Peng Liao, PhD
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About
My research focuses on understanding how fatty-acid and amino-acid metabolic pathways regulate the functional states of immune cell subsets and cancer cells within the tumor microenvironment. The central goal of my work is to define how nutrient availability, transport, and intracellular metabolic processing reshape anti-tumor immunity and tumor survival, and to leverage these mechanisms for therapeutic benefit.
Research Overview
I am particularly interested in:
- Metabolic control of anti-tumor immunity and immune cell differentiation
- Fatty-acid metabolism, lipid remodeling, and ferroptosis regulation
- Amino-acid metabolism, redox homeostasis, and stress adaptation
- Nutrient and metabolite transport mechanisms in tumor–immune interactions
- Metabolic determinants of immunotherapy response and resistance
- Crosstalk between cellular metabolism, signaling, and cell-death pathways
My long-term goal is to define actionable metabolic vulnerabilities that can be leveraged to enhance cancer immunotherapy and overcome tumor immune evasion.
Recent Publications
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Wang S, Zou W, Boggu P, Li G, Liao P. 2026 Feb 25;PatentSmall-molecule inhibitors of adar1
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Zhou J, Tison K, Zhou H, Bai L, Acharyya RK, McEachern D, Metwally H, Wang Y, Pitter M, Choi JE, Vatan L, Liao P, Yu J, Lin H, Jiang L, Wei S, Gao X, Grove S, Parolia A, Cieslik M, Kryczek I, Green MD, Lin JX, Chinnaiyan AM, Leonard WJ, Wang S, Zou W. Nature, 2025 Jul 10; 643 (8071): 519 - 528.Journal ArticleSTAT5 and STAT3 balance shapes dendritic cell function and tumour immunity
DOI:10.1038/s41586-025-09000-3 PMID: 40369063 -
Lin H, Tison K, Du Y, Kirchhoff P, Kim C, Wang W, Yang H, Pitter M, Yu J, Liao P, Zhou J, Vatan L, Grove S, Wei S, Vigil T, Shah YM, Mortensen R, Kryczek I, Garmire L, Sivaccumar JP, Ramesh AK, Zhang N, An Z, Wang S, Zou W. Cancer Cell, 2024 Dec 9; 42 (12): 2032 - 2044.e6.Journal ArticleItaconate transporter SLC13A3 impairs tumor immunity via endowing ferroptosis resistance
DOI:10.1016/j.ccell.2024.10.010 PMID: 39515327 -
Yu J, Yan Y, Li S, Xu Y, Parolia A, Rizvi S, Wang W, Zhai Y, Xiao R, Li X, Liao P, Zhou J, Okla K, Lin H, Lin X, Grove S, Wei S, Vatan L, Hu J, Szumilo J, Kotarski J, Freeman ZT, Skala S, Wicha M, Cho KR, Chinnaiyan AM, Schon S, Wen F, Kryczek I, Wang S, Chen L, Zou W. Cell, 2024 Aug 22; 187 (17): 4713 - 4732.e19.Journal ArticleProgestogen-driven B7-H4 contributes to onco-fetal immune tolerance
DOI:10.1016/j.cell.2024.06.012 PMID: 38968937 -
Pitter MR, Kryczek I, Zhang H, Nagarsheth N, Xia H, Wu Z, Tian Y, Okla K, Liao P, Wang W, Zhou J, Li G, Lin H, Vatan L, Grove S, Wei S, Li Y, Zou W. Cell Reports, 2024 Mar 26; 43 (3):Journal ArticlePAD4 controls tumor immunity via restraining the MHC class II machinery in macrophages
DOI:10.1016/j.celrep.2024.113942 PMID: 38489266 -
Li G, Choi JE, Kryczek I, Sun Y, Liao P, Li S, Wei S, Grove S, Vatan L, Nelson R, Schaefer G, Allen SG, Sankar K, Fecher LA, Mendiratta-Lala M, Frankel TL, Qin A, Waninger JJ, Tezel A, Alva A, Lao CD, Ramnath N, Cieslik M, Harms PW, Green MD, Chinnaiyan AM, Zou W. Cancer Cell, 2023 Feb 13; 41 (2): 304 - 322.e7.Journal ArticleIntersection of immune and oncometabolic pathways drives cancer hyperprogression during immunotherapy
DOI:10.1016/j.ccell.2022.12.008 PMID: 36638784 -
Liao P, Wang W, Wang W, Kryczek I, Li X, Bian Y, Sell A, Wei S, Grove S, Johnson JK, Kennedy PD, Gijón M, Shah YM, Zou W. Cancer Cell, 2022 Apr 11; 40 (4): 365 - 378.e6.Journal ArticleCD8+ T cells and fatty acids orchestrate tumor ferroptosis and immunity via ACSL4
DOI:10.1016/j.ccell.2022.02.003 PMID: 35216678 -
Du W, Hua F, Li X, Zhang J, Li S, Wang W, Zhou J, Wang W, Liao P, Yan Y, Li G, Wei S, Grove S, Vatan L, Zgodziński W, Majewski M, Wallner G, Chen H, Kryczek I, Fang JY, Zou W. Cancer Discovery, 2021 Jul 1; 11 (7): 1826 - 1843.Journal ArticleLoss of optineurin drives cancer immune evasion via palmitoylation-dependent ifngr1 lysosomal sorting and degradation
DOI:10.1158/2159-8290.CD-20-1571 PMID: 33627378
