Xuechu Zhen
Xuechu Zhen, Ph.D./M.D
Professor
Department of pharmacology
Email: zhenxuechu@suda.edu.cn
Biosketch
q Education
1980-1985. MD Hubei Medical College Xianning Branch, China
1985-1988. MSc Xian Jiaotong University, Xi’an, China
1992-1996 PhD. University Of Geneva, Switzerland
q Postdoctoral Training
1996-1998 Postdoc fellow Drexel University Medical School, Philadelphia
1999-2000 Research Associate. Penn State University Medical School, Hershey, PA
q Work experience
1988-1992. Beijing Jiuxianqiao hospital, Beijing
2001-2004 Assistant professor, Department of Pharmacology, Drexel University Medical School
2004-2006 Associate Professor Department of Pharmacology and Physiology, CUNY, NY
2006-2010 Professor, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, CAS
2010- Professor, Department of Pharmacology, Soochow University College of Pharmaceutical Sciences
q Honors and awards
New Investigator Recognition Award (1999)
PSC-CUNYresearch Foundation Research Competitive Award (2003)
100-talent plan of CAS (2007)
National Outstanding Young Scientist Award (2008)
WuXi AppTec Life Chemistry Award (2009)
Entrepreneurship and innovation talents in Jiangsu Province (2011)
Suzhou talents (2013)
Entrepreneurship and innovation team in Jiangsu Province (2014)
Research Interests
Neuropsychopharmacology and CNS drug discovery
(1) Neurotransmitter and its receptor in physiology and diseases
(2) Drug discovery targeted to neuropsychiatric disorders
(3) Sigma-1 receptor and its functional regulation
Research Fund(Active)
(1) The National Key Research and Development Program of China (2021YFE0206000)
(2) The National Innovation of Science and Technology-2030 (Program of Brain Science and Brain-Inspired Intelligence Technology) Grant (2021ZD0204004）
(3) Grants from the National Science Foundation of China (81973334)
(4) Grants from the National Science Foundation of China (81773702)
(5) Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Neuropsychiatric Diseases (BM2013003)
Select Publications
(1) He T, Han C, Liu C, Chen J, Yang H, Zheng L, Waddington JL, Zhen X. Dopamine D1 receptors mediate methamphetamine-induced dopaminergic damage: involvement of autophagy regulation via the AMPK/FOXO3A pathway. Psychopharmacology (Berl). 2022 Mar;239(3):951-964. doi: 10.1007/s00213-022-06097-6.
(2) Chen J, Li G, Qin P, Chen J, Ye N, Waddington JL, Zhen X. Allosteric Modulation of the Sigma-1 Receptor Elicits Antipsychotic-like Effects. Schizophr Bull. 2022 Mar 1;48(2):474-484. doi: 10.1093/schbul/sbab137.
(3) Wang M, Wan C, He T, Han C, Zhu K, Waddington JL, Zhen X. Sigma-1 receptor regulates mitophagy in dopaminergic neurons and contributes to dopaminergic protection. Neuropharmacology. 2021 Sep 15;196:108360.
(4) Cheng J, Zhang R, Xu Z, Ke Y, Sun R, Yang H, Zhang X, Zhen X, Zheng LT. Early glycolytic reprogramming controls microglial inflammatory activation. J Neuroinflammation. 2021 Jun 9;18(1):129.
(5) Zhang Y, Xu L, Zhang Y, Pan J, Wang PQ, Tian S, Li HT, Gao BW, Hou TJ, Zhen XC, Zheng LT. Discovery of novel MIF inhibitors that attenuate microglial inflammatory activation by structures-based virtual screening and in vitro bioassays. Acta Pharmacol Sin. 2021, 43(6):1508-1520.
(6) Yan PJ, Ren ZX, Shi ZF, Wan CL, Han CJ, Zhu LS, Li NN, Waddington JL, Zhen XC. Dysregulation of iron homeostasis and methamphetamine reward behaviors in Clk1-deficient mice. Acta Pharmacol Sin. 2022, 43(7):1686-1698 (cover story).
(7) Han C, Yan P, He T, Cheng J, Zheng W, Zheng L, Zhen X. PHLDA1 promotes microglia-mediated neuroinflammation via regulating K63-linked ubiquitination of TRAF6. Brain Behav Immun. 2020, 88:640-653.
(8) Ye N, Qin W, Tian S, Xu Q, Wold EA, Zhou J, Zhen X. Small Molecules Selectively Targeting Sigma-1 Receptor for the Treatment of Neurological Diseases. J Med Chem. 2020; 63(24):15187-15217.
(9) Zhen X, Chu HY (Editorial). Emerging novel approaches to drug research and diagnosis of Parkinson's disease. Acta Pharmacol Sin. 2020;41(4):439-441.
(10) Waddington JL, Zhen X, O'Tuathaigh CMP. Developmental Genes and Regulatory Proteins, Domains of Cognitive Impairment in Schizophrenia Spectrum Psychosis and Implications for Antipsychotic Drug Discovery: The Example of Dysbindin-1 Isoforms and Beyond. Front Pharmacol. 2020 Jan 29;10:1638.
(11) Guo CH, Cao T, Zheng LT, Waddington JL, Zhen X. Development and characterization of an inducible Dicer conditional knockout mouse model of Parkinson's disease: validation of the antiparkinsonian effects of a sigma-1 receptor agonist and dihydromyricetin. Acta Pharmacol Sin. 2020 Apr;41(4):499-507.
(12) Wu J, Yang H, Cheng J, Zhang L, Ke Y, Zhu Y, Wang C, Zhang X, Zhen X, Zheng LT. Knockdown of milk-fat globule EGF factor-8 suppresses glioma progression in GL261 glioma cells by repressing microglial M2 polarization. J Cell Physiol. 2020 Nov;235(11):8679-8690.
(13) Wang M, Wang H, Tao Z, Xia Q, Hao Z, Prehn JHM, Zhen X, Wang G, Ying Z. C9orf72 associates with inactive Rag GTPases and regulates mTORC1-mediated autophagosomal and lysosomal biogenesis. Aging Cell. 2020 Apr;19(4):e13126.
(14) Zhu JW, Zou MM, Li YF, Chen WJ, Liu JC, Chen H, Fang LP, Zhang Y, Wang ZT, Chen JB, Huang W, Li S, Jia WQ, Wang QQ, Zhen XC, Liu CF, Li S, Xiao ZC, Xu GQ, Schwamborn JC, Schachner M, Ma QH, Xu RX. Absence of TRIM32 Leads to Reduced GABAergic Interneuron Generation and Autism-like Behaviors in Mice via Suppressing mTOR Signaling. Cereb Cortex. 2020 May 14;30(5):3240-3258.
(15) Han C, Zheng J, Sun L, Yang H, Cao ZQ, Zhang X, Zheng L, Zhen X. The oncometabolite 2-hydroxyglutarate inhibits microglial activation via the AMPK/mTOR/NF-κB pathway. Acta Pharmacol Sin. 2019 Oct;40(10):1292-1302
(16) Wang P, Cao T, Chen J, Jiang Y, Wang C, Waddington JL, Zhen X. D2 receptor-mediated miRNA-143 expression is associated with the effects of antipsychotic drugs on phencyclidine-induced schizophrenia-related locomotor hyperactivity and with Neuregulin-1 expression in mice. Neuropharmacology. 2019 Oct;157:107675.
(17) Ren Z, Yan P, Zhu L, Yang H, Zhao Y, Kirby BP, Waddington JL, Zhen X. Dihydromyricetin exerts a rapid antidepressant-like effect in association with enhancement of BDNF expression and inhibition of neuroinflammation. Psychopharmacology (Berl). 2018 Jan;235(1):233-244.
(18) Wang X, Chen S, Ni J, Cheng J, Jia J, Zhen X. miRNA-3473b contributes to neuroinflammation following cerebral ischemia. Cell Death Dis. 2018 Jan 9;9(1):11.
(19) Cao T, Zhen X. Dysregulation of miRNA and its potential therapeutic application in schizophrenia. CNS Neurosci Ther. 2018 Jul;24(7):586-597.
(20) Jia J, Cheng J, Wang C, Zhen X.Sigma-1 Receptor-Modulated Neuroinflammation in Neurological Diseases. Front Cell Neurosci. 2018, 12:314.
(21) Zheng J, Zhang X, Zhen X. Development of Adenosine A2A Receptor Antagonists for the Treatment of Parkinson's Disease: A Recent Update and Challenge. ACS Chem Neurosci. 2019 Feb 20;10(2):783-791.
(22) Zhen X, Waddington J. (Editorial).Emerging and evolving concepts in the pathobiology and treatment of psychosis. CNS Neurosci Ther. 2018 Jul;24(7):583-585.
(23) Yan Q, Han C, Wang G, Waddington JL, Zheng L, Zhen X. Activation of AMPK/mTORC1-mediated autophagy by metformin reverses Clk1 deficiency - sensitized dopaminergic neuronal death. Mol Pharmacol. 2017, 92(6):640-652.
(24) Zhang L, Yang H, Zhang W, Liang Z, Huang Q, Xu G, Zhen X, Zheng LT. Clk1-regulated aerobic glycolysis is involved in glioma chemoresistance. J Neurochem. 2017, 142(4):574-588.
(25) Tian S, Wang X, Li L, Zhang X, Li Y, Zhu F, Hou T, Zhen X. Discovery of Novel and Selective Adenosine A2A Receptor Antagonists for Treating Parkinson's Disease through Comparative Structure-Based Virtual Screening. J Chem Inf Model. 2017, 57(6):1474-1487.
(26) Zhao YF, Wang PP, Chen SS, Han CJ, Yan QT, Zheng LT, Jia J, Ren ZX, Zhen X. Dihydromyricetin protects against cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury via suppressing microglia-mediated neuroinflammation and activation of ERK1/2-CREB signaling pathway. Journal of Functional Foods. 2017, 33: 76–84.
(27) Gu R, Zhang F, Chen G, Han C, Liu J, Ren Z, Zhu Y, J. L. Waddington, Zheng L, Zhen X. Clk1 deficiency promotes neuroinflammation and subsequent dopaminergic cell death through regulation of microglial metabolic reprogramming. Brain Behav Immun. 2017, 60: 206-219.
(28) Liu T, Yang X, Zheng L, Wang G, Zhen X. Activation of Nur77 in microglia attenuates proinflammatory mediators production and protects dopaminergic neurons from inflammation-induced cell death. J Neurochem. 2017, 140(4): 589-604.
(29) Wang J, Sun P, Ren Z, H. Y. Meltzer, Zhen X. GSK-3beta Interacts with Dopamine D1 Receptor to Regulate Receptor Function: Implication for Prefrontal Cortical D1 Receptor Dysfunction in Schizophrenia. CNS Neurosci Ther. 2017, 23(2): 174-187.
(30) Wu J, Zhao R, Guo L,Zhen X. Morphine-induced inhibition of Ca2+ -dependent d-serine release from astrocytes suppresses excitability of GABAergic neurons in the nucleus accumbens. Addict Biol. 2017, 22(5):1289-1303.
(31) O'Tuathaigh CMP, Moran PM, Zhen X, Waddington JL. Translating advances in the molecular basis of schizophrenia into novel cognitive treatment strategies. Br J Pharmacol. 2017 Oct;174(19):3173-3190.