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research description

1) Cellular and molecular mechanisms of immunosuppression and pathology

2) Anti-viral drug and immunotherapy for HIV, HBV and CoVs

Recent Major Research Grants RGC - General Research Fund (GRF), Defining the role of monocyte-derived dendritic cells in potentiating durable and protective T-cell immunity by a newly identified PD-1 isoform (Role: Principal Investigator) (2014)
RGC- Collaborative Research Fund (CRF), Mechanism of potentiating HIV antigen-specific CD8+ T cells (Role: Co-Investigator) (2014)
Health and Medical Research Fund (HMRF), Molecular mechanisms of regulation of PD-1 expression by Nef during HIV/SIV infection (Role: Principal Investigator) (2014)
The role of HIV-1/SIV Nef in immune activation through regulating the expression of PD-1 and delta-PD-1 (Role: Principal Investigator) (2012)
Identification of small molecule HIV-1 inhibitors with distinct new targets (Role: Principal Investigator) (2012)
Grant from the China Ministry of Health (12-5) Microbicide against HIV (Role: Projector Leader) (2013)

selected Publication


Qingqing Liu#, Ka-Yi Kwan#, Tianyu Cao, Bingpeng Yan, Kumar Ganesan, Lei Jia, Feng Zhang, Chunyu Lim, Yaobin Wu, Yibin Feng, Zhiwei Chen*, Li Liu*, Jianping Chen*. Broad-spectrum antiviral activity of Spatholobus suberectus Dunn against SARS-CoV-2, SARS-CoV-1, H5N1, and other enveloped viruses. Phytotherapy Research. 2022;1–16. Corresponding Author.


Dongyan Zhou#, Jasper Fuk-Woo Chan#, Biao Zhou#, Runhong Zhou#, Shuang Li#, Sisi Shan#, Li Liu#, Anna Jinxia Zhang, Serena J Chen, Chris Chung-Sing Chan, Sisi Shan, Vincent Kwok-Man Poon, Shuofeng Yuan, Kenn Ka-Heng Chik, Chris Chun-Yiu Chan, Jianli Cao, Biao Zhou, Cun Li, Qi Zhang, Jie Zhou, Linqi Zhang, Kelvin Kai-Wang To, Kwok-Yung Yuen*, Zhiwei Chen*. Robust SARS-CoV-2 infection in nasal turbinate despite systemic neutralizing antibody. Cell host & microbe. 2021 Feb 25, doi: 10.1016/j.chom.2021.02.019. (Shared first author).


Li Liu#*, Qingqing Lin#, Jie Peng#, Zhiwu Tan, Hangying Tang, Jun Fang, Kayi Kwan, Kenji Nishiura, Jianguo Liang, Hauyee Kwok, Zhenglong Du, Jiaze Sun, Kang Liu, Kwok-Yung Yuen, Hui Wang* and Zhiwei Chen *. Persistent lentivirus induces early myeloid suppressor cells expansion to subvert protective memory CD8 T cell response. EBioMedicine. 2020 Oct;60:103008. doi: 10.1016/j.ebiom.2020.103008. Epub 2020 Sep 24. Corresponding Author.


Runhong Zhou#, Kelvin Kai-Wang To#, Yik-Chun Wong#, Li Liu#, Biao Zhou#, Xin Li, Haode Huang, Yufei Mo, Tsz-Yat Luk, Thomas Tsz-Kan Lau, Pauline Yeung, Wai- Ming Chan, Alan Ka-Lun Wu, Kwok-Cheung Lung, Owen Tak-Yin Tsang, Wai-Shing Leung, Ivan Fan-Ngai Hung, Kwok-Yung Yuen*, Zhiwei Chen*. Acute SARS-CoV-2 infection impairs dendritic cell and T cell responses. Immunity. 27 July 2020. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.immuni.2020.07.026. (Shared first author).


Li Liu#, Kelvin Kai-Wang To#, Kwok-Hung Chan, Yik-Chun Wong, Runhong Zhou, Ka-Yi Kwan, Carol Ho-Yan Fong, Lin-Lei Chen, Charlotte Yee-Ki Choi, Lu Lu, Owen Tak-Yin Tsang, Wai-Shing Leung, Wing-Kin To, Ivan Fan-Ngai Hung, Kwok-Yung Yuen* and Zhiwei Chen*. High neutralizing antibody titer in intensive care unit patients with COVID-19. Emerging Microbes & Infections. 20 July 2020. DOI: 10.1080/22221751.2020.1791738.


Li Liu*, Qiang Wei, Qingqing Lin, Jun Fang, Haibo Wang, Hauyee Kwok, Hangying Tang, Kenji Nishiura, Jie Peng, Zhiwu Tan, Tongjin Wu, Ka-Wai Cheung, Kwok-Hung Chan, Xavier Alvarez, Chuan Qin, Andrew Lackner, Stanley Perlman, Kwok-Yung Yuen and Zhiwei Chen*. Anti-spike IgG causes severe acute lung injury by skewing macrophage response during acute SARS-CoV infection. JCI insight. 2019 Feb. 10.1172/jci.insight.123158. Corresponding Author.


Zhiwu Tan#, Li Liu#, Mei Sum Chiu, Ka-Wai Cheung, Chi Wing Yan, Zhe Yu, Boon Kiat Lee, Wan Liu, Kwan Man, Zhiwei Chen* Virotherapy-Recruited PMN-MDSC Infiltration of Mesothelioma Blocks Antitumor CTL by IL-10-Mediated Dendritic Cell Suppression. Oncoimmunology. 2018 Oct 16;8(1): e1518672. doi: 10.1080/2162402X.2018.1518672. (Shared first author).


Wu X#, Guo J#, Niu M#, An M#, Liu L#, Wang H, Jin X, Zhang Q, Lam KS, Wu T, Wang H, Wang Q, Du Y, Li J, Cheng L, Tang HY, Shang H, Zhang L, Zhou P, Chen Z*. Tandem bispecific neutralizing antibody eliminates HIV-1 infection in humanized mice. J Clin Invest. doi: 10.1172/JCI96764, 2018. (Shared first author).


Li Liu*, Qiang Wei#, Kenji Nishiura, Jie Peng, Haibo Wang, Cecily Midkiff, Xavier Alvarez, Chuan Qin, Andrew Lackner, and Zhiwei Chen*. Spatiotemporal interplay of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus and respiratory mucosal cells drives viral dissemination in Rhesus Macaques. Mucosal Immunology. doi: 10.1038/mi.2015.127. 2016. Corresponding Author.


Qiang Wei#, Li Liu#, Zhe Cong#, Xiaoxian Wu, Hui Wang, Chuan Qin, Patricia Molina, Zhiwei Chen, Chronic Δ9-Tetrahydrocannabinol Administration Reduces IgE+B Cells but Unlikely Enhances Pathogenic SIVmac251 Infection in Male Rhesus Macaques of Chinese Origin. Journal of Neuroimmune Pharmacology. doi: 10.1007/s11481-016-9674-9. 2016. (Shared first author).


Jianguo Liang#, Li Liu#*, Mandy Cheung, Man-Po Lee, Haibo Wang, Chun-ho Li, Chun-Chung Chan, Kenji Nishiura, Xian Tang, Zhiwu Tan, Jie Peng, Ka-Wai Cheung, Wing-Cheong Yam and Zhiwei Chen*. Community-based HIV-1 Early Diagnosis and Risk Behavior Analysis of Men Having Sex with Men in Hong Kong. PLOS one. 2015 Apr 27;10(4):e0125715. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0125715. Corresponding Author.


Haixia Xiao#, Li Liu#, Qingyu Zhu, Xian Tang, Dawei Zhan, Yanhua Du, Di Liu, Zhixin Li, Xuejun Jiang, Kwok-Yung Yuen, David D. Ho, George F. Gao and Zhiwei Chen. A replicating modified vaccinia tiantan strain expressing an avian-derived influenza H5N1 hemagglutinin induce broadly neutralizing antibodies and cross-clade protective immunity in mice. PLOS one. 2013 Dec 17;8(12):e83274. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0083274. (Shared first author).


Jianguo Liang, Jianping Chen, Zhiwu Tan, Jie Peng, Xiao Zheng, Kenji Nishiura, Jenny Ng, Zhiyu Wang, Dongmei Wang, Zhiwei Chen and Li Liu*. Extracts of medicinal herb Sanguisorba officinalis inhibit the entry of human immunodeficiency virus type one. Journal of Food and Drug Analysis, 2013. Dec:21(4):S52-58. Corresponding Author.


Lu X#, Liu L#, Zhang X, Lau TC, Tsui SK, Kang Y, Zheng P, Zheng B, Liu G, Chen Z. F18, a novel small-molecule nonnucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor, inhibits HIV-1 replication using distinct binding motifs as demonstrated by resistance selection and docking analysis. Antimicrob Agents Chemother. 2012 Jan;56(1):341-51. (Shared first author).


Liu L, Wei Q, Alvarez X, Wang H, Du Y, Zhu H, Jiang H, Zhou J, Lam P, Zhang L, Lackner A, Qin C, Chen Z. Epithelial Cells Lining Salivary Gland Ducts Are Early Target Cells of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus Infection in the Upper Respiratory Tract of Rhesus Macaques. J Virol. 2011 Apr;85 (8):4025-30.


Luo M#, Liu H#, Zhuang K#, Liu L#, Su B, Yang R, Tien P, Zhang L, Gui X, Chen Z. Prevalence of drug resistant HIV-1 in rural areas of Hubei province in the People’s Republic of China. J Acquir Immune Defic Syndr. 2009; 00:1–8. (Shared first author).


Chen Y#, Liu L#, Wei Q, Zhu H, Jiang H, Tu X, Qin C, Chen Z. Rhesus angiotensin converting enzyme 2 supports entry of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus in Chinese macaques. Virology. 2008 Nov 10;381(1):89-97. (Shared first author).


Liu L, Fang Q, Deng F, Wang H, Yi C, Ba L, Yu W, Lin RD, Li T, Hu ZH, Ho DD, Zhang L, Chen Z. Natural mutations in the receptor binding domain of spike glycoprotein determine the reactivity of cross-neutralization between palm civet coronavirus and severe acute respiratory syndrome. J Virol. 2007 May;81(9):4694-700. (IF: 6.5).


Liu L, Su B, Zhuang K, Tien P, Chen Z, Zhang L. Genetic Characterization of Full-Length HIV Type 1 Genomes From 3 Infected Paid Blood Donors in Henan, China. J Acquir Immune Defic Syndr. 2005 Dec 1;40(4):501-503.


Su B#, Liu L#, Wang F, Gui X, Zhao M, Tien P, Zhang L and Chen Z. Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 subtype B’ dictates the AIDS epidemic among paid blood donors in Henan and Hubei Provinces of China. AIDS. 2003 Nov 21; 17 (17): 2515-2520. (Shared first author).