Liwei Zhao
Papers
1
Total Citations
77
H-Index
1
About
Liwei Zhao is a pioneering researcher whose work sits at the intersection of autophagy, cancer biology, and aging. His most cited study, “IGF1 receptor inhibition amplifies the effects of cancer drugs by autophagy and immune-dependent mechanisms” (2021, 77 citations), exemplifies his major contribution: demonstrating that pharmacological enhancement of autophagy—a cellular recycling process—can dramatically sensitize tumors to existing cancer therapies. By showing that IGF1 receptor inhibition triggers both autophagy and immune-mediated tumor killing, Zhao provided a mechanistic rationale for combining autophagy inducers with conventional drugs, a strategy now being explored for multiple malignancies. His research stems from a foundational insight that autophagy enhancement, long validated for treating age-related diseases, could be repurposed to overcome drug resistance in cancer. Zhao’s work is notable for its translational ambition: his high-content/high-throughput screen of 65,000 compounds on a robotized fluorescence platform represents one of the largest autophagy-modulator screens ever conducted. With growing citations and a clear path from bench to clinic, Zhao is shaping how we think about cellular cleanup as a therapeutic lever—not just for aging, but for making cancer treatments more effective.
Research Focus
Key Achievements
Top Papers
- 1