Zezong Gu, MD, PhD

Zezong Gu, MD, PhD

Pathology and Anatomical Sciences

Vice Chair of Research
Professor

573-884-3880

Profile

Research in the Zezong Gu laboratory focuses on the studies of traumatic brain injury (TBI) and cerebral ischemia. This includes associated aging-related neurodegenerative diseases in animal models for mechanistic and translational investigations in aiding for the development of biomarkers, preventive and therapeutic strategies. The Gu laboratory uses multi‐disciplinary approaches and paradigms to conduct translational research. The Gu laboratory toolbox includes cell‐free protein interaction, primary neuron cultures including biofidelic 3D cultures, and in vivo rodent models of neurodegenerative diseases, as well as neurobehavioral assessment, digital pathology and quantitative proteomic analyses and bioinformatics. Ultimately, the endeavor of Dr. Gu’s studies supported with a number of cutting‐edge techniques and resources may lead to identifying potential biomarkers and therapeutic targets for neurodegenerative diseases. Dr. Gu is also passionate about the training of scientists, physicians, and graduate students from all over the world, which as of now includes Mexico, Puerto Rico, China, Indian, Japan, Philippines, Turkey, Israel, Libya, Cote D'lvoire, Ghana, Nigeria, Cameroon, and South Africa.

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Academic Information

Vice Chair of Research
Professor
P. 573-884-3880

Research Interests

  • Pathogenesis of neurovascular impairment and dysfunction following acute brain injuries for the risk in developing dementia and neurodegeneration
  • Nitrosative and oxidative stress in cell signaling
  • Perturbations in cell‐cell and cell‐matrix signaling
  • Discovery of novel biomarkers and therapeutic targets.

Areas of Expertise

  • Nitrosative and oxidative stress
  • Translational neuroscience research of botanicals and medicinal herbs
  • In vivo rodent models manifesting features of neurological diseases, such as ischemic stroke, traumatic brain and spinal cord injuries; Primary cell cultures including biofidelic 3D cultures
  • Cognitive, locomotor, memory and learning behavioral assessment
  • Neuropathology, digital pathology and ultrastructural analysis by electron microscopy
  • Quantitative proteomics and bioinformatics

Education & Training

Medical School

Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China

Fellowship

Burnham Institute for Medical Research, La Jolla, CA

Post-Graduate School

Cell Biology and Neuroscience, University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB) at Galveston, TX

Awards & Honors

  • American Heart Association (AHA) including Beginning Grant-in Aid and National Science Development Award
  • The Dana Foundation Brain Immuno-Imaging Program
  • The NFL Charities Foundation
  • The Department of Defense (DOD)
  • The National Institutes of Health (NIH)
  • The State of Missouri Spinal Cord Injury Research Program
  • The State of Indiana Brain and Spinal Cord Injury Research Program

Publications

  • Gu Z, Karl M, Yan B, Kridel S, Cui JK, Strongin A, Smith JW, Liddington CR and Lipton SA. S-nitrosylation of matrix metalloproteinases: Signaling pathway to neuronal cell death. Science2002, 297:1186-90.
  • Yao D., Gu Z., Nakamura T., Shi Z-S., Ma Y., Masliah E. and Lipton S.A. Nitrosative stress linked to sporadic Parkinson’s disease: S-nitrosylation of parkin regulates its E3 ligase activity. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 2004, 101:10810-14.
  • Gu Z, Cui JK, Brown S, Fridman R., Mobashery S, Strongin A and Lipton SA. A highly specific inhibitor of matrix metalloproteinase-9 rescues laminin from proteolysis and neurons from apoptosis in transient focal cerebral ischemia. Neurosci. 2005, 25:6401-8.
  • Uehara T, Nakamura T, Yao D, Shi Z-S, Gu Z, Ma Y, Masliah E, Nomura Y, and Lipton S.A. S-Nitrosylated protein-disulfide isomerase links protein misfolding to neurodegeneration. Nature 2006, 441:315-7.
  • Takahashi H, Shin Y, Cho S-J, Zago WM, Nakamura T, Gu Z, Ma Y, Furukawa H, Liddington R, Zhang D, Tong G, Chen HSV, and Lipton SA. Hypoxia enhances S-nitrosylation-mediated NMDA receptor inhibition via a thiol oxygen sensor motif. Neuron 2007, 53:53-64.
  • Fang JG, Nakamura T, Cho DH, Gu Z, Lipton SA. S-Nitrosylation of peroxiredexin 2 promotes oxidative stress-induced neuronal cell death in Parkinson’s disease. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA2007, 104:18742-7.
  • Cho D-H., Nakamura T., Fang J., Cieplak P., Godzik A., Gu Z., and Lipton S.A. S-Nitrosylation of Drp1 mediates β-Amyloid-related mitochondrial fission and neuronal injury. Science 2009, 324:102-5.
  • Cui J, Chen S, Zhang C, Meng F, Wu W, Hu R, Hadass O, Lehmidi T, Blair GJ, Lee M, Chang M, Mobashery S, Sun GY, Gu Z. Inhibition of MMP-9 by a selective gelatinase inhibitor protects neurovasculature from embolic focal cerebral ischemia. Mol Neurodegener. 2012 May 15;7:21.
  • Hadass O, Tomlinson BN, Gooyit M, Chen S, Purdy JJ, Walker JM, Zhang C, Giritharan AB, Purnell W, Robinson CR 2nd, Shin D, Schroeder VA, Suckow MA, Simonyi A, Sun GY, Mobashery S, Cui J, Chang M, Gu Z. Selective inhibition of matrix metalloproteinase-9 attenuates secondary damage resulting from severe traumatic brain injury. PLoS ONE 2013 Oct 23;8(10):e76904.
  • Chen Z, Shin D, Chen S, Mikhail K, Hadass O, Tomlinson BN, Korkin D, Shyu C-R, Cui J, Anthony DC, Gu Z. Histological quantitation of brain injury using whole slide imaging: A pilot validation study in mice. PLoS ONE 2014 Mar 17; 9(3):e92133.
  • Qu Z, Meng F, Bomgarden R, Viner R, Li J, Rogers J, Cheng J, Greenlief C, Cui J, Lubahn D, Sun G, Gu Z. Proteomic Quantification and Site-Mapping of S-Nitrosylated Proteins Using Isobaric iodoTMT Reagents. Proteome Res. 2014, 13, 3200−3211.
  • Zhou H, Qu Z, Mossine VV, Nknolise DL, Li J, Chen Z, Cheng J, Greenlief CM, Mawhinney TP, Brown PN5, Fritsche KL, Hannink M, Lubahn DB, Sun GY, Gu Z. Proteomic Analysis of the Effects of Aged Garlic Extract and Its FruArg Component on Lipopolysaccharide-Induced Neuroinflammatory Response in Microglial Cells. PLoS ONE 2014 Nov 24;9(11):e113531.
  • Lee M, Chen Z, Tomlinson BN, Gooyit M, Hesek D, Juárez MR, Nizam R, Boggess B, Lastochkin E, Schroeder VA, Wolter WR, Suckow MA, Cui J, Mobashery S, Gu Z, Chang M. Water-Soluble MMP-9 Inhibitor Reduces Lesion Volume after Severe Traumatic Brain Injury. ACS Chem Neurosci. 2015 Oct 21;6(10):1658-64.
  • Chen S, Meng F, Chen Z, Tomlinson BN, Wesley JM, Sun GY, Whaley-Connell AT, Sowers JR, Cui J, Gu Z. Two-dimensional Zymography Differentiates Gelatinase Isoforms in Stimulated Microglial Cells and in Brain Tissues of Acute Brain Injuries. PLoS ONE 2015 Apr 10;10(4):e0123852.
  • Qu Z, Greenlief CM, Gu Z. Quantitative Proteomic Approaches for Analysis of Protein S-Nitrosylation. J Proteome Res. 2016 Jan 4;15(1):1-14.
  • Chen S, Cui J, Jiang T, Olson ES, Cai QY, Yang M, Wu W, Guthrie JM, Robertson JD, Lipton SA, Ma L, Tsien RY, Gu Z. Gelatinase Activity Imaged by Activatable Cell-Penetrating Peptides in Cell-Based and in Vivo Models of Stroke. J Cereb Blood Flow Metab. 2017 Jan;37(1):188-200.

View a full list of Dr. Gu’s publications.