程亮博士团队聚焦人类免疫学两大紧密关联的前沿领域：树突状细胞（DC）介导的免疫耐受与慢性疾病的免疫治疗，致力于将基础免疫学发现转化为临床可用的精准策略。

（1）DC介导的免疫耐受：团队致力于系统鉴定人体DC新亚群，并解析其在维持免疫稳态中的核心功能及疾病干预价值。 实验室前期发现DC2hm，一种稳态成熟的人类DC亚群，并揭示其通过呈递自身抗原并诱导调节性T细胞，主动维系外周自我耐受，为人类免疫耐受研究提供了全新概念框架。团队将深入解析DC2hm在自身免疫病、炎症及肿瘤免疫中的功能，并探索基于DC2hm的精准靶向策略。同时，利用细胞重编程等手段开发靶向DC的免疫疗法，以期为自身免疫病、慢性感染及肿瘤提供全新治疗策略。

（2）艾滋病的功能性治愈：团队整合临床样本、机制研究与人源化小鼠模型，系统探究艾滋病的免疫病理机制，并致力于开发新型免疫治愈策略。前期工作系统阐明了pDC–IFN–免疫代谢信号轴在驱动HIV持续感染及T细胞免疫耗竭中的核心作用。在此基础上，团队正全力推进首创的工程化生物制剂的研发——该制剂整合“再激活–靶向–杀伤”三联功能，旨在精准清除HIV潜伏病毒库；同时，通过增强病毒特异性记忆T细胞的干性维持，实现长效免疫控制。

程亮博士长期专注于人体树突状细胞（DC）免疫学及慢性感染性疾病的免疫疗法研究，在人体外周免疫耐受与艾滋病治愈领域取得系列创新成果：首次发现并定义了调控人体外周耐受的新型树突状细胞—稳态成熟树突状细胞DC2hm（Immunity，2026）；系统阐明了pDC-IFN-免疫代谢信号轴驱动HIV持续感染及免疫耗竭的核心机制（Cell Mol Immunol, 2026；JCI 系列）；提出并研发了兼具“激活”-“靶向”-“清除”HIV潜伏病

2022年  中华医学科技奖三等奖

2021年  湖北省“百人计划”创新人才

2018年  国际艾滋病领域顶级会议青年学者奖

1. M Lu^#, R Han^#, H Yang^#, L Yang^#, Q Zhao, J Wang, Z Yu, N Liu, Y Xu, F Luo, Y Mu, H Wang, F Luo, Z Wang, M Zhou, K Lin, H Chen, H Chen, W Zhou, X Chen, H Li, R Chen, Q Zhang*, L Wang*, L Cheng*. Homeostatic Maturation Programs Drive Human cDC2s into a Tolerogenic State. Immunity 2026 May 12;59(5):1201-1220.e13.

2. Y Xu, H Yang, L Yang, Q Zhang, L Cheng*. Febrile-Range Temperature Selectively Limits Sustained pDC-Derived IFN-α via Attenuation of STAT1-Dependent Feedback Signaling. Cell Insight 2026 (Available online 24 June 2026, 100344)

3. L Cheng*, G Li, F Luo, W Bi, M Lu, N Liu, Q Zhao, R Han, H Wang, H Yang, J Ma, W Hu, H Yu, W Hou, Y Xiong, N Goonetilleke, RB Jones, L Su*. Persistent IFN-I Signaling Inhibits Mitochondrial Oxidative Metabolism in CD8+ T Cells during HIV-1 Infection under cART. Cellular & Molecular Immunology 2026 May;23(5):534-545.

4. R Han, Haisheng Yu, G Li, L Su*, L Cheng*. Persistent Type I Interferon Signaling Impairs Innate Lymphoid Cells During HIV-1 Infection Under Suppressive ART. Viruses. 2025 Aug 8;17(8):1099

5. G Li, Y Lou, J Ma, L Cheng, H Yu, O Tsahouridis, X He, M Funaki, J Ahodantin, W Bi, J Chen, X Fan, S Sharaf, N Goonetilleke, R.B. Jones, S Kottilil, P Mathur, L Su*. Depletion of plasmacytoid dendritic cells rescues HIV-reactive stem-like CD8+ T cells during chronic HIV-1 infection. Sci Transl Med.2025 Nov 5;17(823):eadr3930.

6. L Cheng*, H Yu, J Wrobel, G Li, P Liu, Z Hu, X Xu, L Su*. Identification of pathogenic TRAIL-expressing innate immune cells during HIV-1 infection in humanized mice by scRNA-Seq. JCI Insight. 2020 5(11):e135344.

7. L Cheng, Q Wang, G Li, J Ma, H Yu, F Yasui, Z Zhang, S Zurawski, G Zurawski, Y Levy*, L Su*. TLR3 agonist/CD40-targeting vaccination induces T cell response and reduces HIV-1 reservoirs. The Journal of Clinical Investigation.2018 128(10):4387-4396.

8. L Cheng^#, J Ma^#, J Li^#, D Li, G Li, F Li, Q Zhang, H Yu, F Yasui, C Ye, L-C Tsao, Z Hu, L Su*, L Zhang*. Blocking type I interferon signaling enhances T cell recovery and reduces HIV-1 reservoirs. The Journal of Clinical Investigation.2017 127(1), 269-279.  

9. L Cheng*, H Yu, G Li, F Li, J Ma, J Li, L Chi, L Zhang*, L Su*. Type I Interferons Suppress Viral Replication but Contribute to T Cell Depletion and Dysfunction during Chronic HIV-1 Infection. JCI Insight. 2017 2(12): e94366.

10. Z Zhang^#, L Cheng^#, J Zhao^#, G Li, L Zhang, W Chen, W Nie, N-J Reszka-Blanco, F-S Wang, L Su*. Plasmacytoid dendritic cells promote HIV-1-induced group 3 innate lymphoid cell depletion. The Journal of Clinical Investigation. 2015 125, 3692-3703.

11. L Cheng^#, X Du^#, Z Wang, J Ju, M Jia, Q Huang, Q Xing, M Xu, Y Tan, M Liu, P Du, L Su*, S Wang*. Hyper-IL-15 suppresses metastatic and autochthonous liver cancers by promoting tumor-specific CD8 T cell responses. Journal of Hepatology. 2014 61, 1297-1303. 

本实验室正面向国内外招聘助理研究员、优秀博士后及科研助理，欢迎有志于从事DC免疫学、艾滋病免疫治疗、肿瘤免疫学及相关领域研究的优秀人才加入。请访问：smart.org.cn/career/research-lab/1215.html。