Publications

† Denotes equal contribution * Denotes corresponding author

Lead author publications (10):

• X Liu†, Y Zhu†, C Wei, et al., HQ Mao*. Crosslinking of lipid nanoparticles enhances the delivery efficiency and efficacy of mRNA vaccines. Nature Chemical Engineering, 2026.

• J Lin†, Y Zhu†, L Cheng, et al., HQ Mao*. Imidazolium lipid-based nanoparticles enable effective mRNA delivery and cellular immune response. Materials Today, 2026.

• Y Zhu†, ZC Y†, S L†, J Ma, C Wei, D Yu, JL Stelzel, et al., HQ Mao*. An mRNA lipid nanoparticle-incorporated nanofiber-hydrogel composite for cancer immunotherapy. Nature Communications, 2025.

• X Lu†, Y Zhu†, C Wei, L Cheng, et al., HQ Mao*. A multistep platform identifies spleen-tropic lipid nanoparticles for in vivo T cell–targeted delivery of gene-editing proteins. Science Advances, 2025.

• Y Zhu, J Ma, R Shen, J Lin, S Li, X Lu, JL Stelzel, J Kong, L Cheng, et al., SC Murphy*, HQ Mao*. Screening for lipid nanoparticles that modulate the immune activity of helper T cells towards enhanced antitumour activity. Nature Biomedical Engineering, 2024.

• Y Zhu†, S Cai†, J Ma, L Cheng, C Wei, A Aggarwal, WH Toh, C Shin, et al., KW Leong*, HQ Mao*. Optimization of lipid nanoparticles for gene editing of the liver via intraduodenal delivery. Biomaterials, 2024.

• J Ma†, Y Zhu†, J Kong, D Yu, WH Toh, M Jain, Q Ni, Z Ge, J Lin, J Choy, et al., SX Sun*, HQ Mao*. Tuning extracellular fluid viscosity for enhanced transfection efficiency in genetic cell engineering. Nature Chemical Engineering, 2024.

• Y Zhu, R Shen, I Vuong, RA Reynolds, MJ Shears, ZC Yao, Y Hu, WJ Cho, et al., SC Murphy*, HQ Mao*. Multi-step screening of DNA/lipid nanoparticles and co-delivery with siRNA to enhance and prolong gene expression. Nature Communications, 2022.

• Y Hu†, Y Zhu†, ND Sutherland, DR Wilson, M Pang, E Liu, JR Staub, et al., HQ Mao*. Size-controlled and shelf-stable DNA particles for production of lentiviral vectors. Nano Letters, 2021.

• Y Zhu, J Xue, W Chen, S Bai, T Zheng, C He, Z Guo, M Jiang, G Du, X Sun*. Albumin-biomineralized nanoparticles to synergize phototherapy and immunotherapy against melanoma. Journal of Controlled Release, 2020.

Collaborative publications (20):

• B Torkzaban, Y Zhu, C Lopez, JM Alexander, J Ma, Y Sun, KR Maschhoff, et al., J Coller*. Use of poly adenosine tail mimetics to enhance mRNA expression from genes associated with haploinsufficiency disorders. Molecular Therapy Nucleic Acids, 2025.

• L Cheng, Y Zhu, J Ma, A Aggarwal, WH Toh, C Shin, et al., HQ Mao*. Machine learning elucidates design features of plasmid deoxyribonucleic acid lipid nanoparticles for cell type-preferential transfection. ACS nano, 2024.

• W Chen, Y Zhu, J Chen, X Jing, Y Xiong, L Zou, J Li, Q Liu, Y Li, Y Huang, et al., J He*. Potentiating the systemic immunity by bacteria-delivered STING activation in a tumor microenvironment. Advanced Functional Materials, 2023.

• Z Guo, Y Zhu, G Du, M Qin, C He, P He, Y Song, W Chen, S Bai, F Wu, et al., X Sun*. Rapid development of a subunit nano-vaccine against drug-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa with effective cross-protection. Nano Today, 2022.

• J Xue, Y Zhu, S Bai, C He, G Du, Y Zhang, Y Zhong, W Chen, H Wang, et al., X Sun*. Nanoparticles with rough surface improve the therapeutic effect of photothermal immunotherapy against melanoma. Acta Pharmaceutica Sinica B, 2022.

• W Chen, Z Guo, Y Zhu, N Qiao, Z Zhang, X Sun*. Combination of bacterial‐photothermal therapy with an anti‐PD‐1 peptide depot for enhanced immunity against advanced cancer. Advanced Functional Materials, 2020.

• J Choy, L Cheng, M Patel, Y Zhu, J Ma, SS Kang, M Jain, et al., HQ Mao*. Class II peptide-major histocompatibility complex lipid nanoparticles enable in vivo mRNA delivery to antigen-specific CD4+ T cells. ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces, 2026.

• A Greco, L Cheng, KD Goodier, Y Zhu, J Kong, S Gong, C Erb, J Lin, X Lu, et al., HQ Mao*. Adipocyte-selective mRNA lipid nanoparticles for cell programming with machine learning analysis. Journal of Controlled Release, 2025.

• ZC Yao, YH Yang, J Kong, Y Zhu, L Li, C Chang, C Zhang, J Yin, J Chao, et al., HQ Mao*. Biostimulatory micro-fragmented nanofiber-hydrogel composite improves mesenchymal stem cell delivery and soft tissue remodeling. Small, 2022.

• S Bai, H Jiang, Y Song, Y Zhu, M Qin, C He, G Du, X Sun*. Aluminum nanoparticles deliver a dual-epitope peptide for enhanced anti-tumor immunotherapy. Journal of Controlled Release, 2022.

• X Ke, L Shelton, Y Hu, Y Zhu, E Chow, H Tang, JL Santos, HQ Mao*. Surface-functionalized PEGylated nanoparticles deliver messenger RNA to pulmonary immune cells. ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces, 2020.

• J Choy, S Shannon, Y Zhang, SS Kang, Y Zhu, et al., J Schneck*. Nanoscale artificial antigen-presenting cells reveal metabolic interventions modulate clonal composition of CD8+ T cells. Cell Biomaterials, 2026.

• C Li, X Chen, X Luo, H Wang, Y Zhu, G Du, W Chen, Z Chen, X Hao, et al., X Sun*. Nanoemulsions target to ectopic lymphoids in inflamed joints to restore immune tolerance in rheumatoid arthritis. Nano Letters, 2020.

• Y Hu, B Eder, J Lin, S Li, Y Zhu, et al., HQ Mao*. Liter-scale manufacturing of shelf-stable plasmid DNA/PEI transfection particles for viral vector production. Molecular Therapy Methods & Clinical Development, 2024.

• Z Guo, F Wu, C Guo, R Hu, Y Ou, Y Zhu, S Luo, Y Song, P He, C He, Y Xu, et al., X Sun*. Metalloparticle-Engineered Pickering Emulsion Displaying AAV-Vectored Vaccine for Enhancing Antigen Expression and Immunogenicity Against Pathogens. Advanced Materials, 2025.

• X Zhong, G Du, X Wang, Y Ou, H Wang, Y Zhu, X Hao, Z Xie, Y Zhang, et al., X Sun*. Nanovaccines mediated subcutis-to-intestine cascade for improved protection against intestinal infections. Small, 2022.

• W Chen, Y Song, S Bai, C He, G Zhao, Y Zhu, et al., X Sun*. Cloaking mesoporous polydopamine with bacterial membrane vesicles to amplify local and systemic antitumor immunity. ACS nano, 2023.

• S Li, Y Hu, A Li, J Lin, K Hsieh, Z Schneiderman, P Zhang, Y Zhu, et al., HQ Mao*. Payload distribution and capacity of mRNA lipid nanoparticles. Nature Communications, 2022.

• Y Hu, S Tzeng, L Cheng, J Lin, A Rueda, S Yu, S Li, Z Schneiderman, Y Zhu, et al., HQ Mao*. Supramolecular assembly of polycation/mRNA nanoparticles and in vivo monocyte programming. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 2024.

• J. Kong, Z.-C. Yao, J. L. Stelzel, Y.-H. Yang, J. Chen, H. Feng, C. Schmidt, C. Zhang, K. Krishnan, L. Chen, J. Pan, K. Ding, Y. Zhu, X. Li, J. C. Doloff, H.-Q. Mao, S. K. Reddy. Granular Nanofiber-Hydrogel Composite-Programmed Regenerative Inflammation and Adipose Tissue Formation. Advanced Healthcare Materials, 2024.

Reviews (3):

• W Chen, Y Zhu, J He, X Sun*. Path towards mRNA delivery for cancer immunotherapy from bench to bedside. Theranostics, 2024.

• W Chen, Y Zhu, Z Zhang, X Sun*. Advances in Salmonella Typhimurium-based drug delivery system for cancer therapy. Advanced Drug Delivery Reviews, 2022.

• S Huang, Y Zhu, L Zhang, Z Zhang*. Recent advances in delivery systems for genetic and other novel vaccines. Advanced Materials, 2022.