I have long standing interests in molecular and cellular mechanism of islet fibrosis, and now my research focus on the association of islet stellate cells with islet function. My main research finding is to identify the islet stellate cells and investigate the role of these cells in islet fibrosis and differentiation and regeneration of beta cells. Now my group is investigating the molecular mechanism of the impact of stellate cells on islet function, and we aim to regenerate the functional beta cells and partially recover the impaired islet function. In addition, my group also focuses on the mechanisms and intervention strategies of diabetes and its chronic complications, as well as novel model of diabetes education and management.

Education Background & Academic Experience

1. 1980-1986, BS, Clinical Medicine, Nanjing Railway Medical College, China

2. 1996-1999, MS, Internal Medicine, Nanjing Railway Medical College, China

3. 2002-2006, Ph.D., Clinical Pharmacology, China Pharmaceutical University, China

4. 2003-2005, MD, Clinical Medicine, Ulm University, Germany

5. 2006-2006, Visiting Scientist, Ulm University, Germany

6. 2006-present, Professor, Institute of Diabetes, Southeast University, China

Award

2008 Jiangsu Province Medical Technology Introduction Award

2009 Ministry of Education Science and Technology Progress Award

2012 Jiangsu Province Science and Technology Progress Award

2013  Medical leader and innovation team

2014  Chief Expert at Jiangsu Province Science and Technology Communication

2016 National outstanding science and technology worker

Patent

2015  Patent of a method of mouse islets isolation

Acadamic Activity:

Committee member of Chinese Diabetes Society

Vice director, diabetes education and management group of Chinese Diabetes Society

Committee member of Chinese Microcirculation Council

Chairman of Jiangsu diabetes society

Chairman of Chinese association of diabetes and Microcirculation

Selected Publications

1. Li W, Xie B, Qiu S, Huang X, Chen J, Wang X, Li H, Chen Q, Wang Q, Tu P, Zhang L, Yan S, Li K, Maimaitiming J, Nian X, Liang M, Wen Y, Liu J, Wang M, Zhang Y, Ma L, Wu H, Wang X, Wang X, Liu J, Cai M, Wang Z, Guo L, Chen F, Wang B, Monica S, Carlsson PO, Sun Z. Non-lab and semi-lab algorithms for screening undiagnosed diabetes: A cross-sectional study.EBioMedicine. 2018 Sep; 35: 307–316.

2. Chen J, Qiu S, Guo H, Li W, Sun Z. Increased waist-to-hip ratio is associated with decreased urine glucose excretion in adults with no history of diabetes. Endocrine. 2018 Oct 31. doi: 10.1007/s12020-018-1802-2. [Epub ahead of print]

3. Chen J, Guo H, Yuan S, Qu C, Mao T, Qiu S, Li W, Wang X, Cai M, Sun H, Wang B, Li X, Sun Z. Efficacy of urinary glucose for diabetes screening: a reconsideration. Acta Diabetol. 2018 Aug 29. doi: 10.1007/s00592-018-1212-1. [Epub ahead of print]

4.Wang X, Li W, Chen J, Zhao S, Qiu S, Yin H, Carvalho V, Zhou Y, Shi R, Hu J, Li S, Nijiati M, Sun Z.A Transcriptional Sequencing Analysis of Islet Stellate Cell and Pancreatic Stellate Cell. J Diabetes Res. 2018; 2018: 7361684.

5. Yang B, Sun J, Yuan Y, Sun Z. Effects of atorvastatin on autophagy in skeletal muscles of diabetic rats. J Diabetes Investig. 2018 Jul;9(4):753-761.

6. Wang Y, Yuan Y, Zhang Y, Lei C, Zhou Y, He J, Sun Z. Serum 1,5-anhydroglucitol level as a screening tool for diabetes mellitus in a community-based population at high risk of diabetes. Acta Diabetol. 2017 May;54(5):425-431.

7. Yuan Y, Sun H, Sun Z. Advanced glycation end products (AGEs) increase renal lipid accumulation: a pathogenic factor of diabetic nephropathy (DN). Lipids Health Dis. 2017 Jun 28;16(1):126.

8. Sun H, Yuan Y, Sun Z. Update on Mechanisms of Renal Tubule Injury Caused by Advanced Glycation End Products. Biomed Res Int. 2016; 2016:5475120.

9. Li FF, Chen BJ, Li W, Li L, Zha M, Zhou S, Bachem MG, Sun ZL. Islet Stellate CellsIsolated from Fibrotic Islet of Goto-Kakizaki Rats Affect Biological Behavior of Beta-Cell. JDiabetes Res, 2016, 2016: 6924593

10. Zha M., Xu W., Jones P. M., Sun Z(*). Isolation and characterization of human islet stellatecells. Exp Cell Res, 2016, 341(1): 61-66.

11.Zha M., Xu W., Zhai Q., Li F., Chen B., Sun Z. High glucose aggravates the detrimentaleffects of pancreatic stellate cells on Beta-cell function. Int J Endocrinol, 2014, 2014:165612.  

12. Zha M., Li F., Xu W., Chen B., Sun Z. Isolation and characterization of islet stellate cellsin rat. Islets, 2014, 6(2): e28701