About

Professor Xianghua Luo is a member of the Division of Biostatistics and Health Data Science, School of Public Health, and the Biostatistics Core at the Masonic Cancer Center, University of Minnesota. His research interests include development and application of statistical methods in various fields.

Research topics

• Medicine
• Chemistry
• Internal medicine
• Computer Science
• Environmental health
• Biology
• Metallurgy
• Toxicology
• Physiology
• Neuroscience
• Organic chemistry
• Gastroenterology
• Chemical engineering
• Genetics
• Physical chemistry
• Pathology
• Materials science
• Oncology
• Dermatology
• Biochemistry
• Physical therapy
• Nursing
• Surgery
• Composite material

Selected publications

• Figure S9 from A PSMA-Targeted Tri-Specific Killer Engager Enhances NK Cell Cytotoxicity against Prostate Cancer

  2025-02-03

  preprintOpen access

  <p>PSMA TriKE testing against patient-derived xenograft (PDX).</p>

  PublisherDOI

• The Impact of Nicotine Reduction on Cigarette Reinforcement Value Within a Marketplace Containing Alternative Nicotine Delivery Products: A Secondary Analysis of a Multi-Site Trial

  Nicotine & Tobacco Research · 2025-07-04

  articleOpen access

  INTRODUCTION: A mandated reduction in the nicotine content of cigarettes would likely improve public health. Prior research has shown that assignment to very low nicotine content (VLNC) cigarettes reduces the reinforcement value of cigarettes. However, no studies have evaluated changes in reinforcement for smoking after experience with VLNC cigarettes in a marketplace where noncombusted nicotine products are available. AIMS AND METHODS: Adult participants who smoke cigarettes (n = 438) were randomized 1:1 to VLNC or normal nicotine content cigarettes for 12 weeks. Participants purchased products using points valued at $1 from an experimental tobacco marketplace that contained study cigarettes and noncombusted nicotine products. At the 12-week visit, participants completed hypothetical purchase tasks for each product. Demand parameters were calculated, including intensity (consumption when product is free), breakpoint (price when consumption is reduced to zero), Pmax (price that produces maximum daily spending), Omax (maximum amount spent in a single day), and α (rate of change in consumption across the demand curve). RESULTS: Assignment to VLNC cigarettes reduced demand for study cigarettes across all parameters, and reduced demand for usual brand cigarettes for intensity and breakpoint, but not other parameters. Assignment to VLNC cigarettes increased Omax for e-cigarettes, but not other demand parameters. There were no significant differences in demand parameters for other products. CONCLUSIONS: A mandated reduction in cigarette nicotine content is likely to reduce the reinforcement value of cigarettes in a marketplace where noncombusted products are available, which may drive reductions in the prevalence of smoking and shift people who smoke toward noncombusted products. IMPLICATIONS: This is the first study to show that assignment to VLNC cigarettes along with access to noncombusted nicotine products reduces reinforcement value for both low nicotine and normal nicotine cigarettes, and may increase the reinforcement value of e-cigarettes. These results suggest that a mandated reduction in nicotine will decrease the prevalence of smoking and may increase the use of other noncombusted products.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Figure S3 from A PSMA-Targeted Tri-Specific Killer Engager Enhances NK Cell Cytotoxicity against Prostate Cancer

  2025-02-03

  preprintOpen access

  <p>Antigen specificity test of PSMA TriKE.</p>

  PublisherDOI

• Figure S2 from A PSMA-Targeted Tri-Specific Killer Engager Enhances NK Cell Cytotoxicity against Prostate Cancer

  2025-02-03

  preprintOpen access

  <p>Calculations of equifunctional dose of IL15 compared to PSMA TriKE.</p>

  PublisherDOI

• Combined Smoking Cessation and Alcohol Abstinence Treatment for People Experiencing Homelessness: A Randomized Trial

  Nicotine & Tobacco Research · 2025-05-16 · 1 citations

  articleOpen access

  INTRODUCTION: In the United States, 80% of adults experiencing homelessness smoke combustible cigarettes. Power to Quit 2 (PTQ2) was a randomized clinical trial to test the efficacy of a combined smoking cessation and alcohol abstinence biobehavioral intervention, Intensive Smoking plus Alcohol (IS + A), versus Usual Care (UC) for adults experiencing homelessness. METHODS: PTQ2 was conducted in two urban homeless shelters in the Upper Midwest (2014--2018). People who smoked and reported hazardous alcohol use (N = 344) were randomized to IS + A (10 sessions of cognitive behavioral therapy for smoking and alcohol cessation plus nicotine replacement therapy [NRT], n = 168) or UC (educational session on smoking and alcohol cessation plus NRT, n = 176). The primary hypothesis was that the intervention would result in greater biochemically verified 7-day point-prevalent smoking abstinence 26 weeks post-intervention compared with UC. Our secondary hypothesis was that the intervention would result in greater 30-day alcohol abstinence 26 weeks post-intervention compared with UC. RESULTS: At week 26, the IS + A intervention group did not differ from the UC group in expired carbon-monoxide-verified 7-day point-prevalent smoking abstinence (16.6% vs. 12.8%, P = .47) or rate of self-reported 30-day alcohol abstinence (91.1% vs. 90.2%, P = .75). CONCLUSIONS: The IS + A intervention did not result in significantly better smoking or alcohol cessation outcomes than UC. Nonetheless, trends in the smoking outcome data favored the intervention group, underscoring the importance of continued research into biobehavioral interventions that address smoking and alcohol use among adults experiencing homelessness. IMPLICATIONS: The study highlights the difficulty in observing changes in smoking outcomes in interventions tailored to concurrently address smoking and alcohol use among persons experiencing homelessness. The findings add to existing knowledge by providing evidence about the real-world complexities facing people who use tobacco and alcohol while experiencing homelessness.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Differences in Combustible Cigarette Smoking-Related Biomarkers by Hormonal Contraceptive Use: An Exploratory Study

  Nicotine & Tobacco Research · 2025-01-28 · 1 citations

  article

  INTRODUCTION: Hormonal contraceptives (HCs), which contain synthetic forms of estrogen (ie, ethinyl estradiol) and/or progesterone (ie, progestin), are commonly used by women who smoke combustible cigarettes. Prior research has demonstrated that HCs containing ethinyl estradiol influence nicotine metabolism, though less is known about the role of progestins. We sought to examine the association between HC use and smoking-related biomarkers. METHODS: This exploratory secondary-data analysis included females, ages of 18-45, who currently smoked classified into three groups based on current HC use: (1) combination HCs (C-HC; contains ethinyl estradiol and progestin), (2) progestin-only HCs (P-HC; contains progestin only with no ethinyl estradiol), and (3) no use of hormonal contraceptives (no-HC; no current use of ethinyl estradiol nor progestins). Group differences in expired carbon monoxide, urinary total 4-(methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanol) (NNAL), nicotine metabolite ratio (NMR), total nicotine equivalent (TNE), and the ratio of TNE to cigarettes/day were assessed. RESULTS: The C-HC (n = 22), P-HC (n = 67), and no-HC (n = 59) groups did not vary by age or race. Smoking-related biomarkers did not vary between the P-HC and no-HC groups. In adjusted analyses, the C-HC group had a lower TNE level (median = 41.22, interquartile range [IQR]: 32.10, 60.93) versus the P-HC group (median = 59.70, IQR = 44.89, 83.19; adjusted p-value = .006) and the no-HC group (median = 65.90, IQR = 57.55, 85.92; adjusted p-value = .010). CONCLUSION: Smoking-related biomarkers were comparable between those who used progestin-only hormonal contraceptives to those who did not use any hormonal contraceptive. In contrast, TNE varied in those who used hormonal contraceptives with ethinyl estradiol. Additional research is needed to replicate these observations.

  PublisherDOI

• Figure S7 from A PSMA-Targeted Tri-Specific Killer Engager Enhances NK Cell Cytotoxicity against Prostate Cancer

  2025-02-03

  preprintOpen access

  <p>Secretome analysis of supernatant from co-culture of NK cells with monocytes or MDSCs.</p>

  PublisherDOI

• A Randomized, Open-Label Trial to Assess Feasibility and Tolerability of Topical Cannabis Balms for the Treatment of Aromatase Inhibitor-Associated Musculoskeletal Syndrome (AIMSS)

  Cannabis and Cannabinoid Research · 2025-12-29

  articleOpen access

  INTRODUCTION: Aromatase inhibitors (AIs) are commonly used for postmenopausal women with hormone receptor-positive breast cancer. Nearly two-thirds of women on AIs have arthralgias, joint stiffness, and/or bone pains referred to as aromatase inhibitor-induced musculoskeletal syndrome (AIMSS), leading to poor adherence. Preclinical and clinical data suggest topical cannabinoids can reduce inflammation in arthritis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We conducted a randomized trial assessing feasibility, tolerability, and preliminary efficacy of topical cannabis for women with stage 1-3 breast cancer experiencing AIMSS. Women were randomized 1:1 to cannabidiol (CBD) vs. delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) balms. The balm was applied three times daily to hands for 2 weeks, followed by a 2-week extension with the balm of their choice. Modified Score for the Assessment and Quantification of Chronic Rheumatoid Affectations of the Hands (M-SACRAH), brief pain inventory, and skin toxicity measures were captured weekly. RESULTS: A total of 21 women completed the study over 14 months. The mean age was 54, 86% White, 43% received adjuvant chemotherapy, and 48% reported no lifetime cannabis use. Compliance was high, with 71% continuing an additional 2 weeks and 86% of weekly surveys completed. We found 86% of participants reported improvement in M-SACRAH from baseline to week 2 with a higher percentage of the THC balm group reporting a >50% improvement (50% vs. 18%). Minor skin irritation was reported by 24%, and one patient discontinued balm due to "greasy" texture. CONCLUSIONS: Conducting a randomized trial of topical cannabis using state-approved dispensaries is feasible. Both THC and CBD balms are well tolerated. Placebo-controlled trials are needed to determine if balms can reduce AIMSS severity in breast cancer survivors.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Figure S4 from A PSMA-Targeted Tri-Specific Killer Engager Enhances NK Cell Cytotoxicity against Prostate Cancer

  2025-02-03

  preprintOpen access

  <p>Representative images (10X magnification) from the IncuCyte live cell imaging assay.</p>

  PublisherDOI

• Table S2 from A PSMA-Targeted Tri-Specific Killer Engager Enhances NK Cell Cytotoxicity against Prostate Cancer

  2025-02-03

  preprintOpen access

  <p>Patient characteristics.</p>

  PublisherDOI

Recent grants

• Statistical methods for bivariate alternating recurrent event data

  NIH · $143k · 2017–2019

• Evaluating New Nicotine Standards for Cigarettes

  NIH · $126.0M · 2011–2025

• Statistical Methods for Analyzing Data of Recurrent Infections after Hematopoieti

  NIH · $143k · 2014–2016

Frequent coauthors

• Daniel J. Weisdorf

  University of Minnesota

  61 shared

• Dorothy K. Hatsukami

  55 shared

• Ranjana Mitra

  46 shared

• David A. Potter

  46 shared

• Monica Milani

  46 shared

• Ian A. Blair

  University of Pennsylvania

  43 shared

• Dafydd G. Thomas

  University of Michigan–Ann Arbor

  42 shared

• Clementina Mesaros

  41 shared

Labs

• Xianghua Luo LabPI

Education

• PhD, Department of Biostatistics, Bloomberg School of Public Health

  Johns Hopkins University

  2006

Awards & honors

• Member, Delta Omega Honorary Society in Public Health