Biography

Dr. Zhiqiang An is Professor of Molecular Medicine, the Robert A. Welch Distinguished University Chair in Chemistry, Director of the Texas Therapeutics Institute, and Vice President of Drug Discovery at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston. His laboratory focuses on antibody drug resistance mechanisms, biomarkers for therapeutic antibodies, and antibody drug discovery targeting human diseases. During the last five years, more than 12 novel antibody drug leads discovered in his laboratory were licensed to eight biotechnology companies, and six (6) have advanced to clinical trials for diseases ranging from acute myeloid leukemia (IO-202), breast cancer bone metastasis (ALMB-0168), solid tumor (IO-108), spinal cord injury (ALMB-0166), COVID-19 (IGM6268), and solid tumor (PRTH-101). Previously, he served as Chief Scientific Officer at Epitomics, Inc. and was Director of Biologics Research at Merck Research Laboratories. He has authored over 200 journal articles and two books including the award-winning book “Therapeutic Monoclonal Antibodies: from Bench to Clinic. Dr. An is an elected fellow of the Society for Industrial Microbiology and Biotechnology (SIMB), the American Academy of Microbiology (ASM), the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), and the National Academy of Inventors (NAI). He is the recipient of the 2024 Scientific Achievement Award in Drug Discovery and Development given by the American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics (ASPET). Dr. An received his Ph.D. degree from the University of Kentucky and his postdoctoral training at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Professional Highlights

    • Professor, Brown Foundation Institute of Molecular Medicine (IMM), McGovern Medical School, UTHealth Houston, 2009-present
    • Vice President of Drug Discovery, UTHealth Houston, 2023-present
    • Director, Texas Therapeutics Institute (TTI), IMM, UTHealth Houston, 2009-present
    • Chief Scientific Officer, Epitomics, Inc, 2008-2009
    • Director, Senior Research Fellow, Research Fellow, Merck Research Laboratories, 1998-2008
    • Scientist, Millennium Pharmaceuticals Inc., 1996-1998

Education

Postdoctoral Fellowship
University of Wisconsin-Madison
Ph.D. Plant Pathology
University of Kentucky

Areas of Interest

Research Interests

  1. Therapeutic monoclonal antibody drug discovery. Our group has built a comprehensive antibody drug discovery platform with a focus on antibody lead optimization technologies such as antibody phage display, deep sequencing of antibody encoding genes from individual antibody expressing B cells, affinity maturation and humanization. Currently, we have multiple in-house and collaborative antibody drug discovery projects targeting various cancer types, neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease, and other human diseases such as acetaminophen-induced liver injury.
  2. Antibody response to viral infections and vaccination. Identification of highly immunogenic vaccines that induce neutralizing antibodies against a broad range of clinical isolates is one approach to developing effective viral vaccines. We have on-going projects to aid the design of HCMV and EBV vaccines by profiling antibody response to to viral infections in humans, and to develop neutralizing antibodies for the potential treatment of viral infections such as flu.

Publications

Selected recent publications (from >200 total)

 Visit Google Scholar profile page (Please use following link)

https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=S5XaDFwAAAAJ&hl=en

 

  1. Manuel A. Riquelme, Francisca M. Acosta, Jeffery Chavez, Sumin Gu, Wei Xiong, Ningyan Zhang, Lu-Zhe Sun, Nu Zhang, Zhiqiang An*, and Jean X. Jiang*. 2024. Antibody-Activation of Connexin Hemichannels in Bone Osteocytes with ATP Release Suppresses Breast Cancer Bone Metastasis and Osteosarcoma. Cell Reports 43, 114377. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.celrep.2024.114377.
  2. Xiaohua Ye, David Shih, Zhiqiang Ku, Junping Hong, Diane Barrett, Richard Rupp, Ningyan Zhang, Tong-ming Fu, Wenjin Zheng*, Zhiqiang An*. 2024. Transcriptional signature of durable effector T cells elicited by a replication defective HCMV vaccine. NPJ Vaccines 9:70. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41541-024-00860-w
  3. Christopher J. LaFargue, Paola Amero, Kyunghee Noh, Lingegowda S. Mangala, Chunhua Lu, Yunfei Wen, Emine Bayraktar, Sunila Pradeep, Yihong Wan, Wonbeak Yoo, Santosh K Dasari, Vinod Vathipadiekal, Anca Chelariu-Raicu, Rajesha Roopaimoole, Zhiqiang Ku, Deng Hui, Wei Xiong, Hyun-Jin Choi, Rouba Ali-Fehmi, Michael J. Birrer, Wei Hu, Ningyan Zhang, Gabriel Lopez Berestein, Vittorio de Franciscis, Zhiqiang An, and Anil K. Sood. 2023. Overcoming Adaptive Resistance to Anti-VEGF Therapy by Targeting CD5L. Nature Communications. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-023-36910-5.
  4. Vikas Chonira, Young D. Kwon, Jason Gorman, James Brett Case, Zhiqiang Ku, Rudo Simeon, Ryan G. Casner, Darcy R. Harris, Adam S. Olia, Tyler Stephens, Lawrence Shapiro, Michael F. Bender, Hannah Boyd, I-Ting Teng, Yaroslav Tsybovsky, Florian Krammer, Ningyan Zhang, Michael S. Diamond*, Peter D. Kwong*, Zhiqiang An* & Zhilei Chen*. 2022. A potent and broad neutralization of SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern by DARPins. Nature Chemical Biology https://doi.org/10.1038/s41589-022-01193-2.
  5. Zhiqiang Ku, Xuping Xie, Jianqing Lin, Peng Gao, Abbas El Sahili, Hang Su, Yang Liu, Xiaohua Ye, Xin Li, Xuejun Fan, Boon Chong Goh, Wei Xiong, Hannah Boyd, Antonio E. Muruato, Hui Deng, Hongjie Xia, Zou Jing, Birte K. Kalveram, Vineet D. Menachery, Ningyan Zhang, Julien Lescar, Pei-Yong Shi*, Zhiqiang An*. 2022. Engineering SARS-CoV-2 cocktail antibodies into a bispecific format improves neutralizing potency and breadth. Nature Communications 13, 5552 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-022-33284-y.
  6. Peng Zhao, Yuanzhong Xu, LuLin Jiang, Xuejun Fan, Leike Li, Xin Li, Hisashi Arase, Yingjun Zhao, Huaxi Xu, Qingchun Tong, Ningyan Zhang*, Zhiqiang An*. 2022. Engineering of a tetravalent TREM2 agonistic antibody with αTfR-mediated brain entry for the reduction amyloid pathology in 5XFAD mice. 2022. Science Translational Medicine 14, eabq0095 (2022) 7 September 2022, 10.1126/scitranslmed.abq0095.
  7. Peng Zhao, Xuejun Fan, LuLin Jiang, Zhiqiang Ku, Leike Li, Xiaoye Liu, Mi Deng, Hisashi Arase, Jay-Jiguang Zhu, Yingjun Zhao, Chengcheng Zhang, Huaxi Xu, Ningyan Zhang*, Zhiqiang An*. 2022. LILRB2-Mediated TREM2 Signaling Inhibition Suppresses Microglia Functions. Molecular Neurodegeneration 17:44, doi.org/10.1186/s13024-022-00550-y.
  8. Xin Liu, Yixiang Xu, Wei Xiong, Yuqian Huang, Bingnan Yin, Helen YC Wang, Ningyan Zhang, Zhiqiang An*, Rongfu Wang*. 2022. Development of a TCR-Like Antibody and Chimeric Antigen Receptor Against NY-ESO-1/HLA-A2 for Cancer Immunotherapy. Journal for ImmunoTherapy of Cancer http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/jitc-2021-004035.
  9. Daniel Wrapp, Xiaohua Ye, Zhiqiang Ku, Hang Su, Harrison G. Jones, Nianshuang Wang, Akaash K. Mishra, Daniel C. Freed, Fengsheng Li, Aimin Tang, Leike Li, Dabbu Kumar Jaijyan, Hua Zhu, Dai Wang, Tong-Ming Fu, Ningyan Zhang, Zhiqiang An*, Jason S. McLellan*. 2022. Structural basis for HCMV Pentamer recognition by antibodies and neuropilin 2, Science Advances DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abm2546.
  10. Xiujie Sun, Bogang Wu, Huai-Chin Chiang, Hui Deng, Xiaowen Zhang, Wei Xiong, Junquan Liu, Aaron M Rozeboom, Brent T Harris, Eline Blommaert, Antonio Gomez, Roderic Espin Garcia, Yufan Zhou, Payal Mitra, Madeleine Prevost, Deyi Zhang, Debarati Banik, Claudine Isaacs, Deborah Berry, Catherine Lai, Krysta Chaldekas, Patricia S Latham, Christine A Brantner, Anastas Popratiloff, Victor X Jin, Ningyan Zhang, Yanfen Hu, Miguel Angel Pujana, Tyler J Curiel*, Zhiqiang An*, Rong Li*. 2021. Tumour DDR1 promotes collagen fibre alignment to instigate immune exclusion. Nature https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-021-04057-2.
  11. Anjali Geethadevi, Ajay Nair, Deepak Parashar, Zhiqiang Ku, Wei Xiong, Hui Deng, Yongsheng Li, Jasmine George, Donna M. McAllister, Yunguang Sun, Ishaque P. Kadamberi, Prachi Gupta, Michael B. Dwinell, William H. Bradley, Janet S. Rader, Hallgeir Rui, Robert F. Schwabe, Ningyan Zhang, Sunila Pradeep, Zhiqiang An* and Pradeep Chaluvally-Raghavan* 2021. Oncostatin M Receptor-targeted antibodies suppress STAT3 signaling and inhibit ovarian cancer growth. Cancer Research DOI: 10.1158/0008-5472.CAN-21-0483.
  12. Zhiqiang Ku , Xuping Xie , Paul Hinton , Xinli Liu , Xiaohua Ye, Antonio Muruato , Dean Ng , Sujit Biswas , Jing Zou , Yang Liu , Deepal Pandya , Vineet Menachery , Sachi Rahman , Yu-An Cao , Hui Deng , Wei Xiong , Kevin Carlin , Junquan Liu , Hang Su , Elizabeth Haanes , Bruce Keyt*, Ningyan Zhang* , Stephen Carroll*, Pei-Yong Shi*, and Zhiqiang An*. 2021. Nasal delivery of an IgM against SARS-CoV-2 offers potent protection and coverage of variants. Nature 595:718–723 https://doi.org/ 10.1038/s41586-021-03673-2.
  13. Zihao Yuan, Xuejun Fan, Jay-Jiguang Zhu, Tong-Ming Fu, Jiaqian Wu, Hua Xu, Ningyan Zhang, Zhiqiang An*, and W. Zheng*. 2021. Presence of Complete Murine Viral Genome Sequences in Patient-Derived Xenografts. Nature Communications https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-021-22200-5.
  14. Zhiqiang Ku, Xuping Xie, Edgar Davidson, Xiaohua Ye, Hang Su, Yize Li, Zihao Yuan, Ariadna Grinyo Escuer, Benjamin J. Doranz, Daniel Wrapp, Breanna Tyrell, Kyle Doolan, Paul F. Bates, Jason S. McLellan, Susan R. Weiss, Ningyan Zhang*, Pei-Yong Shi*, and Zhiqiang An*. 2021. Molecular determinants and mechanism for antibody cocktail preventing SARS-CoV-2 escape. Nature Communications DOI:10.1038/s41467-020-20789-7
  15. Xun Gui, Mi Deng, Hao Song, Yuanzhi Chen, Jingjing Xie, Zunling Li, Licai He, Fangfang Huang, Yixiang Xu, Yasuaki Anami, Hai Yu, Chenyi Yu, Leike Li, Zihao Yuan, Xiaoying Xu, Qihui Wang, Yan Chai, Tao Huang, Yi Shi, Kyoji Tsuchikama, X. Charlene Liao, Ningshao Xia, George F. Gao, Ningyan Zhang*, Cheng Cheng Zhang* and Zhiqiang An*. 2019. Disrupting LILRB4/APOE interaction by an efficacious humanized antibody reverses T cell suppression and blocks AML development. Cancer Immunology Research doi: 10.1158/2326-6066.CIR-19-0036.
  16. Dawei Bu, Clair Crewe, Christine M. Kusminski, Ruth Gordillo, Wei Xiong, Hui Deng, Xiao-Zheng Liu, Per Eystein Lønning, Nils Halberg, Adan Rios, Yujun Chang, Anneliese Gonzalez, Ningyan Zhang, Zhiqiang An*, and Philipp E. Scherer*. 2019. Human Endotrophin as a Driver of Malignant Tumor Growth. Journal of Clinical Investigation Insight https://doi.org/10.1172/jci.insight.125094.
  17. Mi Deng, Xun Gui, Jaehyup Kim, Xie Li, Weina Chen, Zunling Li, Yuanzhi Chen, Heyu Chen, Weiguang Luo, Zhigang Lu, Jingjing Xie, Hywyn Churchill, Yixiang Xu, Zhan Zhou, Guojin Wu, Chenyi Yu, Samuel John, Kouyuki Hirayasu, Nam Nguyen, Hui Deng, Haidong Tang, Yizhou Zou, Benjamin Chen, Hisashi Arase, Ningshao Xia, Youxing Jiang, Robert Collins, Yang-Xin Fu, Zhiqiang An*, Junke Zheng*, Ningyan Zhang*, and Cheng Cheng Zhang*. 2018. Inhibitory receptor signaling in leukemia cells mediates tumor infiltration and T cell suppression. Nature 562:605–609.
  18. Ningyan Zhang, Hui Deng, Xuejun Fan, Anneliese Gonzalez, Songlin Zhang, Randall J Brezski, Byung-Kwon Choi, Michael Rycyzyn, William R Strohl, Robert E. Jordan, and Zhiqiang An*. 2015. Dysfunctional antibodies in the tumor microenvironment associate with impaired anticancer immunity. Clinical Cancer Research 21(23):5380-90.

*Corresponding authors