B.S. in Pharmacy, Tongji Medical University, 1990.

M.S. in Pharmaceutics, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, 1997.

Ph.D. in Pharmaceutical Sciences, Shanghai Institute of Pharmaceutical Industry, 2000.

Postdoctoral fellow in Department of Pharmaceutics, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MA 11/2000-11/2001.

Research Associate in Harvard University, Medical School and Northeastern University, Department of Pharmaceutical Science, Boston, MA. 12/2001-10/2003.

Current status: Professor in Pharmaceutical Science and Biophysics.

1. Revealing a new mechanism of tumor genesis and progression

Based on our research, we find that tissue fibrosis provides a special microenvironment which is beneficial for the proliferation of tumor cells. Fibrosis can promote the malignant transformation of normal cells into tumor cells. Fibrosis also offers a beneficial microenvironment that can promote tumor growth and metastasis. TGF-alpha / Smad3 signaling pathway plays a crucialrole in these processes and can be a new target for drug design and development. Naringenin and Naringin can specifically inhibit TGF-alpha / smad3 signaling pathway and consequently can be used for prevention and therapy of fibrosis and cancer.

2. Proposing a new viewpoint toward chemotherapy for cancer

The targets of most chemotherapeutic drug were located in the intra-cells, such as doxorubicin and cisplatin intercalate into double helix of DNA in the nucleus, and paclitaxel and vincristin disrupt the microtubes in the cytoplasma. However, resistant tumor cells can pump drugs out of the cells through some specific efflux mechanisms. Therefore, concentration of the drug in cells can not reach the critical level to inhibit tumor cell proliferation or kill tumor cell. In order to overcome these problems, it is not enough only to deliver drug to the tumor tissue (tissue target), but the drug need to be delivered into tumor cells. Penetration into the depth of tumor tissue and into tumor cells reaching effective concentration of drug in the tumor cells is very important for chemotherapy. We have developed a novel nano-sized drug delivery system to fit for the requirements of penetration into the depth of tumor tissue and into tumor cells. This strategy could have important clinical applications for cancer therapy.

3. Proposing a new strategy for tumor immunotherapy

By using tumorigenic antigen, therapeutic tumor vaccine is able to stimulate host immune response and elicit efficient tumor killing effect. Employing this benefit, the vaccine can also antagonize and even eliminate the residual tumor lesions and metastatic tumor cells after surgery, radiotherapy or chemotherapy. Compared with traditional therapeutic methods, tumor immunotherapy manifests high specificity, long-term efficacy, and low toxicity, etc. A lot of researches have demonstrated that nano-carriers can enhance tumorigenic antigen specific immune response by synergistic effects of multiple mechanisms. The development of nanotechnology provides novel strategies and solutions for therapeutic tumor vaccine design.

1. Wang J, Xing X, Fang X, Zhou C, Huang F, Wu Z, Lou J, Liang W. Cationic amphiphilic drugs self-assemble to the core-shell interface of PEGylated phospholipid micelles and stabilize micellar structure. Philos Trans A Math PhysEng Sci. 2013, 371(2000):20120309.

2. Qin L, Zhang F, Lu X, Wei X, Wang J, Fang X, Si D, Wang Y, Zhang C, Yang R, Liu C, Liang W. Polymeric micelles for enhanced lymphatic drug delivery to treat metastatic tumors. J Control Release. 2013, 171(2):133-42.

3. Zhang M, Mao X, Wang C, Zeng W, Zhang C, Li Z, Fang Y, Yang Y, Liang W, Wang C. The effect of graphene oxide on conformation change aggregation and cytotoxicity of HIV-1 regultion protein. Biomaterials. 2013, 34(4): 1383-90.

4. Yan Y, Zeng W, Song S, Zhang F, He W, Liang W, Niu Z. Vitamin C induces periodontal ligament progenitor cell differentiation via activation of ERK pathway mediated by PELP1. Protein Cell, 2013, 4(8): 620–627.

5. Zeng W, Yan Y, Zhang F, Zhang C, Liang W. Chrysin promotes osteogenic differentiation via ERK/MAPK activation. Protein Cell, 2013. 4(7): 539–547

6. Zhang F, Shan L, Liu Y, Neville D, Woo JH, Chen Y, Korotcov A, Lin S, Huang S, Sridhar R, Liang W, Wang PC. An anti-PSMA bivalent immunotoxin exhibits specificity and efficacy for prostate cancer imaging and therapy. AdvHealthc Mater. 2013 May; 2(5):736-44.

7. 张发云，秦蕾，梁伟. 活体自发光成像监测长春瑞宾胶束抗乳腺癌转移机制研究。中国肿瘤临床， 2013 ,40 ,23

8. 魏秀莉，梁伟. 聚乙二醇化磷脂胶束的纳米结构与功能. Progress in Biochemistry and Biophysics. 2013, 40(10): ~7.

9. Yi C, Zhang L, Li L, Liu X, Ling S, Zhang F, Liang W. Establishment of an orthotopicransplantation tumor model in nude mice using a drug-resistant human ovarian cancer cell line with a high expression of c-Kit. Oncol Lett. 2014, 8(6):2611-2615.

10. Yi C, Zhang L, Zhang F, Li L, Ling S, Wang X, Liu X, Liang W. Methodologies for the establishment of an orthotopic transplantation model of ovarian cancer in mice. Front Med. 2014, 8(1):101-5.

11. Dong W, Wei X, Zhang F, Hao J, Huang F, Zhang C, Liang W. A dual character of flavonoids in influenza A virus replication and spread through modulating cell-autonomous immunity by MAPK signaling pathways. Sci Rep. 2014, 4:7237.

12. Zhou Y, Zhang C, Liang W. Development of RNAi technology for targeted therapy--a track of siRNA based agents to RNAi therapeutics. J Control Release. 2014, 193:270-81.

13. Yu J, Wei X, Zhang L, Fang X, Yang T, Huang F, Liang W. Poly(ethylene glycol)-mediated conformational alteration of α-chymotrypsin prevents inactivation of insulin by stabilizing active intermediates. Mol Pharm. 2014, 11(10):3361-70.

14. Han Z, Wang X, Heng C, Han Q, Cai S, Li J, Qi C, Liang W, Yang R, Wang C. Synergistically enhanced photocatalytic and chemotherapeutic effects of aptamer-functionalized ZnO nanoparticles towards cancer cells. PhysChemChem Phys. 2015, 17(33):21576-82.

15. Fang X, Yang T, Wang L, Yu J, Wei X, Zhou Y, Wang C, Liang W. Nano-cage-mediated refolding of insulin by PEG-PE micelle. Biomaterials. 2016, 77:139-48.

16. Meng J, Guo F, Xu H, Liang W, Wang C, Yang XD. Combination Therapy using Co-encapsulated Resveratrol and Paclitaxel in Liposomes for Drug Resistance Reversal in Breast Cancer Cells in vivo. Sci Rep. 2016, 6:22390.

17. Li N, Yang Y, He K, Zhang F, Zhao L, Zhou W, Yuan J, Liang W, Fang X. Single-Molecule Imaging Reveals the Activation Dynamics of Intracellular Protein Smad3 on Cell Membrane. Sci Rep. 2016, 6:33469.

18. Tang H, Wang Y, Chlewicki LK, Zhang Y, Guo J, Liang W, Wang J, Wang X, Fu YX. Facilitating T Cell Infiltration in Tumor Microenvironment Overcomes Resistance to PD-L1 Blockade. Cancer Cell. 2016, 30(3):500.

19. Zhang F, Dong W, Zeng W, Zhang L, Zhang C, Qiu Y, Wang L, Yin X, Zhang C, Liang W. Naringenin prevents TGF-β1 secretion from breast cancer and suppresses pulmonary metastasis by inhibiting PKC activation. Breast Cancer Res. 2016, 18 (1):38.

20. Yinjian Zhou, Ying Dong , Gang Huang，Yiguang Wang，Xiaonan Huang, Fayun Zhang, David A. Boothman, JinmingGao, Wei Liang. Lysosome-Oriented, Dual Stages pH-Responsive Polymeric Micelles for β-Lapachone Delivery. Journal of Material Chemistry B. 2016,4, 7429-7440

21. Zhida Liu, Chang Zhou, Yan Qin, Zihao Wang, Luyao Wang, Xiuli Wei, Yinjian Zhou, Qicheng Li, Hang Zhou, Wenjun Wang, Yang-Xin Fu, Mingzhao Zhu & Wei Liang. Coordinating antigen cytosolic delivery and danger signaling to program potent cross priming by micelle-based nanovaccine. 2017 Cell Discovery (Accepted).