曹灿，男，博士生导师。 2011年本科毕业于中国农业大学，2017年博士毕业于中国科学院大学生物物理研究所。2018年10月至2023年4月于北卡罗莱纳大学教堂山分校进行博士后研究。2023年4月加入中国科学技术大学生命科学与医学部。
G蛋白偶联受体（G protein-coupled receptors, GPCR）是人体内最大的膜蛋白家族，也是最重要的药物靶点之一。人体内大约有800多个基因编码GPCR，很多重大疾病的发生都与GPCR息息相关。目前， 大约有34%的上市药物靶点是GPCR，年销售额高达1800亿美元。课题组主要研究方向为免疫和精神类GPCR的结构药理学研究及药物发现。实验室综合利用结构药理学、药物筛选、细胞水平的功能测试、基于结构和人工智能的药物设计以及动物实验来对重大疾病发生过程中的G蛋白偶联受体进行信号转导机制研究和药理学分析，并据此设计新的药物分子来用于疾病治疗。
实验室长期欢迎本科生来做毕业设计以及有志于攻读博士学位的学生来进行学习。
联系方式：caocan23@ustc.edu.cn
已发表文章：
1. Chunyu Wang, Yongfeng Liu, Marion Lanier, Adam Yeager, Isha Singh, Ryan H. Gumpper, Brian E. Krumm, Chelsea DeLeon, Shicheng Zhang, Marcus Boehm, Richard Pittner, Alain Baron, Lisa Dvorak, Corinne Bacon, Brian K. Shoichet, Esther Martinborough*, Jonathan F. Fay*, Can Cao*, Bryan L. Roth* (2024) Novel agonists reveal recognition motifs for the MRGPRD GPCR. Cell Reports (accepted)*corresponding author
2. Cao, C.#, Kang, H. J.#, Singh, I., Chen, H., Zhang, C., Ye, W., Hayes, B. W., Liu, J., Gumpper, R. H., Bender, B. J., Slocum, S. T., Krumm, B. E., Lansu, K., McCorvy, J. D., Kroeze, W. K., English, J. G., DiBerto, J. F., Olsen, R. H. J., Huang, X. P., Zhang, S., Liu, Y., Kim, K., Karpiak, J., Jan, L. Y., Abraham, S. N., Jin, J., Shoichet, B. K., Fay, J. F., & Roth, B. L. (2021). Structure, function and pharmacology of human itch GPCRs. Nature, 600(7887), 170-175.(#co-first author)
Highlighted by Trends in Pharmacological Sciences (DOI: 10.1016/j.tips.2021.12.005), Nature Chemical Biology (DOI: 10.1038/s41589-021-00959-4) and The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology (DOI:10.1016/j.jaci.2022.01.017).
3. Chien, D. C.#, Limjunyawong, N.#, Cao, C.#, Meixiong, J., Peng, Q., Ho, C. Y., Fay, J. F., Roth, B. L., & Dong, X. (2024). MRGPRX4 mediates phospho-drug-associated pruritus in a humanized mouse model. Sci Transl Med, 16(746), eadk8198. (#co-first author)
4. Cao, C., Roth, B. L. (2023). The structure, function and pharmacology of MRGPRs. Trends in Parmacological Sciences, 44(4), 237-251. doi:10.1016/j.tips.2023.02.002
5. Cao, C. #, Barros-Alvarez, X. #, Zhang, S. #, Kim, K. #, Damgen, M. A., Panova, O., Suomivuori, C. M., Fay, J. F., Zhong, X., Krumm, B. E., Gumpper, R. H., Seven, A. B., Robertson, M. J., Krogan, N. J., Huttenhain, R., Nichols, D. E., Dror, R. O., Skiniotis, G., & Roth, B. L. (2022). Signaling snapshots of a serotonin receptor activated by the prototypical psychedelic LSD. Neuron.(#co-first author)
6. Liu, Y.#, Cao, C.#Huang, X. P., Gumpper, R.H., Rachman, M.M., Shih, S.L., Krumm, B.E., Zhang, S., Shoichet, B.K., Fay, J. F., & Roth, B. L. (2022). Ligand recognition and allosteric modulation of the human MRGPRX1 receptor.Nat Chem Biol, doi:10.1038/s41589-022-01173-6 (2022).(#co-first author)
7. Cao, C.#, Tan, Q.#, Xu, C., He, L., Yang, L., Zhou, Y., Zhou, Y., Qiao, A., Lu, M., Yi, C., Han, G. W., Wang, X., Li, X., Yang, H., Rao, Z., Jiang, H., Zhao, Y., Liu, J., Stevens, R. C., Zhao, Q., Zhang, X. C., & Wu, B. (2018). Structural basis for signal recognition and transduction by platelet-activating-factor receptor. Nat Struct Mol Biol, 25(6), 488-495.(#co-first author)
8. Cao, C., Zhang, H., Yang, Z., & Wu, B. (2018). Peptide recognition, signaling and modulation of class B G protein-coupled receptors. Curr Opin Struct Biol, 51, 53-60
9. Wang, C.#, Cao, C.#, Wang, N.#, Wang, X., Wang, X., & Zhang, X. C. (2020). Cryo-electron microscopy structure of human ABCB6 transporter. Protein Sci, 29(12), 2363-2374.(#co-first author)
10. de Graaf, C.#, Song, G. #, Cao, C. #, Zhao, Q., Wang, M. W., Wu, B., & Stevens, R. C. (2017). Extending the Structural View of Class B GPCRs. Trends Biochem Sci, 42(12), 946-960.(#co-first author)
11. Kim, Y., Gumpper, R. H., Liu, Y., Kocak, D. D., Xiong, Y., Cao, C., Deng, Z., Krumm, B. E., Jain, M. K., Zhang, S., Jin, J., & Roth, B. L. (2024). Bitter taste receptor activation by cholesterol and an intracellular tastant. Nature, 628(8008), 664-671
12. Zhou, Y., Cao, C., He, L., Wang, X., & Zhang, X. C. (2019). Crystal structure of dopamine receptor D4 bound to the subtype selective ligand, L745870. Elife, 8.
13. Zhang, S., Gumpper, R. H., Huang, X. P., Liu, Y., Krumm, B. E., Cao, C., Fay, J. F., & Roth, B. L. (2022). Molecular basis for selective activation of DREADD-based chemogenetics. Nature, 612(7939), 354-362.
14. Zhang, S., Chen, H., Zhang, C., Yang, Y., Popov, P., Liu, J., Krumm, B. E., Cao, C., Kim, K., Xiong, Y., Katritch, V., Shoichet, B. K., Jin, J., Fay, J. F., & Roth, B. L. (2022). Inactive and active state structures template selective tools for the human 5-HT5A receptor. Nat Struct Mol Biol, 29(7), 677-687.
15. Zhang, X. C., Zhou, Y., & Cao, C. (2018). Proton transfer during class-A GPCR activation: do the CWxP motif and the membrane potential act in concert? Biophysics Reports, 4(3), 115-122.
16. Zhang, H., Qiao, A., Yang, L., Van Eps, N., Frederiksen, K. S., Yang, D., Dai, A., Cai, X., Zhang, H., Yi, C., Cao, C., He, L., Yang, H., Lau, J., Ernst, O. P., Hanson, M. A., Stevens, R. C., Wang, M. W., Reedtz-Runge, S., Jiang, H., Zhao, Q., & Wu, B. (2018). Structure of the glucagon receptor in complex with a glucagon analogue. Nature, 553(7686), 106-110.
17. Zhang, X. C., Cao, C., Zhou, Y., & Zhao, Y. (2015). Proton transfer-mediated GPCR activation. Protein Cell, 6(1), 12-17
18. Zhang, X. C., Zhou, Y., & Cao, C. (2015). Thermodynamics of GPCR activation. Biophys Rep, 1, 115-119.
19. Zhang, X. C., Sun, K., Zhang, L., Li, X., & Cao, C. (2013). GPCR activation: protonation and membrane potential. Protein Cell, 4(10), 747-760.