General

The major goals are to select full-length antibodies and antibody fragments against important viruses and cancer by display techniques; identify new targets for vaccine design by epitope analysis; develop novel C-based single domain antibodies (nanoantibodies) based on scaffolds derived from antibody constant CH2 domains in antibody Fc fragments; improve biological activities of Fc fragments. We try to elucidate the basic questions in virology (e.g., understand the mechanism of virus-host interactions) and oncology (e.g., tumor morphogenesis), and solve several difficulties for improvement of yield of protein-related drugs during the research and development of therapeutic antibodies (e.g., improve the efficiency of correct folding in proteins).

Research Areas

Antibody engineering, virology, oncology

Education

9/2002 – 6/2007 Ph.D. (Microbiology), College of Life Sciences, Wuhan University, China

9/1998 – 6/2002 B.Sc. (Biomedicine), College of Life Sciences, Wuhan University, China

Experience

9/2007 – 8/2012 Postdoctoral Fellow, National Cancer Institute (NCI), National Institute of Health (NIH), Frederick, MD

Work Experience

9/2012 – Date Professor, Head, Antibody Engineering Group

Collaboration

Dr. Dimiter S. Dimitrov (NIH, NCI)

Students

已指导学生

陈小波  硕士研究生  085238-生物工程  

徐婷  硕士研究生  085238-生物工程  

杨文娟  硕士研究生  085238-生物工程  

孙雅萍  博士研究生  071010-生物化学与分子生物学  

曾芳  硕士研究生  100102-免疫学  

曹广灿  博士研究生  100102-免疫学  

李明新  博士研究生  100102-免疫学  

现指导学生

高新宇  博士研究生  100102-免疫学  

王睿  博士研究生  071005-微生物学  

寻广谨  博士研究生  100102-免疫学  

詹焱程  博士研究生  071010-生物化学与分子生物学  

杨春鹏  博士研究生  100102-免疫学  

赵少娟  博士研究生  100102-免疫学  

王庆光  硕士研究生  085238-生物工程  

张晓晴  硕士研究生  071010-生物化学与分子生物学  

易雨晴  硕士研究生  071010-生物化学与分子生物学  

杨凡  硕士研究生  071005-微生物学  

李默轩  硕士研究生  071005-微生物学  

陈荔  博士研究生  100102-免疫学  

Honors & Distinctions

1. Rui Gong, Federal Technology Transfer Award, NCI, NIH, USA, 2011.
2. Rui Gong, Federal Technology Transfer Award, NCI, NIH, USA, 2012.

Publications

*corresponding author

​1. Cao G, Gao X, Zhan Y, Wang Q, Zhang Z, Dimitrov DS, Gong R*. An engineered human IgG1 CH2 domain with decreased aggregation and nonspecific binding. MAbs. 2020, 12(1):1689027.

2. Li M, Chen L, Wang Q, Hao M, Zhang X, Liu L, Yu X, Yang C, Xu J*, Chen J*, Gong R*. A cross-reactive human monoclonal antibody targets the conserved H7 antigenic site A from fifth wave H7N9-infected humans. Antiviral Res. 2019, 170:104556.
3. Gao X, Conard A, Yang C, Zhan Y, Zeng F, Shi J, Li W, Dimitrov DS, Gong R*. Optimization of the C-Terminus of an Autonomous Human IgG1 CH2 Domain for Stability and Aggregation Resistance. Mol Pharm. 2019, 16(8):3647-3656.
4. Yang C, Zeng F, Gao X, Zhao S, Li X, Liu S, Li N, Deng C, Zhang B, Gong R*. Characterization of two engineered dimeric Zika virus envelope proteins as immunogens for neutralizing antibody selection and vaccine design. J Biol Chem. 2019, 294(27):10638-10648.
5. Yang C, Gong R*, de Val N*. Development of Neutralizing Antibodies against Zika Virus Based on Its Envelope Protein Structure. Virol Sin. 2019, 34(2):168-174.
6. Zeng F, Yang C, Gao X, Li X, Zhang Z, Gong R*. Comprehensive elucidation of the structural and functional roles of engineered disulfide bonds in antibody Fc fragment. J Biol Chem. 2018, 293(49):19127-19135.
7. Yang C, Gao X, Gong R*. Engineering of Fc Fragments with Optimized Physicochemical Properties Implying Improvement of Clinical Potentials for Fc-Based Therapeutics. Front. Immunol. 2018, 8:1860.
8. Sun Y, Zhang H, Shi J, Zhang Z, Gong R*. Identification of a Novel Inhibitor against Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus. Viruses. 2017, 9(9).
9. Chen X, Zeng F, Huang T, Cheng L, Liu H*, Gong R*. Optimization on Fc for Improvement of Stability and Aggregation Resistance. Curr Pharm Biotechnol. 2016, 17(15):1353-1359.
10. Gong R*. Editorial (Thematic Issue: Fc-related Antibody Engineering). Curr Pharm Biotechnol. 2016, 17(15):1296-1297.
11. Shi J, Zhang H, Gong R*, Xiao G*. Characterization of the fusion core in zebrafish endogenous retroviral envelope protein. Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 2015, 460(3):633-8.
12. Guo L, Zhang Z, Gong R*, Xiao G*. Real-time quantitative PCR assay for rapid detection of murine virus contamination in bioproducts. Virol Sin. 2014, 29(3):193-5.
13. Gong R*, Xiao G. Engineered antibody variable and constant domains as therapeutic candidates. Pharm Pat Anal. 2013, 2(5):637-46.
14. Gong R*, Wang Y, Ying T, Feng Y, Streaker E, Prabakaran P, Dimitrov DS*. N-terminal truncation of an isolated human IgG1 CH2 domain significantly increases its stability and aggregation resistance. Mol Pharm. 2013, 10(7):2642-52.
15. Zhu Z, Prabakaran P, Chen W, Broder CC, Gong R*, Dimitrov DS*. Human monoclonal antibodies as candidate therapeutics against emerging viruses and HIV-1. Virol Sin. 2013, 28(2):71-80.
16. Gong R*, Wang Y, Ying T, Dimitrov DS. Bispecific engineered antibody domains (nanoantibodies) that interact noncompetitively with an HIV-1 neutralizing epitope and FcRn. PLoS One. 2012, 7(8):e42288.
17. Gehlsen K$*, Gong R$, Bramhill D, Wiersma D, Kirkpatrick S, Wang Y, Feng Y, Dimitrov DS. Pharmacokinetics of engineered human monomeric and dimeric CH2 domains. MAbs. 2012, 4(4):466-74. ($contributed equally)
18. Gong R*, Chen W, Dimitrov DS. Candidate antibody-based therapeutics against HIV-1. BioDrugs. 2012, 26(3):143-62.
19. Gong R, Wang Y, Feng Y, Zhao Q, Dimitrov DS*. Shortened engineered human antibody CH2 domains: increased stability and binding to the human neonatal fc receptor. J Biol Chem. 2011, 286(31):27288-93.
20. Gong R, Vu BK, Feng Y, Prieto DA, Dyba MA, Walsh JD, Prabakaran P, Veenstra TD, Tarasov SG, Ishima R, Dimitrov DS*. Engineered human antibody constant domains with increased stability. J Biol Chem. 2009, 284(21):14203-10.
21. Gong R, Huang L, Shi J, Luo K, Qiu G, Feng H, Tien P, Xiao G*. Syncytin-A mediates the formation of syncytiotrophoblast involved in mouse placental development. Cell Physiol Biochem. 2007, 20(5):517-26.
22. Gong R, Peng X, Kang S, Feng H, Huang J, Zhang W, Lin D, Tien P*, Xiao G*. Structural characterization of the fusion core in syncytin, envelope protein of human endogenous retrovirus family W. Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 2005, 331(4):1193-200.
23. Lei C, Gong R, Ying T*. Editorial: Antibody Fc Engineering: Towards Better Therapeutics. Front Immunol. 2018, 9:2450.
24. Wang Y, Shan Y, Gao X, Gong R, Zheng J, Zhang XD, Zhao Q*. Screening and expressing HIV-1 specific antibody fragments in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Mol Immunol. 2018, 103:279-285.
25. Li D, Gong R, Zheng J, Chen X*, Dimitrov DS, Zhao Q*. Engineered antibody CH2 domains binding to nucleolin: Isolation, characterization and improvement of aggregation. Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 2017, 485(2):446-453.
26. Ying T*, Wang Y, Feng Y, Prabakaran P, Gong R, Wang L, Crowder K, Dimitrov DS. Engineered antibody domains with significantly increased transcytosis and half-life in macaques mediated by FcRn. MAbs. 2015, 7(5):922-30.
27. Ying T*, Gong R, Ju TW, Prabakaran P, Dimitrov DS. Engineered Fc based antibody domains and fragments as novel scaffolds. Biochim Biophys Acta. 2014, 1844(11):1977-82.
28. Zu X, Liu Y, Wang S, Jin R, Zhou Z, Liu H, Gong R, Xiao G*, Wang W*. Peptide inhibitor of Japanese encephalitis virus infection targeting envelope protein domain III. Antiviral Res. 2014, 104C:7-14.
29. Chen W, Gong R, Ying T, Prabakaran P, Zhu Z, Feng Y, Dimitrov DS*. Discovery of Novel Candidate Therapeutics and Diagnostics Based on Engineered Human Antibody Domains. Curr Drug Discov Technol. 2014, 11(1):28-40.
30. Ying T*, Chen W, Feng Y, Wang Y, Gong R, Dimitrov DS. Engineered soluble monomeric IgG1 CH3 domain: generation, mechanisms of function, and implications for design of biological therapeutics. J Biol Chem. 2013, 288(35):25154-64.
31. Prabakaran P*, Zhu Z, Chen W, Gong R, Feng Y, Streaker E, Dimitrov DS. Origin, diversity, and maturation of human antiviral antibodies analyzed by high-throughput sequencing. Front Microbiol. 2012, 3:277.
32. Ying T*, Chen W, Gong R, Feng Y, Dimitrov DS. Soluble Monomeric IgG1 Fc. J Biol Chem. 2012, 287(23):19399-408.
33. Chen W, Feng Y, Gong R, Zhu Z, Wang Y, Zhao Q, Dimitrov DS*. Engineered single human CD4 domains as potent HIV-1 inhibitors and components of vaccine immunogens. J Virol. 2011, 85(18):9395-405.
34. Feng Y*, Gong R, Dimitrov DS. Design, expression and characterization of a soluble single-chain functional human neonatal Fc receptor. Protein Expr Purif. 2011, 79(1):66-71.
35. Peng X, Pan J, Gong R, Liu Y, Kang S, Feng H, Qiu G, Guo D, Tien P, Xiao G*. Functional characterization of syncytin-A, a newly murine endogenous virus envelope protein: implication for its fusion mechanism. J Biol Chem. 2007, 282(1):381-9
36. Sha Y, Wu Y, Cao Z, Xu X, Wu W, Jiang D, Mao X, Liu H, Zhu Y, Gong R, Li W. A convenient cell fusion assay for the study of SARS-CoV entry and inhibition. IUBMB Life. 2006, 58(8):480-6.
37. Sun G, Guo M, Shen A, Mei F, Peng X, Gong R, Guo D, Wu J, Tien P*, Xiao G*. Bovine PrPC directly interacts with alphaB-crystalline. FEBS Lett. 2005, 579(24):5419-24.