This years Nathan S. Greenfield Family Lecture, titled 'Igniting the flame - Role of cGAS
in inflammation and aging' was held on September 16th, 2025, at 3 PM in Wolstein Auditorium, featuring Dr. Zhijian (James) Chen, PhD, from the University of Texas South Western Medical Center
Zhijian (James) Chen’s research into complex cellular biochemistry has led to the discovery of pathways and proteins that trigger immune and stress responses. Chen has identified proteins, such as the mitochondrial protein MAVS, that are crucial to the body’s defense against RNA viruses such as influenza and
Ebola. Now, Chen and his team are dissecting a signaling pathway involving a novel DNA sensor – cyclic GMP-AMP (cGAMP) synthase, or cGAS – which activates an interferon response that may play a role in immune defense against pathogens and malignant cells, as well as in autoimmune diseases such as lupus. Treatment of these autoimmune diseases could involve chemical inhibition of cGAS, whereas cGAMP and its derivatives may be used as adjuvants for vaccines and cancer immunotherapies.
If you want to know more about Dr. Chen and his recent lab work, please visit University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center's website.
Source
Howard Hughes Medical Institute. (n.d.). Zhijian "James" Chen. Retrieved October 27, 2025, from https://www.hhmi.org/scientists/zhijian-james-chen
UT Southwestern Medical Center. (n.d.). Chen Lab: People. Retrieved October 27, 2025, from https://labs.utsouthwestern.edu/chen-lab/people