Daohong Zhou, MD

Professor, Department of Biochemistry & Structural Biology
University of Texas Health San Antonio

Biography

Dr. Daohong Zhou is a professor in the Department of Biochemistry/Structural Biology and the Joe R. and Terry Lozano Long Distinguished Chair of Developmental Therapeutics at the School of Medicine, University of Texas Health San Antonio (UTHSA). Dr. Zhou also serves as the Co-Director of the Center of Innovative Drug Discovery (CIDD), the Director of the Target Discovery Core (TDC) at UTHSA, and the Director of the Drug Discovery Shared Resource (DDSR) and the Associate Director for Drug Development at the Mays Cancer Center (MCC). Dr. Daohong Zhou has published more than 200 peer reviewed publications. His research has led to the discovery of the first potent and broad-spectrum senolytic agent, ABT263 (a dual Bcl-2 and Bcl-xl inhibitor), that can selectively kill senescent cells. More recently, he developed several proteolysis targeting chimeras (PROTACs) that can target Bcl-xl and other proteins of interest for degradation as better senolytic and antitumor agents. Dr. Zhou’s efforts in the development of promising senolytics and cancer therapeutics has led to the FDA approval of DT2216, a Bcl-xl PROTAC, in phase IB/II studies, and the founding of two biotechnology companies. Using the PROTAC drug development platform, he is developing additional better senolytic and antitumor agents.