Ning Zhao

Dr. Ning Zhao


Research Focus & Metrics

Academic Career Length

2Years (2025-Present)

(Calculated once Scilit publication data is synced: current year − year of first publication + 1)

Representative Publications

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Journal Article
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JSJunxian Shen
Junxian Shen
LZLing Zhang
Ling Zhang
HLHuan-Huan Liu
Huan-Huan Liu
ZZZhen-Ye Zhang
Zhen-Ye Zhang
NZNing Zhao
Ning Zhao
RWRu-Xing Wang
Ru-Xing Wang
Diabetic cardiomyopathy (DCM) begins with a subclinical stage featuring cardiac hypertrophy, fibrosis, and disrupted signaling. These changes, especially fibrosis and stiffness, often lead to clinical heart failure. The mechanism involves metabolic dysregulation, oxidative stress, and inflammation, leading to cardiac damage and dysfunction. During the progression of the disease, the myocardium senses surrounding mechanical cues, including extracellular matrix properties, tensile tension, shear stress, and pressure load, which significantly influence the pathological remodeling of the heart through mechanotransduction. At the molecular level, the mechanisms by which mechanical cues are sensed and transduced to mediate myocardial mechanical remodeling in DCM remain unclear. The mechanosensitive transcription factors YAP and TAZ fill this gap. This article reviews the latest findings of how YAP and TAZ perceive a wide range of mechanical cues, from shear stress to extracellular matrix stiffness. We focus on how these cues are relayed through the cytoskeleton to the nucleus, where they trigger downstream gene expression. Here, we review recent progress on the crucial role of YAP and TAZ mechanotransduction in the pathological changes observed in DCM, including myocardial fibrosis, hypertrophy, inflammation, mitochondrial dysfunction, and cell death.