CIMR-Shao-Cong Sun

Research Group

Shao-Cong Sun

Distinguished Investigator

B.S. in Department of Biology, Hebei University, China

M.S. in Department of Microbiology, Stockholm University, Sweden

Ph.D. in Department of Microbiology, Stockholm University, Sweden

Work Experience

2024-present

Distinguished Investigator, Director of Institute of Immunology, Chinese Institutes for Medical Research, Beijing, China

2024-present

Chair Professor, Capital Medical University, China

2017-2022

Deputy Chair, Department of Immunology,The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, USA

2014-2022

Director, Center for Inflammation and Cancer,The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, USA

2012-2022

Associate Director, Center for Cancer Immunology Research, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, USA

2013-2022

Moshe Talpaz Endowed Chair in Immunology,The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, USA

2011-2013

M.R.Evely Hudson Foundation Endowed Professor,The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, USA

2007-2022

Professor, Department of Immunology,The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, USA

2006-2007

Distinguished professor, Department of Microbiology & Immunology, Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine, USA

2002-2006

Professor, Department of Microbiology & Immunology, Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine, USA

1999-2002

Associate Professor, Department of Microbiology & Immunology, Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine, USA

1994-1999

Assistant Professor, Department of Microbiology & Immunology, Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine, USA

1992-1994

Postdoctoral Fellow, The Gladstone Institute of Virology and Immunology University of California, San Francisco (advisor: Warner Greene)

Research Direction

The main research in Sun lab is to investigate the molecular mechanisms of anticancer immunity, autoimmunity and inflammatory diseases, focusing on the function and regulation of T cells.

Major Research Projects

1. Elucidation of the molecular mechanisms regulating T cell activation, differentiation, effector function, and exhaustion using cutting-edge techniques (CRISPR screen, single-cell sequencing, proteomics, knockout mouse models, etc.)

2. Understanding the mechanisms by which T cells and accessory cells regulate anticancer immunity, autoimmunity, and inflammatory diseases

3. Characterization of novel molecular targets to enhance T cell-based cancer immunotherapy

4. NF-kB and ubiquitin signaling in anticancer immunity, autoimmunity, and inflammatory responses

Major Contributions

1. Pioneered the discovery of IkB degradation as the mechanism of canonical NF-kB activation

2. Discovered the noncanonical NF-kB pathway and revealed its central mechanism of regulation

3. Revealed the function of noncanonical NF-kB pathway in regulating anticancer immunity, autoimmunity and inflammatory diseases

4. Seminal studies on the in vivo roles of ubiquitination in the regulation of T cell development, proinflammatory activation, and tolerance

5. Characterized novel regulators of T cell metabolism and exhaustion, suggesting new approaches to improve T cell-based cancer immunotherapy

6. Discovered a growth factor-TBK1 signaling axis in the regulation of tumor growth and tumor-mediated immunosuppression

Representative Publications *：Co-first author; #：Co-corresponding author

Zhu L, Zhou X, Kim J, Gu M, Xie X, Li Y, Ko CJ, Gao T, Cheng X, Sun SC. Dapl1 controls NFATc2 activation to regulate CD8⁺ T cell exhaustion and responses in chronic infection and cancer. Nature Cell Biology, 2022, 24:1165-1176. DOI: 10.1038/s41556-022-00942-8

Gu M*, Zhou X*, Sohn JH, Zhu L, Jie Z, Yang JY, Zheng X, Xie X, Yang J, Shi Y, Brightbill HD, Kim JB, Wang J, Cheng X, Sun SC. NF-κB-inducing kinase maintains T cell metabolic fitness in antitumor immunity. Nature Immunology, 2021, 22:193-204. DOI: 10.1038/s41590-020-00829-6

Zhu L, Li Y, Xie X, Zhou X, Gu M, Jie Z, Ko CJ, Gao T, Hernandez BE, Cheng X, Sun SC. TBKBP1 and TBK1 form a growth factor signalling axis mediating immunosuppression and tumourigenesis. Nature Cell Biology, 2019, 21:1604-1614. DOI: 10.1038/s41467-018-05097-5

Zhou X, Yu J, Cheng X, Zhao B, Manyam GC, Zhang L, Schluns K, Li P, Wang J, Sun SC. The deubiquitinase Otub1 controls the activation of CD8(+) T cells and NK cells by regulating IL-15-mediated priming. Nature Immunology, 2019, 20:879-889. DOI: 10.1038/s41590-019-0405-2

Jie Z, Yang JY, Gu M, Wang H, Xie X, Li Y, Liu T, Zhu L, Shi J, Zhang L, Zhou X, Joo D, Brightbill HD, Cong Y, Lin D, Cheng X, and Sun SC. NIK signaling axis regulates dendritic cell function in intestinal immunity and homeostasis. Nature Immunology, 2018, 19:1224-1235. DOI: 10.1038/s41590-018-0206-z.

Jin J, Xie X, Xiao Y, Hu H, Zou Q, Cheng X, Sun SC. Epigenetic regulation of the expression of Il12 and Il23 and autoimmune inflammation by the deubiquitinase Trabid. Nature Immunology, 2016, 17:259-268. DOI: 10.1038/ni.3347

Zou Q, Jin J, Hu H, Li HS, Romano S, Xiao Y, Nakaya M, Zhou X, Cheng X, Yang P, Lozano G, Zhu C, Watowich SS, Ullrich SE, Sun SC. USP15 stabilizes MDM2 to mediate cancer-cell survival and inhibit antitumor T cell responses. Nature Immunology, 2014, 15:562-570. DOI: 10.1038/ni.2885

Nakaya M, Xiao Y, Zhou X, Chang JH, Chang M, Cheng X, Blonska M, Lin X, Sun SC. Inflammatory T cell responses rely on amino acid transporter ASCT2 facilitation of glutamine uptake and mTORC1 kinase activation. Immunity, 2014, 40:692-705. DOI: 10.1016/j.immuni.2014.04.007

Jin J, Hu H, Li HS, Yu J, Xiao Y, Brittain GC, Zou Q, Cheng X, Mallette FA, Watowich SS, Sun SC. Noncanonical NF-κB pathway controls the production of type I interferons in antiviral innate immunity. Immunity, 2014, 40:342-54. DOI: 10.1016/j.immuni.2014.02.006

Xiao Y, Jin J, Chang M, Chang JH, Hu H, Zhou X, Brittain GC, Stansberg C, Torkildsen Ø, Wang X, Brink R, Cheng X, Sun SC. Peli1 promotes microglia-mediated CNS inflammation by regulating Traf3 degradation. Nature Medicine, 2013, 19:595-602. DOI: 10.1038/nm.3111

Hu H, Brittain GC, Chang JH, Puebla-Osorio N, Jin J, Zal A, Xiao Y, Cheng X, Chang M, Fu YX, Zal T, Zhu C, Sun SC. OTUD7B controls non-canonical NF-κB activation through deubiquitination of TRAF3. Nature, 2013, 494:371-374. DOI: 10.1038/nature11831