1. Dissect the molecular and cellular mechanism of Aβ aggregation underlying Alzheimer's disease, especially focus on Aβ cross-linking triggered by chronic peptide self-assembly and Aβ endocytosis by glial cells.

2. Modeling the pathophysiology of Alzheimer's disease with patient's brain extracts and human iPSC-derived neurons, gene-edited mice and non-human primates.

3. Develop new therapeutic strategies and biomarkers for Alzheimer's disease, including rational-designed nanobodies, antibodies and highly sensitive immunoassays.

2009-2014, PhD, Microbiology, College of Life Sciences, Wuhan University, China

2005-2009, B.S., Biotechnology, College of Life Sciences, Wuhan University, China

2019.11-present, Associate Professor, BCBDI at SIAT, CAS

2014.11-2019.10, Postdoctoral Fellow, Department of Neurology, Harvard Medical School/Brigham and Women’s Hospital

(#co-first author, *co-corresponding author)

1. Lv Z, Chen L, Chen P, Peng H, Rong Y, Hong W, Zhou Q, Li N, Li B, Paolicelli RC, Zhan Y. Clearance of β-amyloid and synapses by the optogenetic depolarization of microglia is complement selective. Neuron 2024, 112:740-754

2. Hong W, Liu W, Desousa AO, Young-Pearse T, Walsh DM. Methods for the isolation and analysis of Aβ from postmortem brain. Front Neurosci 2023, 17:1108715.

3. Liu Q, Telezhkin V, Jiang W, Gu Y, Wang Y, Hong W, Tian W, Yarova P, Zhang G, Lee SM, Zhang P, Zhao M, Allen ND, Hirsch E, Penninger J, Song B. Electric field stimulation boosts neuronal differentiation of neural stem cells for spinal cord injury treatment via PI3K/Akt/GSK-3β/ β-catenin activation. Cell Biosci 2023, 13:4.

4. Wang Z^#, Jin M^#, Hong W^#, Liu W, Reczek D, Lagomarsino VN, Hu Y, Weeden T, Frosch MP, Young-Pearse TL, Pradier L, Selkoe D*, Walsh DM*. Learnings about Aβ from human brain recommend the use of a live-neuron bioassay for the discovery of next generation Alzheimer's disease immunotherapeutics. Acta Neuropathol Commun 2023, 11:39.

5. Ahn EH, Lei K, Kang SS, Wang Z, Liu X, Hong W, Wang YT, Edgington-Mitchell LE, Jin L, Ye K. Mitochondrial dysfunction triggers the pathogenesis of Parkinson's disease in neuronal C/EBPβ transgenic mice. Molecular Psychiatry. 2021, 26:7838-7850.

6. Corbett GT, Wang Z, Hong W, Colom-Cadena M, Rose J, Liao M, Asfaw A, Hall TC, Ding L, DeSousa A, Frosch MP, Collinge J, Harris DA, Perkinton MS, Spires-Jones TL, Young-Pearse TL, Billinton A, Walsh DM. PrP is a central player in toxicity mediated by soluble aggregates of neurodegeneration-causing proteins. Acta Neuropathologica. 2020, 139:503–526.

7. Li S, Sunchen S, He D, Qin C, Zuo Z, Shen B, Cao Z, Hong W*, Miao L*. ImKTx96, a peptide blocker of the Kv1.2 ion channel from the venom of the scorpion Isometrus maculates. Peptides. 2020, 123:170172.

8. Zott B, Simon MM, Hong W, Unger F, Chen-Engerer HJ, Frosch MP, Sakmann B, Walsh DM, Konnerth A. A vicious cycle of β amyloid-dependent neuronal hyperactivation. Science. 2019, 365:559-565.

9. Brinkmalm G^#, Hong W^#, Wang Z, Liu W, O'Malley TT, Sun X, Frosch MP, Selkoe DJ, Portelius E, Zetterberg H, Blennow K, Walsh DM. Identification of neurotoxic cross-linked amyloid-β dimers in the Alzheimer's brain. Brain. 2019, 142:1441-1457.

10. Mengel D, Hong W, Corbett GT, Liu W, DeSousa A, Solforosi L, Fang C, Frosch MP, Collinge J, Harris DA, Walsh DM. PrP-grafted antibodies bind certain amyloid β-protein aggregates, but do not prevent toxicity. Brain Research. 2019, 1710:125-135.

11. Hong W, Wang Z, Liu W, O'Malley TT, Jin M, Willem M, Haass C, Frosch MP, Walsh DM. Diffusible, highly bioactive oligomers represent a critical minority of soluble Aβ in Alzheimer's disease brain. Acta Neuropathologica. 2018, 136:19-40.

12. Jin M^#, O'Nuallain B^#, Hong W, Boyd J, Lagomarsino VN, O'Malley TT, Liu W, Vanderburg CR, Frosch MP, Young-Pearse T, Selkoe DJ*, Walsh DM*. An in vitro paradigm to assess potential anti-Aβ antibodies for Alzheimer's disease. Nature Communications. 2018, 9:2676.

13. Zeng Z^#, Zhang R^#, Hong W^#, Cheng Y, Wang H, Lang Y, Ji Z, Wu Y, Li W, Xie Y*, Cao Z*. Histidine-rich Modification of a Scorpion-derived Peptide Improves Bioavailability and Inhibitory Activity against HSV-1. Theranostics. 2018, 8:199-211.

14. Ondrejcak T, Klyubin I, Corbett GT, Fraser G, Hong W, Mably AJ, Gardener M, Hammersley J, Perkinton MS, Billinton A, Walsh DM, Rowan MJ. Cellular Prion Protein Mediates the Disruption of Hippocampal Synaptic Plasticity by Soluble Tau In Vivo. J Neurosci. 2018, 38:10595-10606.

15. Wang Z, Jackson RJ, Hong W, Taylor WM, Corbett GT, Moreno A, Liu W, Li S, Frosch MP, Slutsky I, Young-Pearse TL, Spires-Jones TL, Walsh DM. Human Brain-Derived Aβ Oligomers Bind to Synapses and Disrupt Synaptic Activity in a Manner That Requires APP. J Neurosci. 2017, 37:11947-11966.

16. Zeng Z^#, Han S^#, Hong W, Lang Y, Li F, Liu Y, Li Z, Wu Y, Li W, Zhang X*, Cao Z*. A Tat-conjugated Peptide Nucleic Acid Tat-PNA-DR Inhibits Hepatitis B Virus Replication In Vitro and In Vivo by Targeting LTR Direct Repeats of HBV RNA. Mol Ther Nucleic Acids. 2016, 5:e295.

17. Zeng Z, Zhang Q, Hong W, Xie Y, Liu Y, Li W, Wu Y, Cao Z. A Scorpion Defensin BmKDfsin4 Inhibits Hepatitis B Virus Replication in Vitro. Toxins (Basel). 2016, 8.

18. Hong W^#, Lang Y^#, Li T, Zeng Z, Song Y, Wu Y, Li W, Cao Z. A p7 Ion Channel-derived Peptide Inhibits Hepatitis C Virus Infection in Vitro. J Biol Chem. 2015, 290:23254-63.

19. Han SS, Li ZY, Zhu JY, Han K, Zeng ZY, Hong W, Li WX, Jia HZ, Liu Y, Zhuo RX, Zhang XZ. Dual-pH Sensitive Charge-Reversal Polypeptide Micelles for Tumor-Triggered Targeting Uptake and Nuclear Drug Delivery. Small. 2015, 11:2543-54.

20. Hong W, Li T, Song Y, Zhang R, Zeng Z, Han S, Zhang X, Wu Y, Li W, Cao Z. Inhibitory activity and mechanism of two scorpion venom peptides against herpes simplex virus type 1. Antiviral Research. 2014, 102:1-10.

21. Song Y, Gong K, Yan H, Hong W, Wang L, Wu Y, Li W*, Li W*, Cao Z*. Sj7170, a unique dual-function peptide with a specific alpha-chymotrypsin inhibitory activity and a potent tumor-activating effect from scorpion venom. J Biol Chem. 2014, 289:11667-80.

22. Hong W, Zhang R, Di Z, He Y, Zhao Z, Hu J, Wu Y, Li W, Cao Z. Design of histidine-rich peptides with enhanced bioavailability and inhibitory activity against hepatitis C virus. Biomaterials. 2013, 34:3511-22.

23. Cao Z^#, Yu Y^#, Wu Y^#, Hao P^#, Di Z^#, He Y^#, Chen Z, Yang W, Shen Z, He X, Sheng J, Xu X, Pan B, Feng J, Yang X, Hong W, Zhao W, Li Z, Huang K, Li T, Kong Y, Liu H, Jiang D, Zhang B, Hu J, Hu Y, Wang B, Dai J, Yuan B, Feng Y, Huang W, Xing X, Zhao G, Li X*, Li Y*, Li W*. The genome of Mesobuthus martensii reveals a unique adaptation model of arthropods. Nature Communications. 2013, 4:2602.

24. He Y^#, Zhao R^#, Di Z, Li Z, Xu X, Hong W, Wu Y, Zhao H, Li W, Cao Z. Molecular diversity of Chaerilidae venom peptides reveals the dynamic evolution of scorpion venom components from Buthidae to non-Buthidae. J Proteomics. 2013, 89:1-14.

25. Zhao Z, Hong W, Zeng Z, Wu Y, Hu K, Tian X, Li W*, Cao Z*. Mucroporin-M1 inhibits hepatitis B virus replication by activating the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway and down-regulating HNF4alpha in vitro and in vivo. J Biol Chem. 2012, 287:30181-90.

26. Li Q^#, Zhao Z^#, Zhou D, Chen Y, Hong W, Cao L, Yang J, Zhang Y, Shi W, Cao Z, Wu Y, Yan H*, Li W*. Virucidal activity of a scorpion venom peptide variant mucroporin-M1 against measles, SARS-CoV and influenza H5N1 viruses. Peptides. 2011, 32:1518-25.

27. Yan R^#, Zhao Z^#, He Y, Wu L, Cai D, Hong W, Wu Y, Cao Z*, Zheng C*, Li W*. A new natural alpha-helical peptide from the venom of the scorpion Heterometrus petersii kills HCV. Peptides. 2011, 32:11-9. 

1. Wei Hong; Identification of neurotoxic cross-linked Aβ heterodimers in Alzheimer's disease brain; Society for Neuroscience 48^th Annual Meeting, San Diego, USA, Nov 2018; Oral presentation.

2. Wei Hong; Diffusible Alzheimer’s disease brain-derived Aβ disrupts synaptic plasticity; Society for Neuroscience 47^th Annual Meeting, Washington DC, USA, Nov 2017; Oral presentation.

3. Wei Hong; Aβ-finding the needles in a haystack of molecular complexity; AD/PD Seminar Series, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, USA, April 2017; Oral presentation.

4. Wei Hong, Runhong Zhang, Zhiyong Di, Yawen He, Zhenhuan Zhao, Jun Hu, Yingliang Wu, Wenxin Li, Zhijian Cao; Design of histidine-rich peptides with enhanced bioavailability and inhibitory activity against HCV; 11th China Biotoxin Research and Medical Applications Annual Meeting, Qingdao, China, 2013; Abstract.

现指导学生

罗显钖  硕士研究生  086000-生物与医药  

刘琰  硕士研究生  086000-生物与医药