Keying Zhu

About me
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Research

My current research interest lies in the field of neuroimmunology with a main focus on multiple sclerosis (MS), amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), and Alzheimer's disease (AD). I'm currently a postdoctoral researcher in Robert Harris's group, and we are trying to understand the role of microglia and peripheral-derived macrophages in CNS disorders. We aim to develop strategies to combat neuroinflammatory disorders by regulating dysfunctional microglia and other myeloid cells.

(Master's students with relevant expertise and experience in animal experiments are welcome to contact us for internship opportunities.)

Currently, I'm leading the following projects:
1. Drug repurposing and nanoengineering for neuroinflammatory diseases.
2. Deciphering the TGF-β signaling in microglia.
3. Corepressor complexes in the regulation of microglial function and the CNS homeostasis.
4. The TRPV1 receptor in demyelination and remyelination.

Teaching

Supervised 4 master students for their master project reports:

Timas Shin-Yu Kung (8 months, Karolinska Institutet)
Projects: 1. Microglial reprogramming for neuroinflammatory disorders
2. Topoisomerase 1
inhibition mitigates microglial activation and neuroinflammation.

Cindy Bay (2 months, Heidelberg University)
Project: Topoisomerase 1 inhibition attenuates neuroinflammation.

Zoë Keasberry (6 months, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam)
Project: Improvement of microglial replacement therapy in severe neurological diseases:
understanding the depletion and repopulation pattern of microglia following CSF1R inhibition.

Yiming Xia (10 months, Karolinska Institutet)
Projection: Transcritptional coregulator in control of microglia function.

Articles

Journal article: JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE. 2024;221(2):e20230675

CD163+ macrophages monitor enhanced permeability at the blood-dorsal root ganglion barrier.

Lund H; Hunt MA; Kurtović Z; Sandor K; Kägy PB; Fereydouni N; Julien A; Göritz C; Vazquez-Liebanas E; Andaloussi Mäe M; Jurczak A; Han J; Zhu K; Harris RA; Lampa J; Graversen JH; Etzerodt A; Haglund L; Yaksh TL; Svensson CI
Journal article: INTERNATIONAL IMMUNOPHARMACOLOGY. 2024;127:111408

Sanguinarine modulates microglial function via PPARγ activation and protects against CNS demyelination.

Wang D-J; Wang X; Li S-L; Zhang T-T; Yang Y-C; Wang Y-M; Zhao X-Q; Li K-Y; Wang Y-Q; Li Y; Zhu K-Y; Wang J
Article: JCI INSIGHT. 2023;8(17):e167656

Antigen receptor stimulation induces purifying selection against pathogenic mitochondrial tRNA mutations.

Zhang J; Koolmeister C; Han J; Filograna R; Hanke L; Àdori M; Sheward DJ; Teifel S; Gopalakrishna S; Shao Q; Liu Y; Zhu K; Harris RA; McInerney G; Murrell B; Aoun M; Bäckdahl L; Holmdahl R; Pekalski M; Wedell A; Engvall M; Wredenberg A; Karlsson Hedestam GB; Castro Dopico X; Rorbach J
Article: ACTA PHARMACOLOGICA SINICA. 2023;44(4):766-779

Activation of TRPV1 receptor facilitates myelin repair following demyelination via the regulation of microglial function.

Sun J-X; Zhu K-Y; Wang Y-M; Wang D-J; Zhang M-Z; Sarlus H; Benito-Cuesta I; Zhao X-Q; Zou Z-F; Zhong Q-Y; Feng Y; Wu S; Wang Y-Q; Harris RA; Wang J
Article: JOURNAL OF NEUROINFLAMMATION. 2023;20(1):83

Microglial aryl hydrocarbon receptor enhances phagocytic function via SYK and promotes remyelination in the cuprizone mouse model of demyelination.

Wang Y; Sun J; Zhu K; Wang D; Zhao X; Zhang H; Wu S; Wang Y; Wang J
Article: EMBO REPORTS. 2022;23(7):e54499

Myeloid cell-specific topoisomerase 1 inhibition using DNA origami mitigates neuroinflammation.

Zhu K; Wang Y; Sarlus H; Geng K; Nutma E; Sun J; Kung S-Y; Bay C; Han J; Min J-H; Benito-Cuesta I; Lund H; Amor S; Wang J; Zhang X-M; Kutter C; Guerreiro-Cacais AO; Högberg B; Harris RA
Article: JOURNAL OF NEUROINFLAMMATION. 2022;19(1):20

An overlooked subset of Cx3cr1wt/wt microglia in the Cx3cr1CreER-Eyfp/wt mouse has a repopulation advantage over Cx3cr1CreER-Eyfp/wt microglia following microglial depletion.

Zhou K; Han J; Lund H; Boggavarapu NR; Lauschke VM; Goto S; Cheng H; Wang Y; Tachi A; Xie C; Zhu K; Sun Y; Osman AM; Liang D; Han W; Gemzell-Danielsson K; Betsholtz C; Zhang X-M; Zhu C; Enge M; Joseph B; Harris RA; Blomgren K
Article: JOURNAL OF NEUROSCIENCE RESEARCH. 2021;99(3):793-805

Axonal mitochondria adjust in size depending on g-ratio of surrounding myelin during homeostasis and advanced remyelination.

Ineichen BV; Zhu K; Carlström KE
Article: CARBOHYDRATE POLYMERS. 2021;254:117291

Harnessing hyaluronic acid-based nanoparticles for combination therapy: A novel approach for suppressing systemic inflammation and to promote antitumor macrophage polarization.

Rangasami VK; Samanta S; Parihar VS; Asawa K; Zhu K; Varghese OP; Teramura Y; Nilsson B; Hilborn J; Harris RA; Oommen OP
Article: INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES. 2020;21(22):E8603-8603

Underestimated Peripheral Effects Following Pharmacological and Conditional Genetic Microglial Depletion.

Han J; Fan Y; Zhou K; Zhu K; Blomgren K; Lund H; Zhang X-M; Harris RA
Article: INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES. 2020;21(18):E6824-6824

Sex-Specific Effects of Microglia-Like Cell Engraftment during Experimental Autoimmune Encephalomyelitis.

Han J; Zhu K; Zhou K; Hakim R; Sankavaram SR; Blomgren K; Lund H; Zhang X-M; Harris RA
Article: NATURE COMMUNICATIONS. 2020;11(1):4071

Gsta4 controls apoptosis of differentiating adult oligodendrocytes during homeostasis and remyelination via the mitochondria-associated Fas-Casp8-Bid-axis.

Carlström KE; Zhu K; Ewing E; Krabbendam IE; Harris RA; Falcão AM; Jagodic M; Castelo-Branco G; Piehl F
Article: EVIDENCE-BASED COMPLEMENTARY AND ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE. 2020;2020:3205176-13

Tyrosine Kinase Receptors Axl and MerTK Mediate the Beneficial Effect of Electroacupuncture in a Cuprizone-Induced Demyelinating Model.

Zou Z; Sun J; Kang Z; Wang Y; Zhao H; Zhu K; Wang J
Article: GLIA. 2020;68(7):1466-1478

Absence of microglia or presence of peripherally-derived macrophages does not affect tau pathology in young or old hTau mice.

Zhu K; Pieber M; Han J; Blomgren K; Zhang X-M; Harris RA; Lund H
Article: BRAIN RESEARCH. 2019;1710:33-42

Repurposing of omeprazole for oligodendrocyte differentiation and remyelination.

Zhu K; Sun J; Kang Z; Zou Z; Wu X; Wang Y; Wu G; Harris RA; Wang J
Article: SIGNAL TRANSDUCTION AND TARGETED THERAPY. 2019;4:27

miR-124/VAMP3 is a novel therapeutic target for mitigation of surgical trauma-induced microglial activation.

Chen Y; Sun J-X; Chen W-K; Wu G-C; Wang Y-Q; Zhu K-Y; Wang J
Article: NATURE IMMUNOLOGY. 2018;19(5):1-7

Fatal demyelinating disease is induced by monocyte-derived macrophages in the absence of TGF-β signaling.

Lund H; Pieber M; Parsa R; Grommisch D; Ewing E; Kular L; Han J; Zhu K; Nijssen J; Hedlund E; Needhamsen M; Ruhrmann S; Guerreiro-Cacais AO; Berglund R; Forteza MJ; Ketelhuth DFJ; Butovsky O; Jagodic M; Zhang X-M; Harris RA
Journal article: BIOLOGICAL & PHARMACEUTICAL BULLETIN. 2017;40(8):1306-1313

Polyphyllin I Overcomes EMT-Associated Resistance to Erlotinib in Lung Cancer Cells via IL-6/STAT3 Pathway Inhibition.

Lou W; Chen Y; Zhu K-Y; Deng H; Wu T; Wang J
Journal article: FRONTIERS IN NEUROSCIENCE. 2016;10:613

Electroacupuncture Promotes Remyelination after Cuprizone Treatment by Enhancing Myelin Debris Clearance.

Zhu K; Sun J; Kang Z; Zou Z; Wu G; Wang J

All other publications

Preprint: 2023;bioRxiv

Disrupting microglial TGF-β signaling triggers region-specific pathology in the spinal cord

Zhu K; Min J-H; Joshua V; Liu Y; Pieber M; Suerth V; Sarlus H; Harris R; Lund H
KI thesis / dissertation: 2023

Deciphering and fine-tuning of myeloid cells in CNS demyelinating conditions

Zhu, Keying
Preprint: 2023;bioRxiv

A network of CD163⁺macrophages monitors enhanced permeability at the blood-dorsal root ganglion barrier

Lund H; Hunt M; Kurtovic Z; Sandor K; Fereydouni N; Julien A; Göritz C; Han J; Zhu K; Harris R; Lampa J; Haglund L; Yaksh T; Svensson C
Preprint: 2019;bioRxiv

Axonal mitochondria across species adjust in diameter depending on thickness of surrounding myelin

Ineichen BV; Zhu K; Carlström KE
Review: GLIA. 2019;67(2):217-231

Enforced microglial depletion and repopulation as a promising strategy for the treatment of neurological disorders.

Han J; Zhu K; Zhang X-M; Harris RA

Grants

Transcriptional Coregulators in Control of Microglial Function in CNS Demyelinating Diseases

NEURO Sweden

1 January 2024 - 31 December 2024
Oligodendroglial Primary Cilia in White Matter Injury Repair: Function, Signaling mechanism, and Proteome Repertoire

Swedish Research Council

1 January 2024 - 31 December 2027
Novel immunotherapies for neurodegenerative diseases

Swedish Research Council

1 December 2021 - 30 November 2026
Novel immunotherapy targeting myeloid cells for neurological diseases: Drug repurposing and nanoengineering

StratNeuro

1 June 2021 - 31 May 2023
Novel immunotherapy for neuroinflammation: drug repurposing and nanoengineering for myeloid cells

NEURO Sweden

1 January 2021 - 1 January 2022

Employments

Postdoctoral Researcher, Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, 2023-2025
Phd Student, Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, 2018-2023

Degrees and Education

Degree Of Doctor Of Philosophy, Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, 2023

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