Ming Zheng

Dr. Ming Zheng started his scientific career at the National Translational Science Center for Molecular Medicine, Xi'an, China. He spent the first seven years studying systems biology and medicine, as well as actively contributing to the characterization of functional defects in regulatory T cells in ankylosing spondylitis, and discovered a T cell population consisting of both CD4 and CD8 T cells expressing identical T cell receptors (TCRs)—named "CD4/8 T cells," involved in the pathogenesis of ankylosing spondylitis. This finding shed light on the involvement of T cells in the progression of this debilitating autoimmune condition.

In 2019, at the Fourth Military Medical University (Air Force Medical University), he defended his doctoral thesis "The Role of T cells in the Pathogenesis of Ankylosing Spondylitis" and obtained a doctoral degree in medical science.

Afterward, as part of the Academy of Military Medical Sciences, he developed a bioinformatic method—"Motif Analysis"—to dissect the antigenic specificity of TCRs. His work deepened the understanding of T cells' involvement in antigen recognition, offering potential avenues for therapeutic intervention.

Currently, with support from the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) grant for the "Immune Repertoire of COVID-19 Patients and SARS-CoV-2 Antigenic Specificity" project, he is an assistant professor at the Academy of Military Medical Sciences, Beijing, China, and his research interests are focused on two topics: the role of adaptive immunity in viral infection and cancer immunotherapy.

His recent studies delve into the intricate interplay between viral infections and autoimmune diseases, notably shedding light on the autoreactive T cells associated with ankylosing spondylitis triggered by COVID-19. With a keen focus on clinical significance and therapeutic implications, Dr. Zheng's work spans diverse areas, including COVID-19, cancer immunotherapy, and autoimmune diseases.