Jinzhang Zeng, Ph.D.

Professor, Deputy Dean,

Experience

Dr. Zeng received his B.S. (1989),  M.S. (1995) and Ph.D. (1998) at First Military Medical University (Guangzhou,  China). He continued his academic research at Second Military Medical University  as a postdoctoral fellow, assistant professor and associate professor from 1998  through 2005 (Shanghai, China). After that, he worked as an associate professor  (2005-2006) at Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of  Sciences and as a visiting scholar (2006-2007) at Sanford-Burnham Medical  Research Institute (CA, La Jolla). In 2007, Dr. Zeng moved to Xiamen University  (XMU) to set up his own laboratory as a Professor and acting director of Cancer  Center at Institutes for Biomedical Research.From 2011 till now, Dr. Zeng is Professor and Deputy Dean of School of  Pharmaceutical Sciences (XMU). He has published papers on top journals,  including Cancer Res, Cancer Cell, Oncogene, FASEB J, PLoS ONE, Carcinogenesis,  J Biol Chem, Anal Chem and Expert Opin Ther Targets. He is also a co-inventor of  eight issued patents and a peer reviewer of Cancer Res, Carcinogenesis, Biochem  Pharm, BMC Cancer, Genomics Proteomics and Bioinformatics, and Acta Pharmacol  Sin. In recent years, he was awarded for more than ten research grants,  including funding from National 863 Project, National Natural Science Foundation  of China, NSFC/RGC project, Science and Technology Project of Fujian Province,  Natural Science Foundation of Fujian Province, joint R&D  projects.

Research  

The lab focuses on nuclear hormone receptors  (NHR), a superfamily that includes receptors for steroid hormones, vitamins and  fatty acid derivatives. NHRs are attractive molecular targets for drug  development because they regulate many essential biological processes and they  have unique ligand binding pockets for binding small molecules.Understanding of their molecular mechanism of  action in cancer cells is essential for developing rational approaches for new  strategies and agents for cancer prevention and treatment.Based on the unique molecular and cell-based  systems, the group has successfully isolated and characterizedseveral promising leads from traditional  Chinese herbal medicine and animal drugs including those can target at  Nur77/Bcl-2/Bax death signalling, RARγ- and tRXRa-dependent PI3K/ AKT survival  pathways, and the cross-talk between Wnt/β-catenin and Nur77 signallings.  Further optimization of the lead structures based on their molecular mechanism  has also been conducted. The research work has been published on top journals  including Cancer Cell, Cancer Res, Oncogene, FASEB J and Carcinogenesis, some of  which have also been highlighted by Nature China (Nature Publishing Group) and  Expert in Biology.

Team

Yunlong WU Assistant Professor,

Ph.D. National University of Singapore.

Selected  Publications:（last 5 years）

Wang GH, Jiang FQ, Duan YH, Zeng ZP, Chen F, Dai Y,  Chen J, Liu JX, Liu J, Zhou H, Chen HF, Zeng JZ, Su Y, Yao XS, Zhang XK.  Targeting truncated retinoid X receptor-α by CF31 induces TNF-α-dependent  apoptosis. Cancer Research 2013, 73(1), 307-318 (SCI impact factor:  8.234).

Zhang S, Zhu S, Yang L, ZhengY, Gao M, Wang S, Zeng  JZ, Yan X. High-Throughput Multiparameter Analysis of Individual Mitochondria.  Anal Chem 2012, 84 (15), 6421–6428 (SCI impact factor: 5.856).

Lu N, Liu JX, Liu J, Zhang C, Jiang F, Wu H, Chen L,  Zeng WJ, Cao X, Yan T, Wang G, Zhou H, Lin B, Yan X, Zhang XK, Zeng JZ.  Antagonist Effect of Triptolide on AKT Activation by Truncated Retinoid X  Receptor-alpha. PLoS ONE April 2012 | Volume 7 | Issue 4 | e35722(SCI impact factor: 4.092)

Wu H, Lin Y, Li W, Sun Z, Gao W, Zhang H, Xie L,  Jiang F, Qin B, Yan T, Chen L, Zhao Y, Cao X, Wu Y, Lin B, Zhou H, Wong AS,  Zhang XK, Zeng JZ. Regulation of Nur77 expression by β-catenin and its mitogenic  effect in colon cancer cells. FASEB J 2011; 25:192-205 (SCI impact factor:  5.712).

Yan TD, Wu H, Zhang HP, Lu N, Ye P, Yu FH, Zhou H,  Li WG, Cao X, Lin YY, He JY, Gao WW, Zhao Y, Xie L, Zhang XK, and Zeng JZ.  Oncogenic Potential of Retinoic Acid Receptor-gamma in Hepatocellular Carcinoma.  Cancer Res 2010,70(6):2285-2295 (SCI impact factor: 8.234).

Liu J, Zhou W, Li SS, Sun Z, Lin B, Lang YY, He JY,  Cao X, Yan T, Wang L, Lu J, Han YH, Cao Y, Zhang XK, and Zeng JZ. Modulation of  orphan nuclear receptor Nur77-mediated apoptotic pathway by acetylshikonin and  analogs. Cancer Res, 2008, 68(21):8871–8880 (SCI impact factor:  8.234).

Tel: +86-592-218-7221

Fax: +86-592-218-1879

Email: jzzeng@xmu.edu.cn