Projects per year
Personal profile
Personal profile
Dr. Zhiqiang Zhang earned his Ph.D. in Life Science from the University of Dalian University of Technology, Dalian, China, in 1999. He held faculty appointments at the University of Texas, MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston Texas, and the Baylor research Institute, Baylor Institute for Immunology Research, Dallas, Texas, and adjunct faculty appointment at Baylor University, Waco, Texas, before becoming a member of Houston Methodist Research Institute in 2014. As a member of the Research Institute Transplant Immunology Research Program, he directs a research program focusing on inflammation and virus infection.
Research interests
Innate immunity plays a critical role in initiating immune response and pathogen clearance upon microbial infection. Using pattern recognition receptors, including intracellular receptors or cell surface receptors, immune cells sense and respond to pathogenic microbial infection. This triggers activation of various anti-pathogen signaling cascades leading to anti-microbial, type I interferon (IFN), and/or proinflammatory cytokine responses. Understanding the effect of various microbial infections on receptors and signaling pathways will provide molecular insights into the host defense machinery and potential therapeutic targets for treating microbial infection. In contrast, uncontrolled nucleic acid sensing, especially self-nucleic acid sensing, and excessive production of type 1 IFN and proinflammatory cytokines, have been implicated in the development of autoimmune diseases such as systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Knowing the self-nucleic acid sensing systems in immune cells will help us develop receptor antagonists as a new form of therapy for autoimmune diseases.
Studies conducted by Dr. Zhang ’s group indicate that many helicases are critical cytosolic sensors that recognize RNA, DNA, or c-di-GMP, triggering the IFN host immune response mediated by MAVS, TRIF, or STING. The anti-microbial pathogen activities of these helicases are regulated by protein ubiquitination. Further studies indicate that these helicases as well as the well-known IFI16, play little role in sensing neutrophil-derived mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA), which is the major inducer of IFN in SLE. Dr.
Zhang ’s group has:
i) Characterized DNA-binding proteins in monocyte. They expect to identify the cytosolic sensor to mtDNA.
ii) Screened all 70 members in the TRIM family and has found that at least 6 other TRIMs play important roles in regulating nucleic acid sensing.
Together, their studies will focus on revealing the unknown host defense mechanisms, autoimmune mechanisms, and ubiquitin-signaling pathways.
Education/Academic qualification
Postdoctoral Fellowship, Chinese Academy of Sciences
Biochemical Engineering, MS, Dalian Univ of Technology
Biochemical Engineering, PhD, Dalian Univ of Technology
Postdoctoral Fellowship, Pennsylvania State University
Postdoctoral Fellowship, Tufts University
External positions
Associate Professor of Immunology in Surgery
Jun 1 2014 → …
Research Area Keywords
- Immunobiology & Inflammation
Free-text keywords
- Autoimmune mechanisms
- Virus infection
- Type I interferon
- Proinflammatory cytokine response
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Collaborations and top research areas from the last five years
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Studies of a new checkpoint regulator in the control of intestinal inflammation
6/7/21 → 5/31/26
Project: Federal Funding Agencies
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Studies of a new checkpoint regulator in controlling lung inflammation
9/1/20 → 8/31/21
Project: Federal Funding Agencies
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Targeting novel checkpoint regulator to control viral myocarditis
Xing, J., Cooke, J. P., Li, X. C. & Zhang, Z.
7/1/20 → 6/30/23
Project: Non Profit
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Oxidized mitochondrial DNA employs APEX1 in neutrophils to control lupus
1/1/17 → 2/14/20
Project: Non Profit
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TRIM29 controls enteric RNA virus-induced intestinal inflammation by targeting NLRP6 and NLRP9b signaling pathways
Wang, J., Wang, L., Lu, W., Farhataziz, N., Gonzalez, A., Xing, J. & Zhang, Z., Oct 11 2024, (E-pub ahead of print) In: Mucosal Immunology.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open Access -
TRIM56 coiled-coil domain structure provides insights into its E3 ligase functions
Lou, X., Ma, B., Zhuang, Y., Xiao, X., Minze, L. J., Xing, J., Zhang, Z. & Li, X. C., Apr 23 2023, In: Computational and Structural Biotechnology Journal. 21, p. 2801-2808 8 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open Access2 Scopus citations -
Mechanisms involved in controlling RNA virus-induced intestinal inflammation
Zhang, E., Fang, M., Jones, C., Minze, L. J., Xing, J. & Zhang, Z., Jun 2022, In: Cellular and Molecular Life Sciences. 79, 6, p. 313 313.Research output: Contribution to journal › Review article › peer-review
Open Access11 Scopus citations -
The RNA helicase DHX15 is a critical regulator of natural killer-cell homeostasis and functions
Wang, G., Xiao, X., Wang, Y., Chu, X., Dou, Y., Minze, L. J., Ghobrial, R. M., Zhang, Z. & Li, X. C., Jun 2022, In: Cellular and Molecular Immunology. 19, 6, p. 687-701 15 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
4 Scopus citations -
TRIM18 is a critical regulator of viral myocarditis and organ inflammation
Fang, M., Zhang, A., Du, Y., Lu, W., Wang, J., Minze, L. J., Cox, T. C., Li, X. C., Xing, J. & Zhang, Z., Jul 31 2022, In: Journal of Biomedical Science. 29, 1, p. 55 55.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open Access27 Scopus citations
Prizes
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HMAI award for career cornerstone award
Zhang, Zhiqiang (Recipient), Sep 8 2021
Prize: Prize (including medals and awards)
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IAM Award for Excellence in Peer-Reviewed Publication
Zhang, Zhiqiang (Recipient), Jun 7 2017
Prize: Other distinction
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Identification of a role for TRIM29 in the control of innate immunity in the respiratory tract
Zhang, Zhiqiang (Recipient), Oct 24 2016
Prize: Prize (including medals and awards)
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NIH Competitiveness Award Initiative
Zhang, Zhiqiang (Recipient), Apr 27 2020
Prize: Prize (including medals and awards)
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