J. H. Xu

Caspase prime-side active-site characterization with non-hydrolyzable peptides assists in the design of a caspase-7-selective irreversible probe.

The paper designs and characterizes non-hydrolyzable peptidomimetic inhibitors to selectively probe caspase-7 over caspase-3 by exploiting differences in their prime-side active-site architecture.

Generation of functional posterior spinal motor neurons from hPSCs-derived human spinal cord neural progenitor cells

This study generates functional posterior spinal motor neurons from hPSCs-derived neural progenitor cells, demonstrating efficient differentiation and functional maturity.

Quantitative metaproteomics of patient fecal microbiota identifies host and microbial proteins associated with ulcerative colitis

The paper uses metaproteomics to identify host and microbial proteins associated with ulcerative colitis, finding serine-type endopeptidases are overrepresented in UC.

Integrative x-ray structure and molecular modeling for the rationalization of procaspase-8 inhibitor potency and selectivity

The paper uses X-ray crystallography and molecular modeling to study how a small-molecule inhibitor binds to and inhibits procaspase-8, revealing structural changes and key interactions.