The team of Prof. Chen Xiang and Prof. Peng Cong from the Dermatology Department of Xiangya Hospital Central South University, Hunan Key Laboratory of Skin Cancer and Psoriasis, Hunan Engineering Research Center of Skin Health and Disease and Xiangya Clinical Research Center for Cancer Immunotherapy recently published four high-quality papers, including two published onSignal TransductionandTargeted Therapy(IF: 13.493), one onTheranostics(real-time IF: 11.21) and one onMolecular Therapy(real-time IF: 11.1). These papers published on the top-notch international journals share Dermatology Department, Xiangya Hospital as the first author’s and first corresponding author’s affiliation.
On Signal Transductionand Targeted Therapy, the team published an original article titledLysophosphatidic acid mediates the pathogenesis of psoriasis by activating keratinocytes through LPAR5to take the lead to find that LPA levels are significantly increased in psoriatic patients’ serum and to reveal the molecular mechanism by which LPA activates keratinocytes through the LPAR5/PKD1 signaling pathways and promotes the pathogenesis of psoriasis. This original research results provide a new clinical strategy for diagnosing and treating psoriasis. Dr. Lei Li from Xiangya Hospital andYan Bei, a graduate student are the co-first authors. Prof. Peng Cong and Prof. Chen Xiang are the co-corresponding authors.
Also onSignal TransductionandTargeted Therapy, the team published a review article titledPyroptosis: mechanisms and diseaseswhich gives a systematic review about latest developments of pyroptosis, as a new mode of cell death, for studying inflammations, tumor immunity and related diseases. This article also describes an outlook on the prospect of pyroptosis regulating-based disease intervention. Doctoral student Yu Pian from Xiangya Hospital is the first author. Prof. Chen Xiang and Prof. Peng Cong are the co-corresponding authors.
The team published an original article onTheranostics, titledMetabolomic profiling reveals amino acid and carnitine alterations as metabolic signatures in psoriasis. By integrating metabolomic data gathered from psoriasis mice and patients, they found the metabolism of EAAs (essential amino-acids), BCAAs (branch chain amino acids) and carnitines are significantly altered, revealing the metabolic signatures in psoriasis. As such, they concluded that intervening in carnitine metabolism effectively helps treat psoriasis, and intervention in metabolism represents an important solution to psoriasis treatment and prevention. Doctoral student Chen Chao from Xiangya Hospital, Hou Guixue and Zeng Chunwei both from BGI Genomics are the co-first authors. Prof. Peng Cong, Prof. Chen Xiang and Prof. Ren Yan from BGI Genomics are the co-corresponding authors.
The team published an original article onMolecular Therapy, titledInhibition of xCT suppresses the efficacy of anti-PD-1/L1 melanoma treatment through exosomal PD-L1-induced macrophage M2 polarizationto reveal that upsetting the metabolic balance of glutamate-cystine may upregulate PD-L1 expression via the transcription factors IRF4/EGR1 and promote the release of exosomes carrying PD-L1 which results in M2 macrophage polarization and reduces the efficacy of PD-L1 therapy. This finding indicates that the metabolic balance of glutamate-cystine plays a major role in immunotherapy, and targeted inhibition of exosome-PD-L1 represents an important means to make PD-1 therapy more effective. Doctoral student Liu Nian from Xiangya Hospital is the first author. Prof. Peng Cong and Prof. Chen Xiang are the co-corresponding authors.
Backed by Dermatology Department of Xiangya Hospital, Hunan Key Laboratory of Skin Cancer and Psoriasis, Hunan Engineering Research Center of Skin Health and Disease and Xiangya Clinical Research Center for Cancer Immunotherapy constitute a research platform focusing on clinical issues. Their research teams are committed to studying the basic and translational research about major skin diseases like skin cancer, psoriasis and allergic skin diseases. Adhering to the development concepts of “Science, Rigor, Passion, Cooperation”, the research teams attract high-caliber staff, National Distinguished Young Scholars and Changjiang Scholars as leaders and National Excellent Young Scholars, National Young Top-notch Personnel and Hunan Young Talents as the backbone. These teams boast 18 post-doctors, 8 professionals, 46 doctoral students and 49 graduate students. Building on that, they have developed 5 national and provincial-level platforms, including National Engineering Laboratory for Medical Big Data Application, MOE Innovation and Talent Introduction Base for Major Skin Disease Research, and Hunan Dermatology and Venereology Prevention and Treatment Office. The past five years have seen them publish over 300 SCI papers on international journals likeN Engl J Med, Cancer Cell, Advanced Science, Sig Trans Tar Ther, Nat Commun, J Allergy Clin Immun, PNAS, Cancer Res, Molecular Therapy, TheranosticsandOncogene, undertake over 50 national major/key research projects and provincial-level research projects, and obtain more than 30 national patents and software copyrights. Beyond that, they have won multiple provincial-level first prizes. Going forward, the team will stay committed to clinical research on psoriasis, melanoma and other major skin diseases, in an effort to boost the growth of the Department of Dermatology at Xiangya Hospital into a first-class discipline.
