Le Zhang, PhD
Assistant Professor of Neurology and of NeuroscienceCards
About
Research
Publications
2024
Single-cell transcriptomic and proteomic analysis of Parkinson’s disease brains
Zhu B, Park J, Coffey S, Russo A, Hsu I, Wang J, Su C, Chang R, Lam T, Gopal P, Ginsberg S, Zhao H, Hafler D, Chandra S, Zhang L. Single-cell transcriptomic and proteomic analysis of Parkinson’s disease brains. Science Translational Medicine 2024, 16: eabo1997. PMID: 39475571, DOI: 10.1126/scitranslmed.abo1997.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsProteomic analysisAlzheimer's diseasePrefrontal cortexBrain cell typesGenetics of PDParkinson's diseaseCell-cell interactionsChaperone expressionSingle-nucleus transcriptomesExpressed genesTranscriptional changesPostmortem human brainPostmortem brain tissueDiseased brainSynaptic proteinsSingle-cellDown-regulationBrain cell populationsBrain regionsCell typesNeurodegenerative disordersLate-stage PDParkinson's disease brainsDisease etiologyNeuronal vulnerability
2023
scNAT: a deep learning method for integrating paired single-cell RNA and T cell receptor sequencing profiles
Zhu B, Wang Y, Ku L, van Dijk D, Zhang L, Hafler D, Zhao H. scNAT: a deep learning method for integrating paired single-cell RNA and T cell receptor sequencing profiles. Genome Biology 2023, 24: 292. PMID: 38111007, PMCID: PMC10726524, DOI: 10.1186/s13059-023-03129-y.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchSingle-cell analysis reveals inflammatory interactions driving macular degeneration
Kuchroo M, DiStasio M, Song E, Calapkulu E, Zhang L, Ige M, Sheth A, Majdoubi A, Menon M, Tong A, Godavarthi A, Xing Y, Gigante S, Steach H, Huang J, Huguet G, Narain J, You K, Mourgkos G, Dhodapkar R, Hirn M, Rieck B, Wolf G, Krishnaswamy S, Hafler B. Single-cell analysis reveals inflammatory interactions driving macular degeneration. Nature Communications 2023, 14: 2589. PMID: 37147305, PMCID: PMC10162998, DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-37025-7.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsAge-related macular degenerationMacular degenerationNeurodegenerative diseasesNeurodegenerative conditionsLate-stage age-related macular degenerationPossible new therapeutic targetsPostmortem human retinaProgressive multiple sclerosisNew therapeutic targetsEarly phaseSingle-nucleus RNA sequencingInflammatory interactionsMultiple sclerosisInterleukin-1βDisease progressionControl retinasTherapeutic approachesGlial populationsGlial stateTherapeutic targetDisease pathogenesisRetinal diseasesAlzheimer's diseaseDiseaseHuman retina
2022
The immunology of Parkinson’s disease
Zhu B, Yin D, Zhao H, Zhang L. The immunology of Parkinson’s disease. Seminars In Immunopathology 2022, 44: 659-672. PMID: 35674826, PMCID: PMC9519672, DOI: 10.1007/s00281-022-00947-3.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsAdaptive immune responsesImmune responseParkinson's diseaseT cellsGut-brain axis hypothesisOnset of PDΑ-synucleinGastro-intestinal symptomsCommon neurodegenerative disorderInnate immune responseΑ-synuclein aggregationPD patientsDopaminergic neuronsLewy bodiesSubstantia nigraNeuronal deathDisease progressionNeuropathological hallmarksProdromal phaseCurrent treatmentNeurodegenerative disordersDiseaseBrainMicrogliaPatientsReversal of synapse loss in Alzheimer mouse models by targeting mGluR5 to prevent synaptic tagging by C1Q
Spurrier J, Nicholson L, Fang XT, Stoner AJ, Toyonaga T, Holden D, Siegert TR, Laird W, Allnutt MA, Chiasseu M, Brody AH, Takahashi H, Nies SH, Pérez-Cañamás A, Sadasivam P, Lee S, Li S, Zhang L, Huang YH, Carson RE, Cai Z, Strittmatter SM. Reversal of synapse loss in Alzheimer mouse models by targeting mGluR5 to prevent synaptic tagging by C1Q. Science Translational Medicine 2022, 14: eabi8593. PMID: 35648810, PMCID: PMC9554345, DOI: 10.1126/scitranslmed.abi8593.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsPositron emission tomographySilent allosteric modulatorsAlzheimer's diseaseMouse modelPhospho-tau accumulationAged mouse modelAlzheimer mouse modelImmune-mediated attackSAM treatmentMicroglial mediatorsSynaptic engulfmentSynaptic lossAD miceComplement component C1qSynapse lossGlutamate responseSynaptic densityDrug washoutSynaptic localizationTherapeutic benefitCognitive impairmentAllosteric modulatorsEmission tomographyNonhuman primatesComponent C1qA Markov random field model-based approach for differentially expressed gene detection from single-cell RNA-seq data
Zhu B, Li H, Zhang L, Chandra SS, Zhao H. A Markov random field model-based approach for differentially expressed gene detection from single-cell RNA-seq data. Briefings In Bioinformatics 2022, 23: bbac166. PMID: 35514182, PMCID: PMC9487630, DOI: 10.1093/bib/bbac166.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsDE genesSeq dataSingle-cell RNA sequencing technologyDifferential expressionSingle-cell RNA-seq dataIdentification of genesRNA sequencing technologySpecific differential expressionSingle-cell resolutionRNA-seq dataMarkov random field modelMarkov random field model-based approachSimilar cell typesNovel statistical modelRandom field modelComplex biological systemsBiological pathwaysGene detectionGenesCell typesStatistical modelMouse datasetsField modelBiological systemsReal dataA multidimensional coding architecture of the vagal interoceptive system
Zhao Q, Yu CD, Wang R, Xu QJ, Dai Pra R, Zhang L, Chang RB. A multidimensional coding architecture of the vagal interoceptive system. Nature 2022, 603: 878-884. PMID: 35296859, PMCID: PMC8967724, DOI: 10.1038/s41586-022-04515-5.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchPathological Role of Natural Killer Cells in Parkinson's Disease: A Systematic Review.
Zhang L, Zhang Y, Fan D. Pathological Role of Natural Killer Cells in Parkinson's Disease: A Systematic Review. Frontiers In Aging Neuroscience 2022, 14: 890816. PMID: 35663564, PMCID: PMC9157643, DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2022.890816.Peer-Reviewed Original Research
2021
Transcriptomic taxonomy and neurogenic trajectories of adult human, macaque, and pig hippocampal and entorhinal cells
Franjic D, Skarica M, Ma S, Arellano JI, Tebbenkamp ATN, Choi J, Xu C, Li Q, Morozov YM, Andrijevic D, Vrselja Z, Spajic A, Santpere G, Li M, Zhang S, Liu Y, Spurrier J, Zhang L, Gudelj I, Rapan L, Takahashi H, Huttner A, Fan R, Strittmatter SM, Sousa AMM, Rakic P, Sestan N. Transcriptomic taxonomy and neurogenic trajectories of adult human, macaque, and pig hippocampal and entorhinal cells. Neuron 2021, 110: 452-469.e14. PMID: 34798047, PMCID: PMC8813897, DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2021.10.036.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsDisease-related proteinsCellular diversityCross-species analysisSingle-nucleus transcriptomesLipid droplet proteinsSpecies-specific propertiesImmature neuron populationTranscriptomic taxonomyAlzheimer's disease-related proteinsEndoplasmic reticulumCell typesHuman neuronsSpecies differencesHistologic signatureNeurogenic capabilityProteinExcitatory neuronsDiversityAdult miceGranule cellsAlzheimer's diseaseNeuron populationsCognitive functionEntorhinal cellsAdult humansCirculating clonally expanded T cells reflect functions of tumor-infiltrating T cells
Lucca LE, Axisa PP, Lu B, Harnett B, Jessel S, Zhang L, Raddassi K, Zhang L, Olino K, Clune J, Singer M, Kluger HM, Hafler DA. Circulating clonally expanded T cells reflect functions of tumor-infiltrating T cells. Journal Of Experimental Medicine 2021, 218: e20200921. PMID: 33651881, PMCID: PMC7933991, DOI: 10.1084/jem.20200921.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsTumor-infiltrating T cellsT cellsUnique transcriptional patternsFeatures of exhaustionLongitudinal immune monitoringPeripheral immune environmentsT cell responsesT cell functionSingle-cell levelTranscriptional patternsTCR sharingTerminal exhaustionImmune environmentImmune monitoringCancer immunotherapyMetastatic melanomaEffector functionsCell responsesTumor tissueGene signatureTumorsCell functionImmunotherapyTCRαβBlood
Academic Achievements & Community Involvement
News
News
- November 07, 2024
Parkinson’s Disease Associated With Neuroinflammation in the Brain, New Analyses Reveal
- July 23, 2024
Advancements in Women’s Health Research
- May 24, 2022
Le Zhang, PhD Wins Avenir Award for Research on Substance Use Disorders and HIV/AIDS
- April 11, 2022
The Brain and the Heart: Understanding How to Prevent and Treat Alzheimer’s Disease