RESEARCH DESCRIPTION

SARS-CoV-2 causes impairment of host immune cell functionality and imbalanced antibody and T cell responses during the acute infection, which are contributed to viral pathogenesis, clinical severity, prolonged viral transmission. Moreover, the strikingly high transmissibility and antibody evasion of SARS-CoV-2 and its variants have posed great challenges to the efficacy of current vaccines and antibody immunotherapy. My research interest mainly focuses on the mechanisms of immune control against COVID-19 and development of vaccines and broadly neutralizing antibody against SARS-CoV-2 infection.

SELECTED PUBLICATION

FIRST/CO-FIRST AUTHOR PUBLICATIONS

Zhou RH, Kelvin Kai-Wang To, Yik-Chun Wong, Li Liu, Biao Zhou, Xin Li, Haode Huang, Yufei Mo, Tsz-Yat Luk, Thomas Tsz-Kan Lau, Pauline Yeung, Wai-Ming Chan, Alan Ka-Lun Wu, Kwok-Cheung Lung, Owen Tak-Yin Tsang, Wai-Shing Leung, Ivan Fan-Ngai Hung, Kwok-Yung Yuen, Zhiwei Chen. Acute SARS-CoV-2 Infection Impairs Dendritic Cell and T Cell Responses. Immunity 2020; (IF:43.5)

Zhou RH, Pui Wang, Yik-Chun Wong, Haoran Xu, Siu-Ying Lau, Li Liu, Bobo Wing-Yee Mok, Qiaoli Peng, Na Liu, Kin-Fai Woo, Shaofeng Deng, Rachel Chun-Yee Tam, Haode Huang, Anna Jinxia Zhang, Dongyan Zhou, Biao Zhou, Chun-Yin Chan, Zhenglong Du, Dawei Yang, Ka-Kit Au, Kwok-Yung Yuen, Honglin Chen, Zhiwei Chen. Nasal prevention of SARS-CoV-2 infection by intranasal influenza-based boost vaccination in mouse models. EBioMedicineM 2022; (IF: 11.2)

Zhou RH, Kelvin Kai-Wang To, Qiaoli Peng, Jacky Man-Chun Chan, Haode Huang, Dawei Yang, Bosco Hoi-Shiu Lam, Vivien Wai-Man Chuang, Jian-Piao Cai, Na Liu, Ka-Kit Au, Owen Tak-Yin Tsang, Kwok-Yung Yuen, Zhiwei Chen. Vaccine-breakthrough infection by the SARS-CoV-2 omicron variant elicits broadly cross-reactive immune responses. Clin Transl Med. 2022; (IF: 8.6)

Biao Zhou, Zhou RH, Bingjie Tang, Jasper Fuk-Woo Chan, Mengxiao Luo, Qiaoli Peng, Shuofeng Yuan, Hang Liu, Bobo Wing-Yee Mok, Bohao Chen, Pui Wang, Vincent Kwok-Man Poon, Hin Chu, Chris Chung-Sing Chan, Jessica Oi-Ling Tsang, Chris Chun-Yiu Chan, Ka-Kit Au, Hiu-On Man, Lu Lu, Kelvin Kai-Wang To, Honglin Chen, Kwok-Yung Yuen, Shangyu Dang and Zhiwei Chen. A broadly neutralizing antibody protects Syrian hamsters against SARS-CoV-2 Omicron challenge. Nat Commun. 2022 in press; (IF: 17.7) (Co-first author)

Dongyan Zhou, Jasper Fuk-Woo Chan, Biao Zhou, Zhou RH, Shuang Li, Sisi Shan, Li Liu…Kwok-Yung Yuen, Zhiwei Chen. Robust SARS-CoV-2 infection in nasal turbinates after treatment with systemic neutralizing antibodies. Cell Host Microbe 2021. (IF: 31.3) (Co-first author)

Qiaoli Peng, Zhou RH, Yuewen Wang, Meiqing Zhao, Na Liu, Shuang Li, Haode Huang, Dawei Yang, Ka-Kit Au, Hui Wang, Kwan Man, Kwok-Yung Yuen, Zhiwei Chen. Waning immune responses against SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern among vaccinees in Hong Kong. EBioMedicine 2022; (IF: 11.2) (Co-first author)

Yufei Mo, Kelvin Kai-Wang To, Zhou RH, Li Liu, Ivan Fan-Ngai Hung, Kwok-Yung Yuen and Zhiwei Chen. Mitochondrial Dysfunction Associates with Acute T Lymphocytopenia and Impaired Functionality in COVID-19 Patients. Front. Immunol 2021 (IF: 8.8) (Co-first author)

Mingxi Li, Jingao Guo, Shuaiyao Lu, Zhou RH, Hongyang Shi…Zhiwei Chen, Xiaozhong Peng and Linqi Zhang. Single-Dose Immunization with a Chimpanzee Adenovirus-Based Vaccine Induces Sustained and Protective Immunity Against SARS-CoV-2 Infection. Front. Immunol 2021 (IF: 8.8) (Co-first author)

Zhou RH, Wang X, Liu H, Guo L, Su QJ, Wang H, Vasiliadis T, Persidsky Y, Ho WZ and Li JL. GalNAc-specific soybean lectin inhibits HIV infection of macrophages through indunction of antiviral factors. J Virol 2018; 92(6). Pii: e01720-17.

Zhou RH, Guo L, Liu JB, Liu H, Hou W, Ma TC, Wang X, Wu JG, Ye L, Ho WZ, Li JL. Epigallocatechin Gallate Inhibits Macaque SEVI-Mediated Enhancement of SIV or SHIV Infection. J Acquir Immune Defic Syndr 2017; 75:232-240.

Lin XD, Zhou RH, Fan FN, Ying XH, Sun XY, Wang W, Holmes EC, Zhang YZ. Biodiversity and evolution of Imjin virus and Thottapalayam virus in Crocidurinae shrews in Zhejiang Province, China. Virus Res 2014; 189:114-120. (Co-first author)

CO-AUTHOR PUBLICATION

Man Lung Yeung, Jade Lee Teng, Lilong Jia, Chaoyu Zhang, Chengxi Hunag, Jian-Piao Cai, Zhou RH, Kwok-Hung Chan..Kwok-Yung Yuen. Soluble ACE2-mediated cell entry of SARS-CoV-2 via interaction with proteins related to the renin-angiotensin system. Cell 2021. (IF: 66.8)

Xiaofei Wang, Xiangyu Chen, Jiaxing Tan, Shuai Yue, Zhou RH, Yan Xu, Yao Lin, Yang Yang, Yan Zhou, Kai Deng, Zhiwei Chen, Lilin Ye, Yongqun Zhu. 35B5 antibody potently neutralizes SARS-CoV-2 Omicron by disrupting the N-glycan switch via a conserved spike epitope. Cell Host Microbe 2022. (IF: 31.3)

Zi-Wei Ye, Chon Phin Ong, Kaiming Tang, Yilan Fan, Cuiting Luo, Zhou RH, Peng Luo, Yun Cheng, Victor Sebastien Gray, Pui Wang, Hin Chu, Jasper Fuk-Woo Chan, Kelvin Kai-Wang To, Honglin Chen, Zhiwei Chen, Kwok-Yung Yuen, Guang Sheng Ling, Shuofeng Yuan, Dong-Yan Jin. Intranasal administration of a single dose of a candidate live attenuated vaccine derived from an NSP16-deficient SARS-CoV-2 strain confers sterilizing immunity in animals. Cell Mol Immunol 2022. (IF: 22.1)

Pui Wang, Siu-Ying Lau, Shaofeng Deng, Bobo- Wing-yee Mok…Haoran Xu, Zhou RH, WenJun Song… Zhiwei Chen, Kwok-Yung Yuen, Honglin Chen. Nature Communication 2021 (IF:17.7)

Liu Li, Kelvin Kai-Wang To, Yik-Chun Wong, Zhou RH, Kwan Ka-Yi, Fong Carol Ho-Yan, Chen Lin-Lei, Choi Yee-Ki, Lu Lu, Tsang Tak-Yin, Leung Wai-Shing, To Wing-Kin, Hung Fan-Ngai, Yuen Kwok-Yung and Zhiwei Chen. High neutralizing antibody titer in intensive care unit patients with COVID-19. Emerging Microbes & Infections. 2020 (IF:19.6)