Investigator, Regenerative Medicine
Ottawa Hospital Research Institute

Dr. Shirley Mei has a keen interest in translational research to bring basic/preclinical research to clinical testing. Her research interest focuses on the development of stem/progenitor cell and cell-based gene therapy strategies for sepsis/septic shock, acute lung injury and pulmonary arterial hypertension. Dr. Mei received her MSc from the Department of Biochemistry & Biomedical Sciences at McMaster University, and PhD from the Institute of Medical Science at the University of Toronto.

Souza-Moreira L, Tan Y, Wang Y, Wang JP, Salkhordeh M, Virgo J, Florian M, Murray ABP, Watpool I, McIntyre L, English S, Stewart DJ, Mei SHJ. Poly(I:C) enhances mesenchymal stem cell control of myeloid cells from COVID-19 patients. iScience. 2022 May 20;25(5):104188. doi: 10.1016/j.isci.2022.104188. Epub 2022 Apr 1.PMID: 35402859.

Florian M, Wang JP, Deng Y, Souza-Moreira L, Stewart DJ, Mei SHJ. Gene engineered mesenchymal stem cells: greater transgene expression and efficacy with minicircle vs. plasmid DNA vectors in a mouse model of acute lung injury. Stem Cell Res Ther. 2021 Mar 16;12(1):184. doi: 10.1186/s13287-021-02245-5.PMID: 33726829.

Tan Y, Salkhordeh M, Wang J, McRae A, Souza-Moreira L, McIntyre L, Stewart D, Mei S. Thawed Mesenchymal Stem Cell Product Shows Comparable Immunomodulatory Potency to Cultured Cells In Vitro and in Polymicrobial Septic Animals. Scientific Reports. 2019 December; 9(1):18078. doi: 10.1038/s41598-019-54462-x.

Schlosser K, Wang JP, Dos Santos C, Walley KR, Marshall J, Fergusson DA, Winston BW, Granton J, Watpool I, Stewart DJ, McIntyre LA, Mei SHJ. Effects of Mesenchymal Stem Cell Treatment on Systemic Cytokine Levels in a Phase 1 Dose Escalation Safety Trial of Septic Shock Patients. Crit Care Med. 2019 Jul;47(7):918-925. doi: 10.1097/CCM.0000000000003657. PubMed PMID: 30720538; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC6629173.

McIntyre LA, Stewart DJ, Mei SHJ, Courtman D, Watpool I, Granton J, Marshall J, Dos Santos C, Walley KR, Winston BW, Schlosser K, Fergusson DA; Canadian Critical Care Trials Group.; Canadian Critical Care Translational Biology Group. Cellular Immunotherapy for Septic Shock. A Phase I Clinical Trial. Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 2018 Feb 1;197(3):337-347. doi: 10.1164/rccm.201705-1006OC. PubMed PMID: 28960096.

Schlosser K, Taha M, Deng Y, McIntyre LA, Mei SHJ, Stewart DJ. High circulating angiopoietin-2 levels exacerbate pulmonary inflammation but not vascular leak or mortality in endotoxin-induced lung injury in mice. Thorax. 2018 Mar;73(3):248-261. doi: 10.1136/thoraxjnl-2017-210413. Epub 2017 Sep 25. PubMed PMID: 28947667; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC5870448.

Mei SH, Dos Santos CC, Stewart DJ. Advances in Stem Cell and Cell-Based Gene Therapy Approaches for Experimental Acute Lung Injury: A Review of Preclinical Studies. Hum Gene Ther. 2016 Oct;27(10):802-812. Review. PubMed PMID: 27531647.

Mei SH, Haitsma JJ, Dos Santos CC, Deng Y, Lai PF, Slutsky AS, Liles WC, Stewart DJ. Mesenchymal stem cells reduce inflammation while enhancing bacterial clearance and improving survival in sepsis. Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 2010 Oct 15;182(8):1047-57. doi: 10.1164/rccm.201001-0010OC. Epub 2010 Jun 17. PubMed PMID: 20558630.

Mei SH, McCarter SD, Deng Y, Parker CH, Liles WC, Stewart DJ. Prevention of LPS-induced acute lung injury in mice by mesenchymal stem cells overexpressing angiopoietin 1. PLoS Med. 2007 Sep;4(9):e269. PubMed PMID: 17803352; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC1961632.

COVID-19; Septic shock

Basic research; Biomarkers; Cell therapy; Critical care; Disease models; Epigenetics; Epigenetics; Gene therapy; Knowledge translation and implementation research; Molecular and cellular biology; Regenerative medicine; Stem cells