Guizhi (Julian) Zhu

Pharmaceutical Sciences

Guizhi (Julian) Zhu, PhD

Ara Garo Paul Associate Professor of Pharmaceutical Science

734/936-6366

[email protected]

North Campus Research Complex
2800 Plymouth Rd
Ann Arbor, MI 48109-2800

B010-A154 NCRC

Guizhi (Julian) Zhu Laboratory

Zhu Research Group (Accepting Students)

Michigan Experts Website

Guizhi Julian Zhu Google Scholar

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Role Overview and Bio

B.S.: Nankai University, China
Ph.D.: University of Florida, USA
Postdoc training: National Institutes of Health, USA

The research in my lab lies at the interface of immunology, nucleic acid engineering, and functional biomaterials. Our current focus is to develop novel circRNA/mRNA/oligonucleotides immunotherapeutics and vaccines and their delivery systems for the prophylaxis and immunotherapy of cancer, infectious diseases, and autoimmune disorders. Our research has been funded by federal and foundation grants from National Institutes of Health (NIH), Department of Defense (DoD), and American Cancer Society (ACS).

Research Interests

  • Circular RNA (circRNA) and mRNA vaccines for cancer immunotherapy and infectious disease prophylaxis

  • Nucleic acid immunotherapeutics for cancer immunotherapy (circRNA, immunomodulatory DNA/RNA, gene-editing gRNA);

  • ADAR-related nucleic acid theranostics and immunomodulators

  • cGAS-STING-targeted immunomodulation for the immunotherapy of cancer and autoimmune diseases

  • Delivery of nucleic acid immunotherapeutics and vaccines

Awards

  • 2008 Grinter Fellowship, University of Florida

  • 2013 Dr. Alan M. Gewirtz Memorial Scholarship, Oligonucleotide Therapeutics Society

  • 2013 Early Career Investigator Fellowship of Nanotechnologies in Cancer Diagnosis, Therapy, and Prevention, New York Academy of Sciences

  • 2014 Travel Award, Oligonucleotide Therapeutics Society

  • 2019 KL2 Scholar, National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS), NIH

  • 2021 Maximizing Investigators' Research Award (MIRA) , National Institute of General Medical Science

  • 2021 Early Career Investigator Award, METAvivor

  • 2021 AAPS Best Abstract Award, American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists

  • 2021 Emerging Faculty Scholar Award, Virginia Commonwealth University School of Pharmacy

  • 2022 Mary Ann Liebert publishers Young Investigator Award, Oligonucleotide Therapeutics Society (OTS)

  • 2022 Emerging Leader Award, American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists (AAPS)

  • 2022 Nanoscale Emerging Investigator, Nanoscale journal

  • 2022 Breakthrough Award – Level II , Department of Defense Breast Cancer Research Program (BCRP)

  • 2022 Excellence in Research Award, Virginia Commonwealth University School of Pharmacy

Selected Publications

  1. Zhang Y*, Liu X*, Shen T, Wang Q, Zhou S, Yang S, Liao S, Su T, Mei L, Zhang B, Huynh K, Xie L, Guo Y, Guo C, Katarzyna MT, Qu X, Qu, Wang XY, Liu J, Zhu G#. Small circular mRNA vaccines for cancer immunotherapy. Nature Biomedical Engineering. 2025. 9(2):249-267
  2. Alshehry Y*, Liu X*, Zhang Y, Zhu G#. Title: Investigation of the impact of lipid nanoparticle compositions on the delivery and T cell response of circRNA vaccine. Journal of Controlled Release. 2025
  3. Alshehry Y, Liu X, Li W, Wang Q, Cole J, Zhu G#. Lipid nanocarriers for mRNA immunotherapeutic and vaccines (invited review). AAPS J. 2025
  4. Qiyan Wang*, Ting Su*,#, Furong Cheng*,#, Shurong Zhou, Xiang Liu, Mi Wang, Ri Tang, You Xu, Shimiao Liao, Jordan Dailey, Guolan Xiao, Hanning Wen, Weijia Zheng, Bo Wen, Katarzyna M Tyc, Venkatesha Basrur, Jinze Liu, Duxin Sun, Shaomeng Wang, Zhu G#. Proteolysis-targeting vaccines (PROTAXs) for robust tumor combination immunotherapy. BioRxiv, 2024
  5. Ainslie KM, Bowers AA, Chichewicz RH, Collier LS, Doorn JA, Frei CR, Ghandehari H, Gibbs RB, Lawrence DS, Lee CR, Mager DE, Marker P, Schwendeman A, Suryanarayanan R, Williams RO 3rd, Xi Y, Xie W, Xie XQ, Zhu G, Nguyen J. Pharmaceutical Sciences: Insights and Observations from Academic Chairs and Vice Chairs, AAPS J. (Perspective). 2025
  6. Zhou S, Su T, Cheng F, Cole J, Liu X, Zhang B, Alam S, Liu J, Zhu G#. Engineering cGAS-agonistic oligonucleotides as therapeutics for cancer immunotherapy. Molecular Therapy – Nucleic Acids, 2024. 35(1): 102126.
  7. Zhou S, Cheng F, Zhang Y, Su T, Zhu G#. Engineering and Delivery of cGAS-STING Immunomodulators for the Immunotherapy of Cancer and Autoimmune Diseases. Accounts of Chemical Research. 2023. PMID: 37802125
  8. Cheng F, Zhou S, Su T, Xiang Liu, Suling Yang, Lin S#, Guo W#, Zhu G#. Single-dose injectable nanovaccine-in-hydrogel for robust immunotherapy of large tumors with abscopal effect. Science Advances. 2023. 9(28):eade6257
  9. Cheng F, Su T, Liu Y, Qi J, Guo W, Zhu G#. Targeting lymph nodes for systemic immunosuppression using cell-free-DNA-scavenging and cGAS-inhibiting nanomedicine-in-hydrogel for rheumatoid arthritis immunotherapy. Advanced Science. 2023. e2302575
  10. Su T*, Cheng F*, Humble N, Zhang F, Yu G, Bos DP, Valerie K#, Zhu G#. Lymph node-targeting albumin-binding DNA scaffold for the codelivery of adjuvant and neoantigens in combination tumor immunotherapy. Theranostics. 2023. 13 (13), 4304
  11. Su T, Liu X, Yang S, Cheng F, Zhu G#. Ionizable polymeric nanocarriers for the codelivery of bi-adjuvant and neoantigens in combination tumor immunotherapy. Bioactive Materials. 2023. 26:169-180
  12. Dain L, Zhu G#. Nucleic acid immunotherapeutics and vaccines: a promising approach to glioblastoma multiforme treatment. International Journal of Pharmaceutics. 2023. 638:122924
  13. Tan X, Zhao Z, Wang R, Zhu G#. Molecular and Nanoscale Engineering of Nucleic Acid Theranostics and Vaccines. Frontiers in Bioengineering and Biotechnology. (Editorial) 2023. 10:1126876
  14. Chen J, Li R, Knapp S, Zhu G, Whitener RL, Leiter EH, Mathews CE. Intergenomic and epistatic interactions control free radical mediated pancreatic β-cell damage. Frontiers in Genetics. 2022. 13:994501
  15. Su T, Cheng F, Zhou S, Mei L, S Fu, F Zhang, Lin S#, Zhu G#. pH-responsive multifunctional polymer nanovaccines of STING agonist and neoantigen for cancer immunotherapy. Advanced Science. 2022. 9(23):e2201895
  16. Liu X, Zhang Y, Zhou S, Dain L, Mei L, Zhu G#. Circular RNA: an emerging frontier in RNA therapeutic targets, RNA therapeutics, and mRNA vaccines. Journal of Controlled Release. 2022. 348:84-94
  17. Tang W, Zhang Y, Zhu G#. Pulmonary delivery of mucosal nanovaccines. Nanoscale. 2022, 14, 263-276
  18. Shen T, Zhang Y, Mei L, Zhang X, Zhu G#. Single-stranded circular DNA theranostics. Theranostics. 2022; 12(1):35-47
  19. Su T, Cheng F, Pu Y, Cao J, Lin S#, Zhu G#, He B. Polymeric micelles amplify tumor oxidative stresses through combining PDT and glutathione depletion for synergistic cancer chemotherapy. Chemical Engineering Journal. 2021, 411: 128561.
  20. Hu L, Chen W, Zhou S, Zhu G#. ExoHCR: a sensitive assay to profile PD-L1 level on tumor exosomes for immunotherapeutic prognosis. Biophysics Report. 2020, 6:290–298
  21. Zhang Y, Shen T, Zhou S, Wang W, Lin S#, Zhu G#. pH-responsive STING-activating nanovaccines for cancer immunotherapy. Advanced Therapeutics. 2020 3(9): 2000083
  22. Ni Q, Zhang F, Liu Y, Wang Z, Yu G, Liang B, Niu G, Su T, Zhu G#, Lu G#, Zhang L#, Chen X#. A Bi-adjuvant Nanovaccine that Potentiates Immunogenicity of Neoantigen for Combination Immunotherapy of Colorectal Cancer. Science Advances. 2020, 6 (12), eaaw607
  23. Zhou S, Chen W, Cole J, Zhu G#. Delivery of nucleic acid therapeutics for cancer immunotherapy. Medicine in Drug Discovery. 2020. 6. 100023 (Invited review)
  24. Shen T, Zhang Y, Zhou S, Lin S, Zhang XB, Zhu G#. Nucleic Acid Immunotherapeutics for Cancer. ACS Applied Bio Materials. 2020. (Invited review)
  25. Su T*, Zhang Y*, Valerie K, Wang XY, Lin S, Zhu G#. STING activation in cancer immunotherapy. Theranostics. 2019 9(25):7759-7771.
  26. Zhang Y, Lin S, Wang XY, Zhu G#. Nanovaccines for cancer immunotherapy. WIREs Nanomedicine & Nanobiotechnology 2019: 11(5):e1559. (Invited review).
  27. Ni Q, Pham N, Meng W, Zhu G#, Chen X#. Advances in the immunotherapy of type I diabetes. Advanced Drug Delivery Review. 2019, 139:83-91.
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