Visiting Scientist/Toxicologist — Division of Genetic and Molecular Toxicology

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Rui Xiong, Ph.D.
(870) 543-7121
NCTRResearch@fda.hhs.gov  

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About  |  Publications

Background

Dr. Rui Xiong received a Ph.D. in Toxicology from the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, specializing in quinone toxicity and quinone-based small molecule drug discovery. She joined FDA’s National Center for Toxicological Research (NCTR) in the Division of Genetic and Molecular Toxicology as an Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (ORISE) postdoctoral fellow in 2015 and worked on FDA Center for Tobacco Products (CTP)-funded projects evaluating the toxicological effects of tobacco smoke and its constituents using in vitro human air-liquid-interface (ALI) airway tissue models and providing information necessary for the regulatory review of tobacco product applications. After being appointed as an FDA visiting scientist, Dr. Xiong continued work on several tobacco-related projects and completed studies on the toxicological effects of smoking the 3R4F Kentucky reference cigarette and two commercial cigarettes that differ in their chemical constituents. This data provided CTP-necessary information on the ability of the in vitro human ALI airway tissue model to distinguish between the toxic properties of different tobacco products.

Dr. Xiong has also started a project to study the virulence mechanisms of Bordetella pertussis in collaboration with the FDA Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research (CBER) as well as a project for evaluating the effects of FDA-approved drugs on cell entry of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) using the in vitro human airway tissue model. This project is conducted in collaboration with scientists from the FDA Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER) and CBER. Dr. Xiong has extensive experience in running cigarette-smoking robots as well as developing in vitro methods for toxicity assessment. She has received multiple awards for her research, including the “Regulatory and Safety Evaluation Specialty Section Postdoc Excellence Award” from the Society of Toxicology, the “Post-Doc Award” from the International Society of Regulatory Toxicology and Pharmacology, and FDA and NCTR group recognition awards.

Research Interests

Dr. Xiong’s research interests include the development and application of advanced in vitro human airway tissue models for toxicity assessment of human respiratory pathogens as well as xenobiotics including drug candidates, tobacco smoke, and environmental toxins. She is also interested in combining in vitro tissue models with computational modeling extrapolation strategies to make quantitative human risk assessments.

Professional Societies/National and International Groups

Oxidative Injury and Redox Biology Poster Session, 58th Society of Toxicology Annual Meeting
Session Chair
2019

Pharmacogenomics and Genetic Polymorphisms Poster Session, 54th Society of Toxicology Annual Meeting
Session Chair
2015

Society of Toxicology
Member
2012 – Present

Selected Publications

Integration of Transcriptome Analysis with Pathophysiological Endpoints to Evaluate the Mode of Action for Cigarette Smoke Toxicity in an In Vitro Human Airway Tissue Model.
Xiong R., Wu Y., Wu Q., Muskhelishvili L., Davis K., Tripathi P., Chen Y., Chen T., Bryant M., Rosenfeldt H., Healy S.M., and Cao X.
Arch Toxicol. 2021, 95(5):1739-1761.

Transcriptome Analysis Reveals Lung-Specific miRNAs Associated with Impaired Mucociliary Clearance Induced by Cigarette Smoke in an In Vitro Human Airway Tissue Model.
Xiong R., Wu L., Wu Y., Muskhelishvili L., Davis K., Chen Y., Chen T., Rosenfeldt H., Healy S.M., and Cao X.
Arch Toxicol. 2021, 95(5):1763-1778.

In Vitro Dosimetry Analyses for Acrolein Exposure in Normal Human Lung Epithelial Cells and Human Lung Cancer Cells.
Xiong R., Wu Q., Bryant M., Rosenfeldt H., Healy S.M., and Cao X.
Environ Toxicol Pharmacol. 2020, 83:103576.

Human Air-Liquid-Interface Organotypic Airway Tissue Models Derived from Primary Tracheobronchial Epithelial Cells: Overview and Perspectives.
Cao X., Coyle J., Xiong R., Wang Y., Heflich R.H., Ren B., Gwinn W.M., Hayden P., and Rojanasakul L.
In Vitro Cell Dev Biol Anim. 2020, 1-29. 

Dr. Daniel Acosta and In Vitro Toxicology at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s National Center for Toxicological Research.
Inselman A., Liu F., Wang C., Shi Q., Pang L., Mattes W., White M., Lyn-Cook B., Rosas-Hernandez H., Cuevas E., Lantz S., Imam S., Ali S., Petibone D.M., Shemansky J.M., Xiong R., Wang Y., Tripathi P., Cao X., Heflich R.H., and Slikker W. Jr. 
Toxicol In Vitro. 2020, 64:104471.

Evaluating Mode of Action of Acrolein Toxicity in an In Vitro Human Airway Tissue Model.
Xiong R., Wu Q., Muskhelishvili L., Davis K., Shemansky J., Bryant M., Rosenfeldt H., Healy S.M., and Cao X. 
Toxicol Sci. 2018, 166(2):451-464.

Disease-Related Responses Induced by Cadmium in an In Vitro Human Airway Tissue Model.
Xiong R., Wu Q., Trbojevich R., Muskhelishvili L., Davis K., Bryant M., Richter P., and Cao X. 
Toxicol Lett. 2019, 303:16-27.

Effects of Cellular Differentiation in Human Primary Bronchial Epithelial Cells: Metabolism of 4-(methylnitrosamine)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone.
Qin Q., Wu Q., Wang Y., Xiong R., Guo L., Fu X., Rosenfeldt H., Bryant M., and Cao X. 
Toxicol In Vitro. 2019, 55:185-194.

A Novel Hsp90 Inhibitor Activates Compensatory Heat Shock Protein Responses and Autophagy and Alleviates Mutant A53T Alpha-synuclein Toxicity.
Xiong R., Zhou W.B., Siegel D., Kitson R.R., Moody C.J., and Ross D. 
Mol Pharmacol. 2015, 88(6):1045-54. 

Quinone-Induced Protein Handling Changes: Implications for Major Protein Handling Systems in Quinone-Mediated Toxicity.
Xiong R., Siegel D., and Ross D.
Toxicol Appl Pharmacol. 2014, 280 (2014) 285–295. 

The Activation Sequence of Cellular Protein Handling Systems After Proteasomal Inhibition in Dopaminergic Cells.
Xiong R., Siegel D., and Ross D., 
Chem Biol Interact. 2013, 204(2):116-24.

Synthesis of 19-Substituted Geldanamycins with Altered Conformations and Their Binding to Heat Shock Protein Hsp90.
Kitson R.R., Chang C.H., Xiong R., Williams H.E., Davis A.L., Lewis W., Dehn D.L., Siegel D., Roe S.M., Prodromou C., Ross D., and Moody CJ. 
Nat Chem. 2013, 5(4):307-14.