James Ahodantin, PhD

2009: BS, Microbiology and Biochemistry at Université François Rabelais, Tours, France

2011: MS, Infectious diseases and Vaccines at Université François Rabelais, Tours, France

2017: Ph.D., Virology & Immunology at Sorbonne University, UPMC, Paris, France

2018: Postdoctoral Fellow, Virology & Immunology at University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, NC, USA

Dr. James Ahodantin grew up in France and received a training in Infectious diseases and Vaccines followed by a Ph.D. degree in Virology and Immunology at Sorbonne University in Paris where he discovered that hepatitis B virus X protein (HBx) promotes the development of hepatocellular carcinoma through the dysruption of liver polyploidization. Dr. Ahodantin has also significantly contributed to the development of humanized mouse model for HBV study. Next, he completed his postdoctoral training at University of North Carolina Chapel Hill in Prof. Lishan Su's lab where his research focused on the investigation of mechanisms of HIV and HBV immunopathology in the liver. Through over several years of work, training, and teaching/mentoring, Dr. Ahodantin have developed extensive expertise in Virology, Immunology and Liver Biology.

Virology, Immunology, Immunotherapy, humanized mice, Liver diseases

1. Ahodantin J, Li F, Su L. “Modeling HBV Infection and Therapy in Immunodeficient NOD-Rag1-/-IL2RgammaC-null (NRG) Fumarylacetoacetate Hydrolase (FAH) Knockout Mice with Human Chimeric Liver”, Methods In Molecular Biology, 2024, Vol.2837, p.199-206.
2. Ahodantin J, Wu J, Funaki M, Flores J, Wang X, Liu Y, Su L. “Siglec-H^-/- plasmacytoid dendritic cells protects against acute liver injury by suppressing IFN-γ/Th1 response and promoting IL-21⁺ CD4 T cells”, Cellular and Molecular Gastroenterology and Hepatology, 2024 Jun 5:101367.
3. Liu Y, Zhou Y, Ahodantin J, Jin Y, Zhu J, Sun Z, Wu X, Su L, Yang Y. “Generation and characterization of mature hepatocyte organoids for liver metabolic studies”, Journal of Cell Science, 2024 May 15;137(10):jcs261961.
4. Ahodantin J, Nio K, Funaki M, Zhai X, Wilson E, Kottilil S, Cheng L, Li G, Su L. “Type I interferons and TGF-β cooperate to induce liver fibrosis during HIV-1 infection under antiretroviral therapy”. JCI Insights, 2022 May 31;e152738.
5. Ahodantin J, Lekbaby B, Bou Nader M, Soussan P, Kremsdorf “Hepatitis B virus X protein enhances the development of liver fibrosis and the expression of genes associated with epithelial-mesenchymal transitions and tumor progenitor cells”. Carcinogenesis, 2020, 41(3):358-367.
6. Ahodantin J, Li F, Su L. “Modeling HBV infection and therapy in immunodeficient NOD-Rag1-/- IL2RgammaC-null (NRG) fumarylacetoacetate hydrolase (FAH) knockout mice with human chimeric liver”. ICE-HBV Protocol.
7. Ahodantin J, Bou-Nader M, Cordier C., Mégret J, Soussan P, Desdouets C, Kremsdorf D. “Hepatitis B virus X protein mediates aberrant polyploidization in the liver and enhances hepatocellular carcinoma initiation ”. Oncogene, 2018, Apr;38(14):2645-2657.
8. Dusséaux M, Masse-Ranson G, Darche , Ahodantin J, Li Y, Fiquet O, Beaumont E, Moreau P, Rivière L, Neuveut C, Soussan P, Roingeard P, Kremsdorf D, Di Santo JP, Strick-Marchand H. “Viral load affects the immune response to HBV in mice with humanized immune system and liver ”. Gastroenterology, 2017 Dec;153(6):1647-166.
9. Duriez M, Mandouri Y, Lekbaby B, Wang H, Schnuriger A, Redelsperger F, Guerrera CI, Lefevre M, Fauveau V, Ahodantin J., Quetier I, Chhuon C., Gourari S., Boissonnas A., Gill U, Kennedy P., Debzi N, Sitterlin D., Maini MK., Kremsdorf D., Soussan P. “Alternative splicing of hepatitis B virus : A novel virus/host interaction altering liver immunity”. Journal of Hepatology, 2017 ; 67(4):687-699.
10. Strick-Marchand H, Dusseaux M, Darche S, Huntington ND, Legrand N, Masse-Ranson G, Corcuff, Ahodantin J, Weijer K, Spits H., Kremsdorf, D., Di Santo, JP. “A novel mouse model for stable engraftment of a human immune system and human hepatocytes”. PLoS One, 2015; 10:e0119820.
11. Quetier I, Brezillon N, Revaud J, Ahodantin J, DaSilva L, Soussan P, Kremsdorf D “C-terminal-truncated hepatitis B virus X protein enhances the development of diethylnitrosamine-induced hepatocellular carcinogenesis”. Journal of General Virology, 2015; 96:614-25.
12. Pol JG, Lekbaby B, Redelsperger F, Klamer S, Mandouri Y, Ahodantin J, Bieche I, Lefevre M, Souque P, Charneau P, Gadessaud N, Kremsdorf D, Soussan P, “Alternative splicing-regulated protein of hepatitis B virus hacks the TNF-alpha-stimulated signaling pathways and limits the extent of liver inflammation”. Faseb Journal, 2015 ; 29:1879-89.
13. Quetier I, Brezillon N, Duriez, Massinet H, Giang E, Ahodantin J, Lamant C, Brunelle, MN, Soussan P, Kremsdorf D, “Hepatitis B virus HBx protein impairs liver regeneration through enhanced expression of IL-6 in transgenic mice”. Journal of Hepatology, 2013 ; 59: 285-91.