
HES-1 is involved in adaptation of adult human beta-cells to proliferation in vitro.
Diabetes.
57(9):2413-20
[DOI] 10.2337/db07-1323.
[PMID] 18599525.
2008
In vitro proliferation of cells derived from adult human beta-cells revealed by cell-lineage tracing.
Diabetes.
57(6):1575-83
[DOI] 10.2337/db07-1283.
[PMID] 18316362.
Grants
Jun 2024
ACTIVE
Immunocore ImmTAAI technology and its potential use to treat type 1 diabetes autoimmunity.
Role: Co-Investigator
Funding: IMMUNOCORE LIMITED
Apr 2024
ACTIVE
Evaluate signaling pathway effects on direct differentiation of pluripotent stem cells into thymic cells in suspension culture
Role: Principal Investigator
Funding: TOLERANCE BIO
Mar 2024
ACTIVE
Orthogonal engineering to suppress autoreactive T cell activation in T1D cell therapy
Role: Other
Funding: BREAKTHROUGH T1D – formerly JDRF Intl
Dec 2023
ACTIVE
Tolerance signals from human pregnancy for beta cell replacement therapy
Role: Principal Investigator
Funding: BREAKTHROUGH T1D – formerly JDRF Intl
Sep 2023
ACTIVE
Mechanistic analysis of TDP-43-mediated RNA localization in neurons and its misregulation in ALS
Role: Principal Investigator
Funding: UNIV OF COLORADO DENVER & ANSCHUTZ MED
via NATL INST OF HLTH NINDS
May 2023
– Apr 2024
Generating Stem Cell-Derived Beta-like Cells that Are Protected From Human Autoimmune Diabetes
Role: Principal Investigator
Funding: DIABETES RESEARCH CONNECTION
Apr 2023
ACTIVE
Engineered Nanocapsules for Targeted Drug Delivery to the ?-Cell
Role: Principal Investigator
Funding: COLORADO SCHOOL OF MINES
via BREAKTHROUGH T1D – formerly JDRF Intl
Jan 2023
– Jul 2023
Engineered Nanocapsules for Targeted Drug Delivery to the ?-Cell
Role: Principal Investigator
Funding: COLORADO SCHOOL OF MINES
via BREAKTHROUGH T1D – formerly JDRF Intl
Apr 2022
ACTIVE
Local immune modulation for beta cell replacement therapy in type 1 diabetes
Role: Project Manager
Funding: NATL INST OF HLTH NIDDK
Contact Details
Phones:
- Business:
- (352) 273-9940
Emails:
- Business:
- holger.russ@ufl.edu
Addresses:
- Business Street:
-
BMS J-583
1275 Center Dr.
GAINESVILLE FL 32611