研究方向 钟超研究员长期从事免疫学领域的研究。目前，实验室主要关注黏膜组织（mucosal tissue）中免疫系统的发育和功能调控的若干问题。黏膜组织，包括肠道、呼吸道等，担负着保障机体与外界正常交流的重要作用。黏膜组织内部的免疫系统在维系组织免疫平衡、防御病源入侵等过程中发挥着非常重要的作用，是目前免疫学研究的热点。固有淋巴样细胞（innate lymphoid cell，或ILC）是黏膜组织中大量富集的一类免疫细胞。我们希望从对ILC的研究入手，利用荧光基因报告小鼠、功能基因敲除模型、多色流式细胞分析、高通量测序、感染及肿瘤模型等手段，揭示黏膜组织中免疫系统的功能特点、调控机制及其发育过程。具体而言包括下述内容： 1. 阐释重要转录因子对黏膜组织中免疫细胞（如ILC、T细胞等）发育、分化及功能的调控机制并根据关键转录因子的表达情况发现新的免疫细胞亚群； 2. 揭示黏膜组织中免疫细胞之间的相互作用关系； 3. 探索肠道表皮细胞、共生菌群对肠道免疫细胞的影响。

在研课题 1）三型固有淋巴样细胞(ILC3)发育和功能的分子调控； 2）皮肤中特异二型固有淋巴样细胞(ILC2)亚群的发现和功能探索； 3）肠道中固有淋巴样细胞的代谢调控分子机制研究； 4）骨髓中淋巴前体细胞的发现与定义。 获奖情况 1）2014年美国国立卫生研究院(NIH) “Immunology Interesting Group Best Publication 2013” 2）2015年美国国立卫生研究院(NIH)“Fellow Award for Research Excellence 2014” 3）2017年入选中组部“青年千人计划”专家 代表性科研论文 1.Zhong, C., Cui, K., Wilhelm, C., Hu, G., Mao, K., Belkaid, Y., Zhao, K., and Zhu, J. (2016). Group 3 innate lymphoid cells continuously require the transcription factor GATA-3 after commitment. Nature immunology 17, 169-178. 2.Sojka, D.K., Plougastel-Douglas, B., Yang, L., Pak-Wittel, M.A., Artyomov, M.N., Ivanova, Y., Zhong, C., Chase, J.M., Rothman, P.B., Yu, J., et al. (2014). Tissue-resident natural killer (NK) cells are cell lineages distinct from thymic and conventional splenic NK cells. eLife 3, e01659. 3.Yagi, R.＃, Zhong, C.＃, Northrup, D.L.＃, Yu, F., Bouladoux, N., Spencer, S., Hu, G., Barron, L., Sharma, S., Nakayama, T., et al.(2014). The transcription factor GATA3 is critical for the development of all IL-7Ralpha-expressing innate lymphoid cells. Immunity 40, 378-388. (＃，equal contribution) 4.Zhong, C., and Zhu, J. (2017). Small-Molecule RORγt Antagonists: One Stone Kills Two Birds. Trends Immunol. 38(4), 229-231. (invited review) 5.Zhong, C., and Zhu, J. (2015). Transcriptional Regulatory Network for the Development of Innate Lymphoid Cells. Mediators of inflammation 2015, 264502. (invited review) 6.Zhong, C., and Zhu, J. (2015). Bcl11b drives the birth of ILC2 innate lymphocytes. The Journal of experimental medicine 212, 828. (preview) 7.Zhong, C., and Zhu, J. (2015). Tet2: breaking down barriers to T cell cytokine expression. Immunity 42, 593-595. (preview) 8.Zhong, C., Li, C., Wang, X., Toyoda, T., Gao, G., and Fan, Z. (2012). Granzyme K inhibits replication of influenza virus through cleaving the nuclear transport complex importin alpha1/beta dimer of infected host cells. Cell death and differentiation 19, 882-890. 9. Zhang, H., Zhong, C., Shi, L., Guo, Y., and Fan, Z. (2009). Granulysin induces cathepsin B release from lysosomes of target tumor cells to attack mitochondria through processing of bid leading to Necroptosis. Journal of immunology 182, 6993-7000. 10. Hua, G., Wang, S., Zhong, C., Xue, P., and Fan, Z. (2009). Ignition of p53 bomb sensitizes tumor cells to granzyme K-mediated cytolysis. Journal of immunology 182, 2152-2159.