Cheng Lab
本课题组的主要研究兴趣为探讨免疫代谢调控及表观遗传学如何影响先天免疫系统功能。希冀能藉由在细胞及分子层次了解此二者对于先天免疫细胞，诸如单核球细胞及巨噬细胞之功能命运的影响，进一步进行转化医学研究，包括在小鼠模型中探讨tumor associated macrophages(癌症内之巨噬细胞）如何影响癌细胞之功能，以及针对肥胖导致之代谢疾病、动脉粥状病变以及败血症等临床疾病致病机转及潜在医疗应用。课题组与美国、瑞士及荷兰等多国研究团队皆有良好合作关系，欢迎对免疫系统有兴趣的学生及博士后加入研究团队！
Our lab studies how cell metabolic regulation and epigenetic modification shape the functional phenotype of innate immune cells. We aim to decipher the underlying mechanisms of two opposed functional state of innate immune cells: trained immunity and immunotolerance.
Depends on the nature of stimuli encountered by the innate immune cells, different metabolic adaptation as well as epigenetic modification together shape the functional state of the cells. Different differentiation program will lead to different functional fate of the cells as depicted in the figure below.
Schematic representation of how celluar metabolic and epigenetic regulation shapes the functional fate of innate immune cells
Understanding how cellular metabolic and epigenetic regulation modulate innate immune cell functions will be of great importance in different physiological as well as pathophysiological situations. Therefore, we aim not only to understand how the functional fate of innate immune cells is determined, but also translate this basic knowledge into clinical applications in either sepsis or other inflammatory mediated diseases, such as inflammatory bowel diseases, atherosclerosis and obesity.
Main reseach questions to be investigated in the lab