Research Activities

1.Somatic mutation in human diseases

Cells in mammals acquire and accumulate somatic mutation in the entire lifespan. Benefited from the progress of high-throughput sequencing technology, researchers have been capable to measure somatic mutation burdens, and evaluate the effect and significance of somatic mutations to human health. Cancer cells carry high rate of somatic mutations, “driver” mutations in coding regions may confer host cells the advantage of growth, mutations may be expanded and finally contribute to the development of the cancers. In normal human cells the accumulation of somatic mutation with age has been observed in multiple organs, and the elevated mutation burden is related with aging disease for example neural degenerative disease.

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a degenerative disease of articular cartilage, the primary risk factor is age, so the the impact of somatic mutation in OA attracted our interest. Regarding mutation frequency in normal cells is much lower than in cancer cells, we here integrated single-cell isolation technique, high-throughput sequencing and SNVs calling bioinformatics tools to identify somatic mutations in aging and OA cartilage, with non-OA cartilage as the background. We are also interested to identify the intra tumor heterogeneity in pancreatic cancer.

2.DNA damage and cellular senescence

DNA damage and cellular senescence are two interrelated factors and are critically important in aging and its relationship to disease. We are interested to measure the frequency and spatial distribution of senescent cells and DNA break in articular cartilage of OA and during aging. We are aiming to profile DNA damage, both DSB and SSB site, and assess DNA damage repair activities in articular cartilage of OA and during aging.

Educational Background

• 2012-12 to 2015-10，Université Paris Diderot - Paris VII, Ph.D. in Virology

• 2004-09 to 2007-03，East China University of Science and Technology, M.S. in Microbiology and Biochemical Pharmacy

• 1997-09 to 2001-07，Hebei University of Technology, Bachelor of Bioengineering

Professional Experience

• 2019-07 till now, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Center for Single-Cell Omics, Research Technician

• 2016-03 to 2018-07，Shanghai Center for Plant Stress Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences.，Senior Engineer

• 2007-07 to 2016-02，Institut Pasteur of Shanghai, Chinese Academy of Sciences. Engineer / Senior Engineer

• 2001-07 to 2004-09，New Drug R&D Co., Ltd, North China Pharmaceutical Group Corporation, Assistant Engineer

Publications

1. Ren, P.*, Zheng Y, Wang W, Hong L, Delpeyroux F, Arenzana-Seisdedos F, Altmeyer R. Suramin interacts with the positively charged region surrounding the 5-fold axis of the EV-A71 capsid and inhibits multiple enterovirus A. Sci. Rep. 7, 42902; doi: 10.1038/srep42902 (2017)

2. Ren, P., G. Zou, B. Bailly, S. Xu, M. Zeng, X. Chen, L. Shen, Y. Zhang, P. Guillon, F. Arenzana-Seisdedos, P. Buchy, J. Li, M. von Itzstein, Q. Li and R. Altmeyer (2014). "The approved pediatric drug suramin identified as a clinical candidate for the treatment of EV71 infection[mdash]suramin inhibits EV71 infection in vitro and in vivo." Emerg Microbes Infect 3: e62.

3. Zeng, M., N. F. El Khatib, S. Tu, P. Ren, S. Xu, Q. Zhu, X. Mo, D. Pu, X. Wang and R. Altmeyer. "Seroepidemiology of Enterovirus 71 infection prior to the 2011 season in children in Shanghai." J Clin Virol. 2012; 53(4): 285-289.

4. Weng L, Wang Q, Wang W, Ren P, Deubel V, and Toyoda T, “Shedding of the Pandemic Swine-Origin Influenza A Virus (H1N1) after Oseltamivir Administration,” Influenza Research and Treatment, vol. 2010

5. Wang W, Cavailler P, Ren P, Zhang J, Dong W, Yan H, Mardy S, Cailhol J, Buchy P, Sheng J, Fontanet A, Deubel V. Molecular monitoring of causative viruses in child acute respiratory infection in endemo-epidemic situations in Shanghai. J Clin Virol. 2010 Nov; 49(3):211-8

6. Wang K, Wang W, Yan H, Ren P, Zhang J, Shen J, Deubel V. Correlation between bocavirus infection and humoral response, and co-infection with other respiratory viruses in children with acute respiratory infection. J Clin Virol. 2010 Feb; 47(2):148-55.

7. Wang W, Ren P, Sheng J, Mardy S, Yan H, Zhang J, Hou L, Vabret A, Buchy P, Freymuth F, Deubel, V. Simultaneous detection of respiratory viruses in children with acute respiratory infection using two different multiplex reverse transcription-PCR assays. Journal of Virological Methods. 2009 Dec; 162(1-2):40-5

8. Huang T, Wang W, Bessaud M, Ren P, Sheng J, Yan H, Zhang J, Lin X, Wang Y, Delpeyroux F, Deubel V. Evidence of Recombination and Genetic Diversity in Human Rhinoviruses in Children with Acute Respiratory Infection. PLoS One. 2009; 4(7): e6355.

9. Wang W, Ren P, Mardi S, Hou L, Tsai C, Chan KH, Cheng P, Sheng J, Buchy P, Sun B, Toyoda T, Lim W, Peiris JS, Zhou P, Deubel V. Design of Multiplexed Detection Assays for Identification of Avian Influenza A Virus Subtypes Pathogenic to Humans by SmartCycler Real-Time Reverse Transcription-PCR. Journal of Clinical Microbiology. 2009 Jan; 47(1):86-92.

10. Ren P, Yi X, Zhang Y. Construction of Expression Vector for EGFP-PDGFRβ Fusion Gene and Optimization of Condition for Transfection of COS-7 Cells with the Vector. Chinese Journal of Biologicals . 2008 Nov; 0933-06

Patent

• Ralf Altmeyer, REN Peiju. Components and methods to treat viral infection. CN201310077649，PCT number:PCT/CN2013/072402