Xiaoyu Zhang Chemical biology and therapeutics

Research Interests

Our research group is dedicated to the exploration of innovative small molecule and biologic based therapeutic approaches that function beyond traditional inhibitors and antagonists. We are committed to targeting disease-causing proteins that were previously considered undruggable, opening up new possibilities for treating a wide range of human diseases. By combining various disciplines such as omics technologies (proteomics, functional genomics, and chemical genetics), chemical biology, and organic synthesis, our interdisciplinary research program focuses on three primary areas: 1) cancer neoantigen modulators for innovative cancer immunotherapy; 2) selective cancer therapy by identifying cancer-specific vulnerabilities; 3) small molecule degraders targeting not-yet-druggable oncogenic proteins.

Selected Publications

A CRISPR activation screen identifies FBXO22 supporting targeted protein degradation. Basu AA, Zhang C, Riha IA, Magassa A, Campos MA, Caldwell AG, Ko F and Zhang X. Nat. Chem. Bio. 2024 July 04;Online ahead of publication.

A platform for mapping reactive cysteines within the immunopeptidedome. Zhang C, Zhou C, Magassa A, Fang D, and Zhang X. bioRxiv. 2024 April 03;Online ahead of publication.

Electrophilic PROTACs that degrade nuclear proteins by engaging DCAF16. Zhang X, Crowley VM, Wucherpfennig TG, Dix MM, and Cravatt BF. Nature Chemical Biology. 2019 July;15(7):737-746.

DCAF11 Supports Targeted Protein Degradation by Electrophilic Proteolysis-Targeting Chimeras. Zhang X, Luukkonen LM, Eissler CL, Crowley VM, Yamashita Y, Schafroth MA, Kikuchi S, Weinstein DS, Symons KT, Nordin BE, Rodriguez JL, Wucherpfennig TG, Bauer LG, Dix MM, Stamos D, Kinsella TM, Simon GM, Baltgalvis KA, and Cravatt BF. Journal of the American Chemical Society. 2021 April 7;143(13):5141-5149.

SPIN4 Is a Principal Endogenous Substrate of the E3 Ubiquitin Ligase DCAF16. Zhang X, Thielert M, Li H, and Cravatt BF. Biochemistry. 2021 March 9;60(9):637-642.

View all publications by Xiaoyu Zhang in the National Library of Medicine (PubMed).