CIMR-Yutao Wang

Research Group

Yutao Wang

wangyutao(at)cimrbj.ac.cn

Assistant Investigator

wangyutao(at)cimrbj.ac.cn

B.S. in Biotechnology, School of Life Sciences, Lanzhou University, China

Ph.D. in Cell biology, School of Life Sciences, Peking University, China

Work Experience

2025.7-Present

Assistant Investigator, Chinese Institute for Immunology, Chinese Institutes for Medical Research, Beijing, China

2024.8-2025.6

Postdoctoral Fellow, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute/Harvard Medical School, Boston, USA

2020.1-2024.8

Postdoctoral Fellow, Harvard Medical School, Boston, USA

2016.9-2019.12

Assistant Research Scientist, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China

Research Direction

The Wang laboratory investigates how nuclear receptors spatiotemporally regulate metabolism, immune responses, and phase separation for antiviral immunity and glioblastoma therapy. Integrating in vivo CRISPR screening, multi-omics, synthetic biology, and small-molecule screening, we aim to identify druggable targets and develop combinatorial strategies to enhance treatment efficacy.

Major Research Projects

1. Phase separation of nuclear receptors in antiviral innate immunity

We aim to elucidate how viral infection induces liquid–liquid phase separation of nuclear receptors (NRs) to form dynamic condensates. We will define how these condensates act as spatiotemporally organized signaling and transcriptional hubs that regulate type I interferon responses, and determine how viruses disrupt this process to evade host immunity.

2. Nuclear receptors in immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment regulation

We investigate how nuclear receptors (NRs) regulate the tumor immune microenvironment, with a focus on their roles in the differentiation and function of myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) and regulatory T cells (Tregs). We aim to define the molecular mechanisms by which NRs drive immunosuppressive microenvironment formation and therapeutic resistance, and to develop NR-targeted combinatorial immunotherapeutic strategies.

3. Targeting nuclear receptors to enhance HSV-1 oncolytic virotherapy for GBM

We investigate how nuclear receptors (NRs) regulate HSV-1–based oncolytic virus replication and tumor immune evasion. By targeting key regulatory axes, we aim to enhance tumor cell lysis and antitumor immune activation, remodel the tumor microenvironment, and ultimately improve the efficacy of oncolytic virotherapy in glioblastoma.

Major Contributions

1. Developed an innovative in vivo Rainbow-CRISPR screening platform and systematically investigated the nuclear receptor family in the differentiation and homeostatic regulation of 28 immune cell types, revealing that retinoic acid receptors govern the fate of GATA6⁺ large peritoneal macrophages through transcriptional control of cell differentiation and inflammasome-mediated regulation of cell death (Immunity, 2024, first author).

2. Discovered a novel TRAF6-mediated Lys6-linked polyubiquitination of ASK1 , which plays a pivotal role in hepatic inflammation and fibrosis (Hepatology, 2019, first author); and identified NLK as a key suppressor of hepatic glucose production by inhibiting gluconeogenesis (Cell Metabolism, 2021, co-first author).

3. Identified the critical roles of the Caspase family in maintaining antiviral innate immune homeostasis and preservingimmunological silence during apoptosis (Immunity, 2017, first author; Molecular Cell, 2019, co- first author).

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

Wang Y, Zhang Y, Kim K, Han J, Okin D, Jiang Z, Yang L, Subramaniam A, Means TK, Nestlé FO, Fitzgerald KA, Randolph GJ, Lesser CF, Kagan JC, Mathis D, Benoist C. A pan-family screen of nuclear receptors in immunocytes reveals ligand-dependent inflammasome control. Immunity, 2024, 57: 2737-2754. DOI: 10.1016/j.immuni.2024.10.010.

Ji YX*, Wang Y*, Li PL*, Cai L*, Wang XM, Bai L, Liu Z, Tian H, Tian S, Zhang P, Zhang XJ, Cheng X, Yuan Y^#, She Z^#, Li H^#. A kinome screen reveals that Nemo-like kinase is a key suppressor of hepatic gluconeogenesis. Cell Metabolism, 2021, 33: 1171-1186. DOI: 10.1016/j.cmet.2021.04.006.

Wang Y*, Wen H*, Fu JJ*, Cai L, Li PL, Zhao CL, Dong ZF, Ma JP, Wang X, Tian H, Zhang Y, Liu Y, Cai JJ, She ZG, Huang Z, Li W^#, Li H^#. Hepatocyte TNF receptor-associated factor 6 aggravates hepatic inflammation and fibrosis by promoting lysine 6-linked polyubiquitination of apoptosis signal-regulating kinase 1. Hepatology, 2020, 71: 93-111. DOI: 10.1002/hep.30822.

Ning X*, Wang Y*, Jing M*, Sha M, Lv M, Gao P, Zhang R, Huang X, Feng J-M, Jiang Z. Apoptotic caspases suppress type I interferon production via the cleavage of cGAS, MAVS, and IRF3. Molecular Cell, 2019, 74: 19-31. DOI: 10.1016/j.molcel.2019.02.013.

Wang Y*, Ning X*, Gao P, Wu S, Sha M, Lv M, Zhou X, Gao J, Fang R, Meng G, Su X, Jiang Z. Inflammasome activation triggers caspase-1-mediated cleavage of cGAS to regulate responses to DNA virus infection. Immunity, 2017, 46: 393-404. DOI: 10.1016/j.immuni.2017.02.011.

Full List of Publications Can Be Found here