On May 31^st 2024, we were delighted to host Professor Chengjiang Gao, Dean of the School of Basic Medical Sciences of Shandong University, who delivered the 110th lecture of the Shenzhen University Medicine Forum. His lecture was titled “Anti-infective Intrinsic Immunity Modulation” and was delivered at the Lihu Campus of Shenzhen University upon invitation by Professor Xinchun Chen from the Department of Medicine.

At the start of his talk, Professor Chengjiang Gao introduced the innate antiviral signaling pathway and its regulatory mechanism in immune recognition and activation. He explained pattern recognition theory and the discovery of pattern recognition receptors and the innate antiviral signaling pathway. Here, he noted the important role of pattern recognition receptors and their related signaling pathways in the activation of intrinsic immunity. Then, Professor Gao explained the role of MAVS, a key molecule involved in antiviral infection that is localized in mitochondria. In brief, K63 ubiquitin chain aggregates activate MAVS; RIG-Ⅰ recognizes MAVS-loaded K63 ubiquitin chains and in turn, activates antiviral signaling in mitochondria. Finally, Professor Gao focused on the important roles of cGAS and the STING signaling pathway in immune regulation in the context of his team's recent research. Specifically, they found that MB21D interacts with cGAS to promote cGAS activation, and positively regulates antiviral and antitumor immune responses. They also found that SG-localized USP8 removes K27-linked polyubiquitin chains from DDX3X to promote cGAS activation, meanwhile STING translocates to phagosomes to negatively regulate antifungal immunity. Professor Gao's wonderful report aroused an enthusiastic response from audience members. The audience asked numerous questions, which Professor Gao meticulously answered.

Brief introduction of the Speaker:

Professor Chengjiang Gao (PhD supervisor) is a recipient of the National Outstanding Youth Fund and a “Taishan Scholar” of the Shandong Province. He has long been devoted to research into the regulatory mechanisms underlying natural immune recognition and activation, and has published more than 60 papers in authoritative academic journals, such as Nature Immunology, Immunity, the Journal of Experimental Medicine, and PNAS. He is also a member of the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) and has presided over NFSC innovative research group projects and key projects. He won the first prize of the Ministry of Education's Award for Outstanding Achievements in Scientific Research in Colleges and Universities in Natural Sciences (first co-author). He is currently the Dean of the School of Basic Medical Sciences at Shandong University, Director of the Key Laboratory of Infection and Immunology of Shandong Province, Deputy Editor-in-Chief of Molecular Immunology, Chairman of the Shandong Immunology Society, Director of the Chinese Immunology Society, Vice Chairman of the Basic Immunology Branch of the Chinese Immunology Society, Standing Director of the Chinese Society of Cell Biology, and Vice Chairman of the Shandong Society of Cell Biology.