Zhijian J. Chen

79.1k total citations · 45 hit papers
226 papers, 58.4k citations indexed

About

Zhijian J. Chen is a scholar working on Immunology, Molecular Biology and Cancer Research. According to data from OpenAlex, Zhijian J. Chen has authored 226 papers receiving a total of 58.4k indexed citations (citations by other indexed papers that have themselves been cited), including 150 papers in Immunology, 132 papers in Molecular Biology and 54 papers in Cancer Research. Recurrent topics in Zhijian J. Chen's work include interferon and immune responses (129 papers), Immune Response and Inflammation (54 papers) and NF-κB Signaling Pathways (45 papers). Zhijian J. Chen is often cited by papers focused on interferon and immune responses (129 papers), Immune Response and Inflammation (54 papers) and NF-κB Signaling Pathways (45 papers). Zhijian J. Chen collaborates with scholars based in United States, China and Germany. Zhijian J. Chen's co-authors include Lijun Sun, Jiaxi Wu, Xiang Chen, Fenghe Du, Rashu B. Seth, Chee-Kwee Ea, Tuo Li, Li Deng, Yu‐Hsin Chiu and Xiao-Dong Li and has published in prestigious journals such as Nature, Science and Cell.

In The Last Decade

Zhijian J. Chen

223 papers receiving 57.9k citations

Hit Papers

Cyclic GMP-AMP Synthase I... 1996 2026 2006 2016 2012 2005 2012 2001 2016 1000 2.0k 3.0k
What are hit papers?

Hit papers significantly outperform the citation benchmark for their cohort. A paper qualifies if it has ≥500 total citations, achieves ≥1.5× the top-1% citation threshold for papers in the same subfield and year (this is the minimum needed to enter the top 1%, not the average within it), or reaches the top citation threshold in at least one of its specific research topics.

  1. Cyclic GMP-AMP Synthase Is a Cytosolic DNA Sensor That Activates the Type I Interferon Pathway
    2012 3.6k citations Lijun Sun, Jiaxi Wu et al. Science profile →
  2. Identification and Characterization of MAVS, a Mitochondrial Antiviral Signaling Protein that Activates NF-κB and IRF3
    2005 2.7k citations Rashu B. Seth, Lijun Sun et al. Cell profile →
  3. Cyclic GMP-AMP Is an Endogenous Second Messenger in Innate Immune Signaling by Cytosolic DNA
    2012 1.9k citations Jiaxi Wu, Lijun Sun et al. Science profile →
  4. TAK1 is a ubiquitin-dependent kinase of MKK and IKK
    2001 1.7k citations Li Deng, Zhijian J. Chen et al. Nature profile →
  5. Regulation and function of the cGAS–STING pathway of cytosolic DNA sensing
    2016 1.6k citations Lijun Sun, Zhijian J. Chen et al. profile →
  6. STING-Dependent Cytosolic DNA Sensing Promotes Radiation-Induced Type I Interferon-Dependent Antitumor Immunity in Immunogenic Tumors
    2014 1.5k citations Xiao-Dong Li, Zhijian J. Chen et al. profile →
  7. Activation of the IκB Kinase Complex by TRAF6 Requires a Dimeric Ubiquitin-Conjugating Enzyme Complex and a Unique Polyubiquitin Chain
    2000 1.5k citations Li Deng, Zhijian J. Chen et al. Cell profile →
  8. Phosphorylation of innate immune adaptor proteins MAVS, STING, and TRIF induces IRF3 activation
    2015 1.4k citations Jiaxi Wu, Xiang Chen et al. Science profile →
  9. MAVS Forms Functional Prion-like Aggregates to Activate and Propagate Antiviral Innate Immune Response
    2011 998 citations Lijun Sun, Zhijian J. Chen et al. Cell profile →
  10. Ubiquitin signalling in the NF-κB pathway
    2005 991 citations Zhijian J. Chen profile →
  11. STING Specifies IRF3 Phosphorylation by TBK1 in the Cytosolic DNA Signaling Pathway
    2012 985 citations Zhijian J. Chen et al. profile →
  12. RNA Polymerase III Detects Cytosolic DNA and Induces Type I Interferons through the RIG-I Pathway
    2009 935 citations Zhijian J. Chen et al. Cell profile →
  13. Innate Immune Sensing and Signaling of Cytosolic Nucleic Acids
    2014 934 citations Jiaxi Wu, Zhijian J. Chen profile →
  14. Autophagy induction via STING trafficking is a primordial function of the cGAS pathway
    2019 894 citations Xiang Gui, Tuo Li et al. Nature profile →
  15. Pivotal Roles of cGAS-cGAMP Signaling in Antiviral Defense and Immune Adjuvant Effects
    2013 883 citations Xiao-Dong Li, Jiaxi Wu et al. Science profile →
  16. The cGAS–cGAMP–STING pathway connects DNA damage to inflammation, senescence, and cancer
    2018 869 citations Tuo Li, Zhijian J. Chen profile →
  17. Site-Specific Phosphorylation of IκBα by a Novel Ubiquitination-Dependent Protein Kinase Activity
    1996 849 citations Zhijian J. Chen et al. Cell profile →
  18. Cyclic GMP-AMP Containing Mixed Phosphodiester Linkages Is An Endogenous High-Affinity Ligand for STING
    2013 822 citations Heping Shi, Jiaxi Wu et al. Molecular Cell profile →
  19. Activation of IKK by TNFα Requires Site-Specific Ubiquitination of RIP1 and Polyubiquitin Binding by NEMO
    2006 814 citations Chee-Kwee Ea, Li Deng et al. Molecular Cell profile →
  20. Cyclic GMP-AMP Synthase Is an Innate Immune Sensor of HIV and Other Retroviruses
    2013 797 citations Daxing Gao, Jiaxi Wu et al. Science profile →
  21. The cGAS-cGAMP-STING Pathway of Cytosolic DNA Sensing and Signaling
    2014 777 citations Zhijian J. Chen et al. Molecular Cell profile →
  22. cGAS in action: Expanding roles in immunity and inflammation
    2019 767 citations Zhijian J. Chen et al. Science profile →
  23. Structural basis of STING binding with and phosphorylation by TBK1
    2019 765 citations Conggang Zhang, Guijun Shang et al. Nature profile →
  24. A STING-activating nanovaccine for cancer immunotherapy
    2017 752 citations Min Luo, Hua Wang et al. Nature Nanotechnology profile →
  25. DNA-induced liquid phase condensation of cGAS activates innate immune signaling
    2018 750 citations Mingjian Du, Zhijian J. Chen Science profile →
  26. Nonproteolytic Functions of Ubiquitin in Cell Signaling
    2009 739 citations Zhijian J. Chen et al. Molecular Cell profile →
  27. cGAS is essential for cellular senescence
    2017 738 citations Zhijian J. Chen et al. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences profile →
  28. TAB2 and TAB3 Activate the NF-κB Pathway through Binding to Polyubiquitin Chains
    2004 724 citations Rashu B. Seth, Lijun Sun et al. Molecular Cell profile →
  29. Hepatitis C virus protease NS3/4A cleaves mitochondrial antiviral signaling protein off the mitochondria to evade innate immunity
    2005 666 citations Xiao-Dong Li, Lijun Sun et al. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences profile →
  30. Activation of the IκBα Kinase Complex by MEKK1, a Kinase of the JNK Pathway
    1997 653 citations Zhijian J. Chen et al. Cell profile →
  31. Peroxisomes Are Signaling Platforms for Antiviral Innate Immunity
    2010 649 citations Zhijian J. Chen et al. Cell profile →
  32. Apoptotic Caspases Prevent the Induction of Type I Interferons by Mitochondrial DNA
    2014 646 citations Tuo Li, Youtong Wu et al. Cell profile →
  33. The TRAF6 Ubiquitin Ligase and TAK1 Kinase Mediate IKK Activation by BCL10 and MALT1 in T Lymphocytes
    2004 579 citations Lijun Sun, Li Deng et al. Molecular Cell profile →
  34. Structures and Mechanisms in the cGAS-STING Innate Immunity Pathway
    2020 563 citations Xuewu Zhang, Xiao‐chen Bai et al. profile →
  35. Activation of cyclic GMP-AMP synthase by self-DNA causes autoimmune diseases
    2015 534 citations Daxing Gao, Tuo Li et al. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences profile →
  36. Cryo-EM structures of STING reveal its mechanism of activation by cyclic GMP–AMP
    2019 530 citations Guijun Shang, Conggang Zhang et al. Nature profile →
  37. Ubiquitylation in innate and adaptive immunity
    2009 508 citations Zhijian J. Chen et al. Nature profile →
  38. PtdIns4P on dispersed trans-Golgi network mediates NLRP3 inflammasome activation
    2018 508 citations Zhijian J. Chen et al. Nature profile →
  39. Prion-like Polymerization Underlies Signal Transduction in Antiviral Immune Defense and Inflammasome Activation
    2014 464 citations Zhijian J. Chen et al. Cell profile →
  40. cGAS is essential for the antitumor effect of immune checkpoint blockade
    2017 425 citations Hua Wang, Xiang Chen et al. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences profile →
  41. TBK1 recruitment to STING activates both IRF3 and NF-κB that mediate immune defense against tumors and viral infections
    2021 370 citations Seoyun Yum, Minghao Li et al. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences profile →
  42. Detection of Microbial Infections Through Innate Immune Sensing of Nucleic Acids
    2018 334 citations Lijun Sun, Zhijian J. Chen et al. profile →
  43. Phosphorylation and chromatin tethering prevent cGAS activation during mitosis
    2021 175 citations Tuo Li, Mingjian Du et al. Science profile →
  44. Tumor-targeted delivery of a STING agonist improves cancer immunotherapy
    2022 145 citations Youtong Wu, Yan Fang et al. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences profile →
  45. STING-induced noncanonical autophagy regulates endolysosomal homeostasis
    2025 15 citations Fenghe Du, Zhijian J. Chen et al. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences profile →

Peers — A (Enhanced Table)

Peers by citation overlap · career bar shows stage (early→late) cites · hero ref

Name h Career Trend Papers Cites
Zhijian J. Chen United States 103 40.2k 30.9k 10.4k 10.2k 8.2k 226 58.4k
Katherine A. Fitzgerald United States 119 39.7k 1.0× 37.7k 1.2× 6.7k 0.6× 6.9k 0.7× 5.2k 0.6× 334 69.4k
Taro Kawai Japan 83 46.7k 1.2× 20.2k 0.7× 7.0k 0.7× 8.7k 0.9× 5.3k 0.6× 177 67.0k
Jürg Tschopp Switzerland 131 43.3k 1.1× 52.0k 1.7× 4.1k 0.4× 8.1k 0.8× 7.7k 0.9× 283 87.3k
Bruce Beutler United States 112 38.1k 0.9× 17.2k 0.6× 3.8k 0.4× 6.0k 0.6× 5.6k 0.7× 406 64.5k
Nico van Rooijen Netherlands 146 38.1k 0.9× 21.4k 0.7× 4.9k 0.5× 3.5k 0.3× 10.0k 1.2× 838 80.5k
Michel C. Nussenzweig United States 136 39.4k 1.0× 20.1k 0.7× 6.9k 0.7× 2.8k 0.3× 7.7k 0.9× 379 61.3k
Tadatsugu Taniguchi Japan 113 34.7k 0.9× 22.8k 0.7× 3.9k 0.4× 7.4k 0.7× 18.8k 2.3× 285 58.6k
Takashi Fujita Japan 90 26.4k 0.7× 14.6k 0.5× 4.7k 0.4× 5.0k 0.5× 7.1k 0.9× 354 39.8k
Robert D. Schreiber United States 119 48.3k 1.2× 20.7k 0.7× 3.7k 0.4× 7.5k 0.7× 33.6k 4.1× 385 79.6k
Vishva M. Dixit United States 141 32.9k 0.8× 62.4k 2.0× 2.4k 0.2× 15.7k 1.5× 13.0k 1.6× 315 88.1k

Countries citing papers authored by Zhijian J. Chen

Since Specialization
Citations

This map shows the geographic impact of Zhijian J. Chen's research. It shows the number of citations coming from papers published by authors working in each country. You can also color the map by specialization and compare the number of citations received by Zhijian J. Chen with the expected number of citations based on a country's size and research output (numbers larger than one mean the country cites Zhijian J. Chen more than expected).

Fields of papers citing papers by Zhijian J. Chen

Since Specialization
Physical SciencesHealth SciencesLife SciencesSocial Sciences

This network shows the impact of papers produced by Zhijian J. Chen. Nodes represent research fields, and links connect fields that are likely to share authors. Colored nodes show fields that tend to cite the papers produced by Zhijian J. Chen. The network helps show where Zhijian J. Chen may publish in the future.

Co-authorship network of co-authors of Zhijian J. Chen

This figure shows the co-authorship network connecting the top 25 collaborators of Zhijian J. Chen. A scholar is included among the top collaborators of Zhijian J. Chen based on the total number of citations received by their joint publications. Widths of edges represent the number of papers authors have co-authored together. Node borders signify the number of papers an author published with Zhijian J. Chen. Zhijian J. Chen is excluded from the visualization to improve readability, since they are connected to all nodes in the network.

All Works

20 of 20 papers shown
1.
Du, Fenghe, et al.. (2025). STING-induced noncanonical autophagy regulates endolysosomal homeostasis. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. 122(8). e2415422122–e2415422122. 15 indexed citations breakdown →
2.
Chen, Zhijian J., et al.. (2025). Single-Cell Analysis of Fibroblast Subpopulations in Skin and Oral Mucosa. Journal of Dental Research. 105(4). 417–431.
3.
Yang, Ning, Peihong Dai, Tuo Li, et al.. (2023). Vaccinia E5 is a major inhibitor of the DNA sensor cGAS. Nature Communications. 14(1). 2898–2898. 21 indexed citations
4.
Fang, Yan, Pengcheng Sun, Xuping Xie, et al.. (2022). An antibody that neutralizes SARS-CoV-1 and SARS-CoV-2 by binding to a conserved spike epitope outside the receptor binding motif. Science Immunology. 7(76). eabp9962–eabp9962. 21 indexed citations
5.
Yum, Seoyun, Minghao Li, Yan Fang, & Zhijian J. Chen. (2021). TBK1 recruitment to STING activates both IRF3 and NF-κB that mediate immune defense against tumors and viral infections. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. 118(14). 370 indexed citations breakdown →
6.
Bhowmik, Debipreeta, Mingjian Du, Yuan Tian, et al.. (2021). Cooperative DNA binding mediated by KicGAS/ORF52 oligomerization allows inhibition of DNA-induced phase separation and activation of cGAS. Nucleic Acids Research. 49(16). 9389–9403. 41 indexed citations
7.
Zhang, Conggang, Guijun Shang, Xiang Gui, et al.. (2019). Structural basis of STING binding with and phosphorylation by TBK1. Nature. 567(7748). 394–398. 765 indexed citations breakdown →
8.
Du, Mingjian & Zhijian J. Chen. (2018). DNA-induced liquid phase condensation of cGAS activates innate immune signaling. Science. 361(6403). 704–709. 750 indexed citations breakdown →
9.
Wang, Juan, Ignacio Mena, Kris M. White, et al.. (2017). Influenza virus differentially activates mTORC1 and mTORC2 signaling to maximize late stage replication. PLoS Pathogens. 13(9). e1006635–e1006635. 82 indexed citations
10.
Luo, Min, Hua Wang, Zhaohui Wang, et al.. (2017). A STING-activating nanovaccine for cancer immunotherapy. Nature Nanotechnology. 12(7). 648–654. 752 indexed citations breakdown →
11.
Zhou, Weihua, Jie Xu, Haomin Li, et al.. (2016). Neddylation E2 UBE2F Promotes the Survival of Lung Cancer Cells by Activating CRL5 to Degrade NOXA via the K11 Linkage. Clinical Cancer Research. 23(4). 1104–1116. 92 indexed citations
12.
Dubois, Sonia M., Catherine Alexia, Youtong Wu, et al.. (2014). A catalytic-independent role for the LUBAC in NF-κB activation upon antigen receptor engagement and in lymphoma cells. Blood. 123(14). 2199–2203. 82 indexed citations
13.
Gao, Daxing, Jiaxi Wu, Fenghe Du, et al.. (2013). Cyclic GMP-AMP Synthase Is an Innate Immune Sensor of HIV and Other Retroviruses. Science. 341(6148). 903–906. 797 indexed citations breakdown →
14.
Sun, Lijun, Jiaxi Wu, Fenghe Du, Xiang Chen, & Zhijian J. Chen. (2012). Cyclic GMP-AMP Synthase Is a Cytosolic DNA Sensor That Activates the Type I Interferon Pathway. Science. 339(6121). 786–791. 3602 indexed citations breakdown →
15.
Bellail, Anita C., Jeffrey J. Olson, Xiaolu Yang, Zhijian J. Chen, & Chunhai Hao. (2012). A20 Ubiquitin Ligase–Mediated Polyubiquitination of RIP1 Inhibits Caspase-8 Cleavage and TRAIL-Induced Apoptosis in Glioblastoma. Cancer Discovery. 2(2). 140–155. 91 indexed citations
16.
Wu, Jiaxi, Lijun Sun, Xiang Chen, et al.. (2012). Cyclic GMP-AMP Is an Endogenous Second Messenger in Innate Immune Signaling by Cytosolic DNA. Science. 339(6121). 826–830. 1901 indexed citations breakdown →
17.
Ea, Chee-Kwee, et al.. (2006). Activation of IKK by TNFα Requires Site-Specific Ubiquitination of RIP1 and Polyubiquitin Binding by NEMO. Molecular Cell. 22(2). 245–257. 814 indexed citations breakdown →
18.
Li, Xiao-Dong, Lijun Sun, Rashu B. Seth, Gabriel Pineda, & Zhijian J. Chen. (2005). Hepatitis C virus protease NS3/4A cleaves mitochondrial antiviral signaling protein off the mitochondria to evade innate immunity. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. 102(49). 17717–17722. 666 indexed citations breakdown →
19.
Heussler, Volker T., Sven Rottenberg, R. Schwáb, et al.. (2002). Hijacking of Host Cell IKK Signalosomes by the Transforming Parasite Theileria. Science. 298(5595). 1033–1036. 118 indexed citations
20.
Li, Kang, Yucheng Li, John M. Shelton, et al.. (2000). Cytochrome c Deficiency Causes Embryonic Lethality and Attenuates Stress-Induced Apoptosis. Cell. 101(4). 389–399. 443 indexed citations

Rankless uses publication and citation data sourced from OpenAlex, an open and comprehensive bibliographic database. While OpenAlex provides broad and valuable coverage of the global research landscape, it—like all bibliographic datasets—has inherent limitations. These include incomplete records, variations in author disambiguation, differences in journal indexing, and delays in data updates. As a result, some metrics and network relationships displayed in Rankless may not fully capture the entirety of a scholar's output or impact.

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