Areas of Expertise:
Transplant immunosuppression, T-cell biology, Immunometabolism
Locations:
Main Campus; Specialty Care, Virtua
Ulf H. Beier, MD, is an Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. Dr. Beier graduated from medical school in Germany (University of Kiel). He completed his Pediatric residency training at the University of Illinois at Chicago, where he also served as Chief resident. Subsequently, he joined CHOP as a Nephrology Fellow in 2008.
Following his fellowship, Dr. Beier stayed on as faculty at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. During his clinical training and time as faculty at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Dr. Beier became interested in the immune biology of transplantation, and started working in the laboratory of Wayne W. Hancock. There, he studied the biology of the histone/protein deacetylase Sirtuin-1 in T cell function.
Subsequently, Dr. Beier developed an independent research interest in T cell metabolism and the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment. He observed that regulatory T cells are metabolically well adapted to low-glucose, high L-lactate environments (Cell Metabolism 2017). Cancers can be very adept at evading the immune response by creating a metabolic environment favoring pro-tolerant conditions. Dr. Beier aims to learn from cancer to develop new approaches to therapeutic immunosuppression derived from the mechanisms of how cancer metabolism evades anti-tumor immunity. His research is funded by the American Society of Nephrology, the Laffey McHugh foundation, and the National Institutes of Health.
Dr. med. - Christian, Albrechts, University of Kiel, Kiel, Germany
Pediatrics - University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL
Pediatrics - University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL (Chief Resident)
Pediatric Nephrology - The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA
Pediatric NephrologyPediatrics
Attending Physician
Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania
Targeting sirtuin-1 to enhance foxp3+ regulatory T-cell function
HDAC9 and mitochondrial biology
Lieber, A.D., U.H. Beier, H. Xiao, B.J. Wilkins, J. Jiao, X.S. Li, R.C. Schugar, C.M. Strauch, Z. Wang, J.M. Brown, S.L. Hazen, N.A. Bokulich, K.V. Ruggles, T. Akimova, W.W. Hancock and M.J. Blaser, Loss of HDAC6 alters gut microbiota and worsens obesity. FASEB J, 2018: p. fj201701586R.
Wang, L., U.H. Beier, T. Akimova, S. Dahiya, R. Han, A. Samanta, M.H. Levine and W.W. Hancock, Histone/protein deacetylase inhibitor therapy for enhancement of Foxp3+ T-regulatory cell function post-transplantation. Am J Transplant, 2018.
Negorev, D., U.H. Beier, T. Zhang, J.G. Quatromoni, P. Bhojnagarwala, S.M. Albelda, S. Singhal, E. Eruslanov, F.W. Lohoff, M.H. Levine, J.M. Diamond, J.D. Christie, W.W. Hancock and T. Akimova, Human neutrophils can mimic myeloid-derived suppressor cells (PMN-MDSC) and suppress microbead or lectin-induced T cell proliferation through artefactual mechanisms. Sci Rep, 2018. 8(1): p. 3135.
Beier, U.H., Apoptotic Regulatory T Cells Retain Suppressive Function through Adenosine. Cell Metab, 2018. 27(1): p. 5-7.
Angelin, A., L. Gil-de-Gomez, S. Dahiya, J. Jiao, L. Guo, M.H. Levine, Z. Wang, W.J. Quinn, 3rd, P.K. Kopinski, L. Wang, T. Akimova, Y. Liu, T.R. Bhatti, R. Han, B.L. Laskin, J.A. Baur, I.A. Blair, D.C. Wallace, W.W. Hancock and U.H. Beier, Foxp3 Reprograms T Cell Metabolism to Function in Low-Glucose, High-Lactate Environments. Cell Metab, 2017. 25(6): p. 1282-1293 e7.
Huang, J., L. Wang, S. Dahiya, U.H. Beier, R. Han, A. Samanta, J. Bergman, E.M. Sotomayor, E. Seto, A.P. Kozikowski and W.W. Hancock, Histone/protein deacetylase 11 targeting promotes Foxp3+ Treg function. Sci Rep, 2017. 7(1): p. 8626.
Akimova, T., T. Zhang, D. Negorev, S. Singhal, J. Stadanlick, A. Rao, M. Annunziata, M.H. Levine, U.H. Beier, J.M. Diamond, J.D. Christie, S.M. Albelda, E.B. Eruslanov and W.W. Hancock, Human lung tumor FOXP3+ Tregs upregulate four "Treg-locking" transcription factors. JCI Insight, 2017. 2(16).
Laskin, B.L., J. Jiao, H.J. Baluarte, S. Amaral, S.L. Furth, T. Akimova, W.W. Hancock, M.H. Levine, P.P. Reese and U.H. Beier, The Effects of Tacrolimus on T-Cell Proliferation Are Short-Lived: A Pilot Analysis of Immune Function Testing. Transplant Direct, 2017. 3(8): p. e199.
Jiao, J., R. Han, W.W. Hancock and U.H. Beier, Proximity Ligation Assay to Quantify Foxp3 Acetylation in Regulatory T Cells. Methods Mol Biol, 2017. 1510: p. 287-293.
Levine, M.H., Z. Wang, H. Xiao, J. Jiao, L. Wang, T.R. Bhatti, W.W. Hancock and U.H. Beier, Targeting Sirtuin-1 prolongs murine renal allograft survival and function. Kidney Int, 2016. 89(5): p. 1016-26.
Wang, L., S. Kumar, S. Dahiya, F. Wang, J. Wu, K. Newick, R. Han, A. Samanta, U.H. Beier, T. Akimova, T.R. Bhatti, B. Nicholson, M.P. Kodrasov, S. Agarwal, D.E. Sterner, W. Gu, J. Weinstock, T.R. Butt, S.M. Albelda and W.W. Hancock, Ubiquitin-specific Protease-7 Inhibition Impairs Tip60-dependent Foxp3+ T-regulatory Cell Function and Promotes Antitumor Immunity. EBioMedicine, 2016. 13: p. 99-112.
Laskin, B.L., H.K. Singh, U.H. Beier, T. Moatz, S.L. Furth, N. Bunin, D. Witte, J. Goebel, S.M. Davies, C. Dandoy, S. Jodele and V. Nickeleit, The Noninvasive Urinary Polyomavirus Haufen Test Predicts BK Virus Nephropathy in Children After Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation: A Pilot Study. Transplantation, 2016. 100(10): p. e81-7.
Xiao, H., J. Jiao, L. Wang, S. O'Brien, K. Newick, L.C. Wang, E. Falkensammer, Y. Liu, R. Han, V. Kapoor, F.K. Hansen, T. Kurz, W.W. Hancock and U.H. Beier, HDAC5 controls the functions of Foxp3(+) T-regulatory and CD8(+) T cells. Int J Cancer, 2016. 138(10): p. 2477-86.
Akimova, T., M.H. Levine, U.H. Beier and W.W. Hancock, Standardization, Evaluation, and Area-Under-Curve Analysis of Human and Murine Treg Suppressive Function. Methods Mol Biol, 2016. 1371: p. 43-78.
Beier, U.H., A. Angelin, T. Akimova, L. Wang, Y. Liu, H. Xiao, M.A. Koike, S.A. Hancock, T.R. Bhatti, R. Han, J. Jiao, S.C. Veasey, C.A. Sims, J.A. Baur, D.C. Wallace and W.W. Hancock, Essential role of mitochondrial energy metabolism in Foxp3(+) T-regulatory cell function and allograft survival. FASEB J, 2015. 29(6): p. 2315-26.
Wang, L., Y. Liu, R. Han, U.H. Beier, T.R. Bhatti, T. Akimova, M.I. Greene, S.W. Hiebert and W.W. Hancock, FOXP3(+) regulatory T cell development and function require histone/protein deacetylase 3. J Clin Invest, 2015. 125(8): p. 3304.
Akimova, T., H. Xiao, Y. Liu, T.R. Bhatti, J. Jiao, E. Eruslanov, S. Singhal, L. Wang, R. Han, K. Zacharia, W.W. Hancock and U.H. Beier, Targeting sirtuin-1 alleviates experimental autoimmune colitis by induction of Foxp3+ T-regulatory cells. Mucosal Immunol, 2014. 7(5): p. 1209-20.
Liu, Y., L. Wang, R. Han, U.H. Beier, T. Akimova, T. Bhatti, H. Xiao, P.A. Cole, P.K. Brindle and W.W. Hancock, Two histone/protein acetyltransferases, CBP and p300, are indispensable for Foxp3+ T-regulatory cell development and function. Mol Cell Biol, 2014. 34(21): p. 3993-4007.
Liu, Y., L. Wang, J. Predina, R. Han, U.H. Beier, L.C. Wang, V. Kapoor, T.R. Bhatti, T. Akimova, S. Singhal, P.K. Brindle, P.A. Cole, S.M. Albelda and W.W. Hancock, Inhibition of p300 impairs Foxp3(+) T regulatory cell function and promotes antitumor immunity. Nat Med, 2013. 19(9): p. 1173-7.
Wang, L., Y. Liu, R. Han, U.H. Beier, R.M. Thomas, A.D. Wells and W.W. Hancock, Mbd2 promotes foxp3 demethylation and T-regulatory-cell function. Mol Cell Biol, 2013. 33(20): p. 4106-15.
Wang, L., Y. Liu, U.H. Beier, R. Han, T.R. Bhatti, T. Akimova and W.W. Hancock, Foxp3+ T-regulatory cells require DNA methyltransferase 1 expression to prevent development of lethal autoimmunity. Blood, 2013. 121(18): p. 3631-9.
Beier, U.H., L. Wang, R. Han, T. Akimova, Y. Liu and W.W. Hancock, Histone deacetylases 6 and 9 and sirtuin-1 control Foxp3+ regulatory T cell function through shared and isoform-specific mechanisms. Sci Signal, 2012. 5(229): p. ra45.
Beier, U.H., L. Wang and W.W. Hancock, Combination of isoform-selective histone/protein deacetylase inhibitors improves Foxp3+ T-regulatory cell function. Cell Cycle, 2012. 11(18): p. 3351-2.
Hancock, W.W., T. Akimova, U.H. Beier, Y. Liu and L. Wang, HDAC inhibitor therapy in autoimmunity and transplantation. Ann Rheum Dis, 2012. 71 Suppl 2: p. i46-54.
Liu, Y., L. Wang, R. Han, U.H. Beier and W.W. Hancock, Two lysines in the forkhead domain of foxp3 are key to T regulatory cell function. PLoS One, 2012. 7(1): p. e29035.
Akimova, T., U.H. Beier, Y. Liu, L. Wang and W.W. Hancock, Histone/protein deacetylases and T-cell immune responses. Blood, 2012. 119(11): p. 2443-51.
Beier, U.H., L. Wang, T.R. Bhatti, Y. Liu, R. Han, G. Ge and W.W. Hancock, Sirtuin-1 targeting promotes Foxp3+ T-regulatory cell function and prolongs allograft survival. Mol Cell Biol, 2011. 31(5): p. 1022-9.
Akimova, T., U.H. Beier, L. Wang, M.H. Levine and W.W. Hancock, Helios expression is a marker of T cell activation and proliferation. PLoS One, 2011. 6(8): p. e24226.
Beier, U.H., T. Akimova, Y. Liu, L. Wang and W.W. Hancock, Histone/protein deacetylases control Foxp3 expression and the heat shock response of T-regulatory cells. Curr Opin Immunol, 2011. 23(5): p. 670-8.
de Zoeten, E.F., L. Wang, K. Butler, U.H. Beier, T. Akimova, H. Sai, J.E. Bradner, R. Mazitschek, A.P. Kozikowski, P. Matthias and W.W. Hancock, Histone deacetylase 6 and heat shock protein 90 control the functions of Foxp3(+) T-regulatory cells. Mol Cell Biol, 2011. 31(10): p. 2066-78.
Beier UH, Copelovitch L. Disorders of the renal & urologic systems: congenital anomalies of the kidney & urologic system. In: Florin TA, Ludwig S, editors. Netter's pediatrics. Amsterdam (The Netherlands): Elsevier; 2011. p. 408-13.
Ruiz CE, Beier UH. Small intestinal submucosa: a new generation of valve replacement. In: Hijazi ZM, Ruiz CE, Bonhoeffer P, Feldmann L, editors. Transcatheter valve repair. London: Martin Dunitz & Parthenon Publishing, Taylor & Francis Medical Books; 2006. p. 75-7.
2017, John Merrill Grant in Transplantation Scholar of the ASN Foundation for Kidney Research
2017, Early Career Faculty Honor Roll, The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia
2010, Young Investigator Award, American Transplant Congress
2010, Alien of Exceptional Ability, United States Citizenship and Immigration Services
2007, Elected Member, AΩA honor medical society
International Journal of Cancer
American Journal of Transplantation
Pediatric Nephrology
Scandinavian Journal of Immunology
Kidney International
Trends in Pharmacological Sciences
Journal of Rheumatology
Human Immunology
Scientific Reports
Translational Research
Cellular and Molecular Immunology
Liver Transplantation
Hepatology
Immunology
Cellular Signaling
Transplant Immunology
Transplantation
Cancer Immunology Research
Archives of Toxicology
Gastroenterology
Journal of Medical Genetics
Cell Metabolism
American Society of Pediatric Nephrology
- 2011-present, Research Committee
American Society of Transplantation
American Society of Nephrology
American Association of Immunologists