Work Experience

2020~now Cyrus Tang Medical Institute, Soochow University

Education Background

2006~2010 Central South University
                    Biotechnology, Bachelor
2010~2015 Peking Union Medical College
                    Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Mentor: Professor Depei Liu
2015~2020 St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Department of Hematology
                    Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Mentor: Professor Mitchell J. Weiss

Research Direction and Long-term Goal

We focus on studying the molecular mechanism and therapy strategies in hematopoiesis and blood disease including acute myeloid leukemia (AML), myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) and thalassemia. We now have three major cutting-edge directions:

1)Identify novel regulators in erythropoiesis/hematopoiesis by systematic and integrated strategies including CRISPR/Cas9 mediated gene editing and high-throughput genetic screening, transcriptome and proteomics;
2)Target therapy for AML and MDS by identifying novel druggable targets;
3)Genetics and molecular mechanism in thalassemia and HSC based gene editing.

Our long-term goal is establishing a basic and medical translational combined lab, which is facing our national major medical needs and key scientific issues.

Representative Publication

(# equal contribution * corresponding author)
1.Mengli Zhang, Judith Hyle, Xiaowen Chen, Ye Xin, Yingcai Jin, Jianxiang Zhang, Xue Yang, Xinfeng Chen, Shaela Wright, Zhenling Liu, Wojciech Rosikiewicz, Beisi Xu, Liusheng He, Hong Liu, Nana Ping, Depei Wu, Feiqiu Wen, Chunliang Li*, Peng Xu*; RNA-binding protein RBM5 plays an essential role in acute myeloid leukemia by activating the oncogenic protein HOXA9, Genome Biology, 2024, 25:16
2.Peng Xu; Daniel C. Scott; Beisi Xu; Yu Yao; Ruopeng Feng; Li Cheng; Kalin Mayberry; Yong-Dong Wang; Wenjian Bi; Lance E. Palmer; Moeko T. King; Hong Wang; Yuxin Li; Yiping Fan; Arno F. Alpi; Chunliang Li; Junmin Peng; James Papizan; Shondra M. Pruett-Miller; Ria Spallek; Florian Bassermann; Yong Cheng; Brenda A. Schulman; Mitchell J. Weiss*; FBXO11-mediated proteolysis of BAHD1 relieves PRC2-dependent transcriptional repression in erythropoiesis, Blood, 2021, 137(2): 155-167. (Plenary Article)
3.Peng Xu#; Lance E. Palmer#; Christophe Lechauve; Guowei Zhao; Yu Yao; Jing Luan; Anastasios Vourekas; Haiyan Tan; Junmin Peng; John D. Schuetz; Zissimos Mourelatos; Gang Wu; Mitchell J. Weiss*; Vikram R. Paralkar*; Regulation of gene expression by miR-144/451 during mouse erythropoiesis, Blood, 2019, 133(23): 2518-2528.
4.Ozge Karayel#; Peng Xu#; Isabell Bludau; Senthil Velan Bhoopalan; Yu Yao; Ana Rita Freitas Colaco; Alberto Santos; Brenda A Schulman*; Arno F Alpi*; Mitchell J Weiss*; Matthias Mann*; Integrative proteomics reveals principles of dynamic phosphosignaling networks in human erythropoiesis, Molecular Systems Biology, 2020, 16(e9813).
5.Mengli Zhang #; Mei Meng #; Yuxi Liu; Jindan; Zhe Zhao; Yingnan Qiao; Yanxing Hu; Wei Lu; Zhou Zhou; Peng Xu*; Quansheng Zhou*; Triptonide effectively inhibits triple-negative breast cancer metastasis through concurrent degradation of Twist1 and Notch1 oncoproteins, Breast Cancer Research, 2021,23:116.
6.Dawafuti Sherpa#, Judith Müller#, Özge Karayel#, Peng Xu#, Yu Yao, Jakub Chrustowicz, Karthik V. Gottemukkala, Christine Baumann, Annette Gross, Oliver Czarnezki, Wei Zhang, Jun Gu, Johan Nilvebrant, Sachdev S. Sidhu, Peter J. Murray, Matthias Mann, Mitchell J. Weiss, Brenda A. Schulman, Arno F. Alpi*; Modular UBE2H-CTLH E2-E3 complexes regulate erythroid maturation, eLife, 2022, 11:e77937.
7.Ruopeng Feng, Thiyagaraj Mayuranathan, Peng Huang , Phillip A Doerfler, Yichao Li, Yu Yao, Jingjing Zhang, Lance E Palmer, Kalin Mayberry, Georgios E Christakopoulos, Peng Xu, Chunliang Li, Yong Cheng, Gerd A Blobel, M Celeste Simon, Mitchell J Weiss*; Activation of γ-globin expression by hypoxia-inducible factor 1α, Nature, 2022, 610(7933):783-790.
8.Li Cheng#; Yichao Li#; Qian Qi; Peng Xu; Ruopeng Feng; Lance Palmer; Jingjing Chen; Ruiqiong Wu; Tiffany Yee; Jingjing Zhang; Yu Yao; Akshay Sharma; Ross C. Hardison; Mitchell J. Weiss*; Yong Cheng*; Single-nucleotide–level mapping of DNA regulatory elements that control fetal hemoglobin expression, Nature Genetics, 2021,53(6):869-880.
9.Xiuqin Bao#; Xinhua Zhang#; Liren Wang; Zhongju Wang; Jin Huang; Qianqian Zhang; Yuhua Ye; Yongqiong Liu; Diyu Chen; Yangjin Zuo; Qifa Liu; Peng Xu; Binbin Huang; Jianpei Fang; Jinquan Lao; Xiaoqin Feng; Yafeng Li; Ryo Kurita; Yukio Nakamura; Weiwei Yu; Cunxiang Ju; Chunbo Huang; Narla Mohandas; Dali Li; Cunyou Zhao*; Xiangmin Xu*; Epigenetic inactivation of ERF reactivates γ-globin expression in β-thalassemia, The American Journal of Human Genetics, 2021, 108(4): 709-721.
10.Xiaoqiang Tang#; Xiao-Feng Chen#; Xin Sun#; Peng Xu; Xiang Zhao; Ying Tong; Xiao-Man Wang; Ke Yang; Yu-Tong Zhu; De-Long Hao; Zhu-Qin Zhang; De-Pei Liu*; Hou-Zao Chen*; Short-Chain Enoyl-CoA Hydratase Mediates Histone Crotonylation and Contributes to Cardiac Homeostasis, Circulation, 2021, 143(10): 1066-1069.
11.Qian Qi#; Li Cheng#; Xing Tang; Yanghua He; Yichao Li; Tiffany Yee; Dewan Shrestha; Ruopeng Feng; Peng Xu; Xin Zhou; Shondra Pruett-Miller; Ross C. Hardison; Mitchell J. Weiss; Yong Cheng*; Dynamic CTCF binding directly mediates interactions among cis-regulatory elements essential for hematopoiesis, Blood, 2021, 137(10): 1327-1339.
12.Yao Yao#; Fei Ye#; Kailong Li; Peng Xu; Wenjie Tan; Quansheng Feng; Shuquan Rao*; Genome and epigenome editing identify CCR9 and SLC6A20 as target genes at the 3p21.31 locus associated with severe COVID-19. Signal Transduct Target Ther.,2021,6(1):85.
13.Judith Hyle#; Yang Zhang#; Shaela Wright; Beisi Xu; Ying Shao; John Easton; Liqing Tian; Ruopeng Feng; Peng Xu; Chunliang Li*; Acute depletion of CTCF directly affects MYC regulation through loss of enhancer-promoter looping, Nucleic Acids Research, 2019, 47(13): 6699-6713.
14.Xiao Fang#; Feiyang Shen#; Christophe Lechauve; Peng Xu; Guowei Zhao; Jacobi Itkow; Fan Wu; Yaying Hou; Xiaohui Wu; Lingling Yu; Huiqing Xiu; Mengli Wang; Ruiling Zhang; Fangfang Wang; Yanqing Zhang; Daxin Wang; Mitchell J. Weiss; Duonan Yu*; miR-144/451 represses the LKB1/AMPK/mTOR pathway to promote red cell precursor survival during recovery from acute anemia, Haematologica, 2018, 103(3): 406-416.
15.Peng Xu#; Ting-ting Wang#; Xiu-zhen Liu#; Nan-Yu Wang; Li-hong Sun; Zhu-qin Zhang; Hou-zao Chen; Xiang Lv; Yue Huang; De-Pei Liu*; Sirt6 regulates efficiency of mouse somatic reprogramming and maintenance of pluripotency, Stem Cell Research & Therapy, 2019, 10(9).
16.Wen-Li Mu#; Ya-Jun Wang#; Peng Xu#; De-Long Hao; Xiu-Zhen Liu; Ting-Ting Wang; Feng Chen; Hou-Zao Chen; Xiang Lv; De-Pei Liu*; Sox2 Deacetylation by Sirt1 Is Involved in Mouse Somatic Reprogramming, Stem Cells, 2015, 33(7): 2135-2147.
17.Peng Xu#; Ying Tong#; Xiu-zhen Liu; Ting-ting Wang; Li Cheng; Bo-yu Wang; Xiang Lv; Yue Huang; De-pei Liu*; Both TALENs and CRISPR/Cas9 directly target the HBB IVS2–654 (C > T) mutation in β-thalassemia derived iPSCs, Scientific Reports, 2015, 5(12065).

Academic Association

1.Invited reviewer in the journal of Stem Cell Research & Therapy
2.Associate member American Society of Gene & Cell Therapy/American Society of Hematology

Team Members

Our lab logo:” Rigorousness, Truthfulness, Happiness and Freedom”.

Welcome to Xu Lab
New blood including undergraduates, graduate students, postdocs and visiting scientists are always welcome to join our new blood cell research team!!! If interested, please send your CV or write to pengxu@suda.edu.cn