Yonghui Zhang

We study immune recognition and reprogramming by using a multidisciplinary approach involving chemical biology, structural biology, molecular immunology, cell and mice models, and medicinal chemistry. We aim to provide approaches to vaccine adjuvants, allogeneic immune cell therapies and new anti-infection strategies.

Selected Publications:

1. Xia, Y., Xie, Y., Yu, Z., Xiao, H., Jiang, G., Zhou, X., Yang, Y., Li, X., Zhao, M., Li, L., Zheng, M., Han, S., Zong, Z., Meng, X., Deng, H., Ye, H., Fa, Y., Wu, H., Oldfield, E., Hu, X., Liu, W*., Shi, Y*., Zhang, Y*. The mevalonate pathway is a druggable target for vaccine adjuvant discovery. Cell, 2018, 175, 1059-1073.

2. Yang, Y., Li, L., Zhou, X., Duan, J., Liu, W., Chen, C., Wang, L., Li, X., Cai, N., Yuan, L., Chen, J., Kang, N., Malwal, S.R., Shi, Y., Oldfield, E*., Guo, R-T*., Zhang, Y*. A structural change in butyrophilin upon phosphoantigen binding underlies phosphoantigen-mediated Vγ9Vδ 2 T cell activation. Immunity, 2019, 50, 1043-1053.

3. Han, S., Xin, L., Xia, Y., Yu, Z., Cai, N., Malwal, S., Han, X. E, Oldifeld*., Zhang, Y*. Farnesyl pyrophosphate synthase as a target for drug development: discovery of natural-product-derived inhibitors and their activity in pancreatic cancer cells. J. Med. Chem., 2019, 62, 10867-10896.

4. Zhou, X., Gu, Y., Xiao, H., Kang, N., Xie, Y., Zhang, G., Shi, Y., Hu, X., Oldfield, E., Zhang, X*., Zhang, Y*. Combining Vγ9Vδ2 T cells with a lipophilic bisphosphonate efficiently kills activated hepatic stellate cells. Front. Immunol. 2017, 8, 1381.

5. Xia, Y.; Liu, Y-L.; Xie, Y.; Zhu, W.; Guerra, F.; Shen, S.; Yeddula, N.; Fischer, W.; Low, W.; Zhou, X.; Zhang, Y*.; Oldfield, E*.; Verma, I. M*. A combination therapy for KRAS-driven lung adenocarcinomas using lipophilic bisphosphonates and rapamycin. Sci. Trans. Med. 2014，263ra261.