Faculty
Dr. Chao Liang obtained Ph.D. degree from Hong Kong Baptist University in 2016. After graduation, he worked as Post-doctoral Research Fellow and Research Assistant Professor in Hong Kong Baptist University. Since 2020, Dr. Chao Liang was employed as Associate Professor in Department of Biology, Southern University of Science and Technology. Dr. Chao Liang focuses on mechanistic studies, translational medicine and precision medicine in bone & joint diseases and tumors.
Research Interests：
◆ Mechanistic studies in bone & joint diseases and tumors
◆ Translational medicine in bone & joint diseases and tumors
◆ Precision medicine in bone & joint diseases and tumors
Professional Experience：
◆ 2018-2020, Research Assistant Professor, Hong Kong Baptist University
◆ 2016-2018, Post-doctoral Research Fellow, Hong Kong Baptist University
Educational Background：
◆ 2013-2016, Ph.D., Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong SAR, China
◆ 2010-2013, M.Sc. Anhui Medical University & Academy of Military Medical Science, China
◆ 2006-2010, B.Sc. Taishan Medical University, Shandong, China
Honors & Awards：
◆ 2014 ASBMR Young Investigator Award
Selected Publication：
1. Qiu F*, Xie D*, Chen H, Wang Z, Huang J, Cao C, Liang Y, Yang X, He DY, Fu X#, Lu A#, Liang C#. Generation of cytotoxic aptamers specifically targeting fibroblast-like synoviocytes by CSCT-SELEX for treatment of rheumatoid arthritis. Ann Rheum Dis. 2024 Sep 4:ard-2024-225565. doi: 10.1136/ard-2024-225565. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 39237134.
2. Du Y*, Gao X*, Chen J, Chen X, Liu H, He W, Liu L, Jiang Y, He B, Deng Z, Liang C#, Guo F#. OGT mediated HDAC5 O-GlcNAcylation promotes osteogenesis by regulating the homeostasis of epigenetic modifications and proteolysis. J Orthop Translat 2025, 50, 14-29.
3. Cao C*, Yue S, Lu A#, Liang C#. Host-Gut Microbiota Metabolic Interactions and Their Role in Precision Diagnosis and Treatment of Gastrointestinal Cancers. Pharmacol Res. 2024 Sep;207:107321. doi: 10.1016/j.phrs.2024.107321. Epub 2024 Jul 20. PMID: 39038631.
4. Liang C. Proximod as a potential therapy for rheumatoid arthritis. Lancet Rheumatol. 2024 Oct 22:S2665-9913(24)00237-6. doi: 10.1016/S2665-9913(24)00237-6. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 39454618.
5. Wang Z*, Yue S*, Chen X*, Li J*, Zhu P, Chen H, Qiu F, Xie D, Liang Y, Li D#, Lu A#, Liang C#. Design of Murine Double Minute 2 Proteolysis Targeting Chimera Degraders with a Built-In Tumor-Targeting Ability. J Med Chem. 2024 Oct 22. doi: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.4c01228. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 39437434.
6. Feng Z*, Xie D*, Qiu F, Huang J, Wang Z, Liang C#. Development of hybrid aptamers-engineered PROTACs for degrading VEGF165 in both tumor- and vascular endothelial cells. Eur J Med Chem. 2024 Nov 2;281:117027. doi: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2024.117027. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 39504794.
7. Fu X*, Huang J*, Chen X, Xie D, Chen H, Liang Z, Wang Z, Liang Y, Lu A#, Liang C#. Development of dual aptamers-functionalized c-MET PROTAC degraders for targeted therapy of osteosarcoma. Theranostics 2025; 15(1):103-121. doi:10.7150/thno.99588.
8. Xu Y*, Xie D*, Cao C*, Yue Ju, Chen X, Guan L, Li X, Zhang L#, Liang C#, Yin X#. PSMA-specific CAR-engineered macrophages for therapy of prostate cancer. bioRxiv 2024.09.07.611792; doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2024.09.07.611792.
9. Li J, Liang C#. Protocol for constructing tumor-targeting ANM-PROTACs for degradation of transcription factors. STAR Protoc. 2024 Sep 20;5(3):103220. doi: 10.1016/j.xpro.2024.103220. Epub 2024 Jul 27. PMID: 39068654; PMCID: PMC11339245.
10. Chen H*, Fu X*, Wu X*, Zhao J, Qiu F, Wang Z, Wang Z, Chen X, Xie D, Huang J, Fan J, Yang X, Song Y, Li J, He D, Xiao G#, Lu A#, Liang C#. Gut microbial metabolite targets HDAC3-FOXK1-interferon axis in fibroblast-like synoviocytes to ameliorate rheumatoid arthritis. Bone Res. 2024 May 23;12(1):31. doi: 10.1038/s41413-024-00336-6. PMID: 38782893; PMCID: PMC11116389.
11. Huang Y*., Wang Z*., Zhong C*., Chen H, Chen X, Cao C, Qiu F, Xie D, Li J, Li J, Yang X, Lu A#, Fu X#, Liang C#, (2024). CRISPRa engineered Elite macrophages enable adoptive cell therapy for rheumatoid arthritis. The Innovation Medicine 2(1): 100050. https://doi.org/10.59717/j.xinn-med.2024.100050.
12. Fu X*, Li J*, Chen X*, Chen H*, Wang Z, Qiu F, Xie D, Huang J, Yue S, Cao C, Liang Y, Lu A#,Liang C#. Repurposing AS1411 for constructing ANM-PROTACs. Cell Chem Biol. 2024 Apr 12:S2451-9456(24)00127-2. doi: 10.1016/j.chembiol.2024.03.011. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 38657608.
13. Mi C#*, Zhang X*, Yang C, Wu J, Chen X, Ma C, Wu S, Yang Z, Qiao P, Liu Y, Wu W, Guo Z, Liao J, Zhou J, Guan M, Liang C#, Liu C#, Jin D#. Bone disease imaging through the near-infrared-II window. Nat Commun. 2023 Oct 9;14(1):6287. doi: 10.1038/s41467-023-42001-2.
14. Li J*, Chen X*, Lu A#, Liang C#. Targeted protein degradation in cancers: Orthodox PROTACs and beyond. The Innovation (Camb). 2023 Mar 15;4(3):100413. doi: 10.1016/j.xinn.2023.100413. PMID: 37033156; PMCID: PMC10074253.
15. Xie D*, Wang Z*, Li J, Guo DA, Lu A#,Liang C#. Targeted Delivery of Chemotherapeutic Agents for Osteosarcoma Treatment. Front Oncol. 2022 Mar 4;12:843345. doi: 10.3389/fonc.2022.843345. PMID: 35311145; PMCID: PMC8931218.
16. Zhou X*, Xie D*, Huang J, Lu A, Wang R, Jin Y, Zhang R, Chang C, Xu L, Xu L, Fan J, Liang C#, He D#. Therapeutic Effects of (5R)-5-Hydroxytriptolide on Fibroblast-Like Synoviocytes in Rheumatoid Arthritis via lncRNA WAKMAR2/miR-4478/E2F1/p53 Axis. Front Immunol. 2021 Feb 16;12:605616. doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2021.605616.
17. Chen Z*, Zhao F*, Liang C*, Hu L*, Li D, Zhang Y, Yin C, Chen L, Wang L, Lin X, Su P, Ma J, Yang C, Tian Y, Zhang W, Li Y, Peng S#, Chen W#, Zhang G#, Qian A#. Silencing of miR-138-5p sensitizes bone anabolic action to mechanical stimuli. Theranostics. 2020 Oct 30;10(26):12263-12278. doi: 10.7150/thno.53009.
18. Liang C*, Guo B*, Wu H*, Shao N, Li D, Liu J, Dang L, Wang C, Li H, Li S, Lau WK, Cao Y, Yang Z, Lu C, He X, Au DW, Pan X, Zhang BT, Lu C, Zhang H, Yue K, Qian A, Shang P, Xu J, Xiao L, Bian Z, Tan W, Liang Z, He F, Zhang L#, Lu A#, Zhang G#. Aptamer-functionalized lipid nanoparticles targeting osteoblasts as a novel RNA interference-based bone anabolic strategy. Nat Med. 2015 Mar;21(3):288-94. doi: 10.1038/nm.3791.
19. Liang C*, Peng S*, Li J*, Lu J*, Guan D*, Jiang F*, Lu C, Li F, He X, Zhu H, Au DWT, Yang D, Zhang BT#, Lu A#, Zhang G#. Inhibition of osteoblastic Smurf1 promotes bone formation in mouse models of distinctive age-related osteoporosis. Nat Commun. 2018 Aug 24;9(1):3428. doi: 10.1038/s41467-018-05974-z.
20. Liang C*#, Li J*, Lu C*, Xie D, Liu J, Zhong C, Wu X, Dai R, Zhang H, Guan D, Guo B, He B, Li F, He X, Zhang W, Zhang BT#, Zhang G#, Lu A#. HIF1α inhibition facilitates Leflunomide-AHR-CRP signaling to attenuate bone erosion in CRP-aberrant rheumatoid arthritis. Nat Commun. 2019 Oct 8;10(1):4579. doi: 10.1038/s41467-019-12163-z.
21. Liang C*#, Li F*, Wang L*, Zhang ZK*, Wang C*, He B, Li J, Chen Z, Shaikh AB, Liu J, Wu X, Peng S, Dang L, Guo B, He X, Au DWT, Lu C, Zhu H#, Zhang BT*#, Lu A#, Zhang G#. Tumor cell-targeted delivery of CRISPR/Cas9 by aptamer-functionalized lipopolymer for therapeutic genome editing of VEGFA in osteosarcoma. Biomaterials. 2017 Sep 13;147:68-85. doi: 10.1016/j.biomaterials.2017.09.015.
22. Li F*, Lu J*, Liu J*, Liang C*, Wang M*, Wang L*, Li D, Yao H, Zhang Q, Wen J, Zhang ZK, Li J, Lv Q, He X, Guo B, Guan D, Yu Y, Dang L, Wu X, Li Y, Chen G, Jiang F, Sun S, Zhang BT#, Lu A#, Zhang G#. A water-soluble nucleolin aptamer-paclitaxel conjugate for tumor-specific targeting in ovarian cancer. Nat Commun. 2017 Nov 9;8(1):1390. doi: 10.1038/s41467-017-01565-6.
23. Zhang ZK*, Li J*, Guan D*, Liang C*, Zhuo Z, Liu J, Lu A, Zhang G#, Zhang BT#. A newly identified lncRNA MAR1 acts as a miR-487b sponge to promote skeletal muscle differentiation and regeneration. J Cachexia Sarcopenia Muscle. 2018 Jun;9(3):613-626. doi: 10.1002/jcsm.12281. Epub 2018 Mar 7.
24. He X*, Liu J*, Liang C*, Badshah SA*, Zheng K*, Dang L*, Guo B, Li D, Lu C, Guo Q, Fan D, Bian Y, Feng H, Xiao L, Pan X, Xiao C, Zhang B#, Zhang G#, Lu A#. Osteoblastic PLEKHO1 contributes to joint inflammation in rheumatoid arthritis. EBioMedicine. 2019 Feb 26. pii: S2352-3964(19)30081-7. doi: 10.1016/j.ebiom.2019.02.009.
25. Liu J*, Liang C*, Guo B, Wu X, Li D, Zhang Z, Zheng K, Dang L, He X, Lu C, Peng S, Pan X, Zhang BT#, Lu A#, Zhang G#. Increased PLEKHO1 within osteoblasts suppresses Smad-dependent BMP signaling to inhibit bone formation during aging. Aging Cell. 2017 Apr;16(2):360-376. doi: 10.1111/acel.12566. Epub 2017 Jan 13.
26. Zhang ZK, Li J, Guan D, Liang C*, Zhuo Z, Liu J, Lu A#, Zhang G#, Zhang BT#. Long Noncoding RNA lncMUMA Reverses Established Skeletal Muscle Atrophy following Mechanical Unloading. Mol Ther. 2018 Nov 7;26(11):2669-2680. doi: 10.1016/j.ymthe.2018.09.014. Epub 2018 Oct 25.
27. Li J, Liang C*, Zhang ZK, Pan X, Peng S, Lee WS, Lu A, Lin Z, Zhang G#, Leung WN#, Zhang BT#. TAK1 inhibition attenuates both inflammation and fibrosis in experimental pneumoconiosis. Cell Discov. 2017 Jul 11;3:17023. doi: 10.1038/celldisc.2017.23.
28. Wang L, Liang C*, Li F, Guan D, Wu X, Fu X, Lu A#, Zhang G#. PARP1 in Carcinomas and PARP1 Inhibitors as Antineoplastic Drugs. Int J Mol Sci. 2017 Oct 8;18(10). pii: E2111. doi: 10.3390/ijms18102111. Review.
29. Liang C*, Li D, Zhang GX, Li H, Shao N, Liang Z, Zhang L#, Lu A#, Zhang G#. Comparison of the methods for generating single-stranded DNA in SELEX. Analyst. 2015, 140, 3439-3444. DOI: 10.1039/C5AN00244C.
30. Liang C*, Zhang X, Song S, Tian C, Yin Y, Xing G, He F#, Zhang L#. Identification of UHRF1/2 as new N-methylpurine DNA glycosylase-interacting proteins. Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 2013 Apr 19;433(4):415-9.