本实验室的主要研究兴趣集中在肿瘤免疫机理的探索及免疫治疗的开发上，专注于免疫细胞在肿瘤发生发展及肿瘤杀伤中的作用及调控，从淋巴细胞和髓系细胞同时入手，结合临床抗体研究和人源化动物模型开发，通过研究肿瘤免疫（Tumor immunity）和自身免疫（Autoimmunity）的分子机理，开发安全有效的肿瘤免疫治疗新抗体，新药物靶点，新化合物及联合疗法。

(1)Haoyue Zhou^#, Jinmei Li^#, Song Mei^#, Meiyu Zhang, Kepeng Yan, Qunmin Zhou, Pan Zheng, Yang Liu, Peng Zhang*, Hecheng Li*, Wei Lu*, Yan Zhang*.Specific depletion of TIGIT^high CD226^- clonally expanded intratumoral Tregs defines safe and effective TIGIT targeting. Journal for ImmunoTherapy of Cancer. 2026 Feb 24;14(2):e013636.

(2)Yu Hu^#, Qifan Zhao^#, Yingquan Qin^#, Song Mei^#, Benyu Wang, Haoyue Zhou, Linli Han , Yi Zang, Liangjiao Yao, Zhe He, Yingyi Li, Hecheng Li*, Peng Zhang*, Yan Zhang*, Michael J Lenardo*, Wei Lu*. CARD11 signaling regulates CD8⁺ T cell tumoricidal function. Nature Immunology. 2025 Jul;26(7):1113-1126.

(3)Meiyu Zhang^#, Jinmei Li^#, Kepeng Yan^#, Haoyue Zhou, Song Mei, Benyu Wang, Dongyang Li, Xuexiang Du, Mingyue Liu, Peng Zhang, James K Fields, Lei Ye, Pan Zheng, Yang Liu, Michael J Lenardo*, Yan Zhang*. pH-dependent dissociation from CTLA-4 in early endosomes improves both safety and antitumor activity of anti-CTLA-4 antibodies. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2025 Feb 25;122(8):e2422731122.

(4)Zhenyi Niu, Ruisen Jin, Yan Zhang*, Hecheng Li*. Signaling pathways and targeted therapies in lung squamous cell car cinoma: mechanisms and clinical trials. Signal Transduct Target Ther. 2022 Oct 5;7(1):353.

(5)Pan Jia, Xiang Li, Xuelei Wang, Liangjiao Yao, Yingying Xu, Yu Hu, Wenwen Xu, Zhe He, Qifan Zhao, Yicong Deng, Yi Zang, Meiyu Zhang, Yan Zhang*, Jun Qin*, Wei Lu*. ZMYND8 mediated liquid condensates spatiotemporally decommission the latent super-enhancers during macrophage polarization. Nature Communications. 2021 Nov 11;12(1):6535.

(6)Wei Zheng^#, Yan Zhang^#, Jingjing Chen^#, Yu Hu^#, Pan Jia, Xuelei Wang, Qifang Zhao, Yicong Deng, Ni Li, Yi Zhang, Jun Qin,  Xiaoming Wang*, Wei Lu*. Pathogenic CARD11 mutations affect B cell development and differentiation through a noncanonical pathway. Science Immunology. 2019 Nov 29;4(41):eaaw5618.

(7)Yan Zhang^#*, Xuexiang Du^#, Mingyue Liu^#, Fei Tang, Peng Zhang, Chunxia Ai, James K. Fields, Eric J. Sundberg, Olga S. Latinovic, Martin Devenport, Pan Zheng*, Yang Liu*. Hijacking Antibody-induced CTLA-4 Lysosomal Degradation for Safer and More Effective Cancer Immunotherapy, Cell Research. 2019 29: 609-627.

(8)Yan Zhang, Swati Choksi, Zhenggang Liu*. Butylated Hydroxyanisole Blocks the Occurrence of Tumor Associated Macrophages in Tobacco Smoke Carcinogen-Induced Lung Tumorigenesis. Cancers. 2013 5(4): 1643-1654.

(9)Yan Zhang, Swati Chokis, Kun Chen, Yelena Pobezinskaya, Ilona Linnoila, Zhenggang Liu*. ROS plays a critical role in the differentiation of alternatively activated macrophages and the occurrence of tumor associated macrophages, Cell Research. 2013 23: 898-914.

(10)Yan Zhang, Michael Morgan, Ken Chen, Swati Choksi, Zhenggang Liu*. Induction of Autophagy is Essential for Monocyte-Macrophage Differentiation. Blood. 2012 119(12): 2895-2905.