Sihong Song

Sihong Song is a Professor in the Department of Pharmaceutics at the University of Florida's College of Pharmacy. His research focuses on improving the safety and efficiency of recombinant adeno-associated virus (rAAV) vectors for gene therapy, particularly targeting diseases like diabetes and arthritis. Key interests include AAV genome persistence, immune response modulation, and liver/muscle gene delivery mechanisms.

He teaches courses such as Pharmaceutical Gene Delivery, Biotech and Drug Development, and Research Seminars. His work spans over two decades, with grants from agencies like the National Institutes of Health and industry partners like Sarepta Therapeutics. Notable projects include using alpha-1 antitrypsin (AAT) gene therapy to treat autoimmune disorders, osteoporosis, and lupus.

Publications highlight AAT’s role in suppressing inflammation, extending lifespan in lupus-prone mice, and mitigating hypertension. His lab explores molecular mechanisms of AAV vectors and translational applications, including ENaC regulation and kidney membrane dynamics.

• Education: PhD in Pharmaceutics (1996), Postdoc in Gene Therapy (1999), both from the University of Florida.
• Grants: Led projects on IL-10 mutants for IBD, AAV-hAAT vectors in lupus, and osteoporosis therapies.
• Labs/Teams: Focuses on vector design, autoimmune disease models, and gene delivery optimization.