RESEARCH INTERESTS
Zhengjie is an Assistant Professor in the Center for inflammation & Lung Research (CILR) at the Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University, with expertise in nanomedicine, cell biology, and translational medicine. His research focuses on developing advanced delivery platforms to modulate cell-specific signaling pathways involved in inflammation and disease, particularly in the lung and vasculature. He has contributed to innovative strategies for endothelial-drived cardiovascular and lung injury treatments, and explored the therapeutic potential of various delivery systems.
Zhengjie’s broader interests lie in applying interdisciplinary technologies to address critical challenges in precision medicine and inflammatory lung diseases.
EDUCATION
- PhD, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology 2013-2018, School of Life Science, East China Normal University
- Bachelor of Science, Pharmacy, Organic Chemistry 2009-2013, School of Pharmacy, Lanzhou University
MEMBERSHIPS
- AHA
- NAVBO
- BMES
HONORS AND AWARDS
- Invited talk in ACS Spring 2025
- UChicago BSD CAP Travel award 2024
- K99/R00 Pathway to Independence Award 2023
- Invited talk in NAVBO InFocus Session 2023
- UChicago BSD CAP Travel award 2023
- Janet D. Rowley Research Day Award UChicago 2022
- Outstanding graduate in Shanghai 2018
- Outstanding graduate at ECNU 2018
- Outstanding doctoral dissertation cultivation plan of action at ECNU 2017
- President Scholarship at East China Normal University (The highest honor at ECNU, annually awarded to less than 10 persons at whole ECNU) 2017
- National Scholarship 2016
PUBLICATIONS
1. Zhengjie Zhou#, Jiayu Zhu#, Ru-Ting Huang, Angelo Meliton, David Wu, Tony Pan, Nick Asby, Erica Budina, Aaron Alpar, Jeffrey Hubbell, Jun Huang, Gökhan M. Mutlu, Matthew V. Tirrell*, Yun Fang*, Precision mRNA Nanomedicine for Targeted Vascular Therapies in ARDS and Atherosclerosis, bioRxiv 2025.01.09.632179; doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2025.01.09.632179. Nat. Biomed. Eng., in review.
(Highlighted in Science News: https://www.science.org/content/article/new-nanoparticle-therapies-target-two-major-killers, doi: 10.1126/science.zqbtd4b)
2. Jacob R. Enriquez#, Zhengjie Zhou# (co-first author), Jennifer B. Nelson, Fei Huang, Brian Xi, Yun Fang*, Raghavendra G. Mirmira*, Messenger RNA Delivery to Islet beta-cells Using Functionalized Lipid Nanoparticles, 2025, Cell Rep. Med., in revision.
3. Zhengjie Zhou, Lauryn Carver, Tzu-Han Lee, Nickolai Dulin, Matthew V. Tirrell*, Yun Fang*, Targeted TXNDC5 inhibition in activated lung fibroblasts by fluorinated nanoparticles treating lung fibrosis. 2025, In submission.
4. Zhengjie Zhou, Chih-Fan Yeh, Michael Mellas, Myugn-Jin Oh, Jiayu Zhu, Jin Li, Ru-Ting Huang, Devin Harrison, Tzu-Pin Shentu, David Wu, Michael Lueckheide, Lauryn Carver, Eun Ji Chung, Lorraine Leon, Kai-Chien Yang, Matthew V. Tirrell*, Yun Fang*, Targeted polyelectrolyte complex micelles treat vascular complications in vivo, PNAS, 2021, 118, e2114842118.
5. Zhengjie Zhou, Yang Yan, Qiang Zhang*, and Yiyun Cheng*, Melanin-like nanoparticles loaded with angiotensin antagonist for improved photothermal cancer therapy, Biomater. Sci., 2020, 8, 1658-1668.
6. Zhengjie Zhou#, Yang Yan#, Li Wang, Qiang Zhang∗, Yiyun Cheng∗, Melanin-like nanoparticles decorated with an autophagy-inducing peptide for efficient targeted photothermal therapy, Biomaterials, 2019, 203, 63-72.
7. Zhengjie Zhou#, Tianqi Fan#, Yang Yan#, Song Zhang, Yi Zhou, Hanbin Deng, Xiaopan Cai, Jianru Xiao, Dianwen Song, Qiang Zhang* and Yiyun Cheng*, One stone with two birds: Phytic acid-capped platinum nanoparticles for targeted combination therapy of bone tumors, Biomaterials, 2019, 194, 130–138.
8. Zhengjie Zhou, Yang Yan, Kewen Hu, Yuan Zou, Yiwen Li, Rui Ma, Qiang Zhang*, and Yiyun Cheng*, Autophagy inhibition enabled efficient photothermal therapy at a mild temperature. Biomaterials, 2017, 141, 116-124.
9. Zhengjie Zhou#, Yitong Wang#, Yang Yan, Qiang Zhang*, and Yiyun Cheng*, Dendrimer-templated ultrasmall and multifunctional photothermal agents for efficient tumor ablation. ACS Nano 2016, 10, 4863-4872.
10. Zhengjie Zhou, Kewen Hu, Rui Ma, Yang Yan, Bing Ni, Yunjiao Zhang, Longping Wen, Qiang Zhang*, and Yiyun Cheng*, Dendritic platinum–copper alloy nanoparticles as theranostic agents for multimodal imaging and combined chemophotothermal therapy. Adv. Funct. Mater. 2016, 26, 5971–5978.
11. Yuming Dong*, Zhengjie Zhou, Hongyan Ding, Shujiang Zhang, Preparation and properties of a pH sensitive carrier based on three kinds of polymer blend to control the release of 5-amino salicylic acid, Pharm. Dev. Technol. 2014, 19, 960-967.
12. Lisa R. Volpatti*, Salvador Norton de Matos, Gustavo Borjas, Joseph Reda, Elyse A. Watkins, Zhengjie Zhou, Mindy Nguyen, Ani Solanki, Yun Fang, Jeffrey A. Hubbell*, LDL-Binding IL-10 Reduces Vascular Inflammation in Atherosclerotic Mice. bioRxiv. 2024.
13. David Wu, Devin L. Harrison, Teodora Szasz, Chih-Fan Yeh, Tzu-Pin Shentu, Angelo Meliton, Ru-Ting Huang, Zhengjie Zhou, Gökhan Mutlu, Jun Huang*, Yun Fang*, Single-cell metabolic imaging reveals RhoA triggers a SLC2A3-dependent glycolytic burst in motile endothelial cells, Nat. Metab. 2021, 3, 714–727.
14. Yang Yan, Xing Gao, Sun Zhang, Yitong Wang, Zhengjie Zhou, Jianru Xiao, Qiang Zhang, Yiyun Cheng*, A carboxyl-terminated dendrimer enables osteolytic lesion targeting and photothermal ablation of malignant bone tumors, ACS Appl. Mater. Interfaces. 2019, 11, 160-168.
15. Yuyang Zhu, Wei Li, Xin Zhao, Zhengjie Zhou, Yitong Wang, Yiyun Cheng, Quan Huang, Qiang Zhang*, Hyaluronic acid-encapsulated platinum nanoparticles for targeted photothermal therapy of breast cancer, J. Biomed. Nanotechnol. 2017, 13, 1457-1467.
16. Yitong Wang, Jian Yang, Hongmei Liu, Xing Wang, Zhengjie Zhou, Quan Huang, Dianwen Song, Xiaopan Cai, Lei Li, Kaili Lin, Jianru Xiao, Peng Liu, Qiang Zhang*, Yiyun Cheng*, Osteotropic peptide-mediated bone targeting for photothermal treatment of bone tumors, Biomaterials, 2017, 114, 97-105.
17. Jinjin Hu, Yihua Chen, Yunqi Li, Zhengjie Zhou, Yiyun Cheng*, A thermo-degradable hydrogel with light-tunable degradation and drug release, Biomaterials. 2017, 112, 133-140.
18. Qiang Zhang*, Zhengjie Zhou, Yitong Wang, Yiyun Cheng*, How can we use dendrimer-templated ultrasmall and multifunctional nanoparticles in photothermal cancer therapy? Nanomedicine, 2016, 11, 3181-3183.
19. Qiang Zhang*, Yufeng Yuan, Changping Wang, Zhengjie Zhou, Li Li, Sanjun Zhang, Jianhua Xu, Design considerations for SERS detection in colloidal solution: reduce spectral intensity fluctuation, J. Raman Spectrosc. 2016, 47, 395-401.
20. Quan Huang, Lei Li, Lin Li, Hui Chen, Yongyan Dang, Jishen Zhang, Naimin Shao, Hong Chang, Zhengjie Zhou, Chongyi Liu, Bingwei He, Haifeng Wei, Jianru Xiao*, MDM2 knockdown mediated by a triazine-modified dendrimer in the treatment of non-small cell lung cancer, Oncotarget. 2016, 7, 44013-44022.