Meet the Author | Interview with Prof. Dr. Zucai Suo—Cells Best Paper Award Winner
Prof. Dr. Zucai Suo received both his B.S. in chemistry and M.S. in physical chemistry from Fudan University in Shanghai, China. He then worked as a semiconductor scientist to develop infrared detectors for meteorological satellites at the Shanghai Institute of Applied Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences. Subsequently, Dr. Suo moved to the USA to study and obtained his Ph.D. in biological chemistry in the laboratory of Kenneth A. Johnson at Pennsylvania State University. After his graduate studies, Dr. Suo became a Jane Coffin Childs Memorial Fund Postdoctoral Fellow for two years in the laboratory of Christopher T. Walsh at Harvard Medical School. Subsequently, he worked as a senior biochemist at Eli Lilly to develop anti-hepatitis C drugs. From 2001 to 2018, Dr. Suo was an Assistant, Associate, and Full Professor at the Department of Biochemistry and Chemistry, The Ohio State University. In 2013, Dr. Suo was elected to be a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). In the summer of 2018, Dr. Suo moved his laboratory to Florida State University College of Medicine. He is an Eminent Professor and Dorian and John Blackmon Chair in Biomedical Science. Dr. Suo has served in different administrative roles for the Division of Chemical Toxicology, at the American Chemical Society. Notably, Dr. Suo has co-founded two biotech companies in the USA and is in the process of founding the Drug Discovery Institute at Florida State University. After joining Florida State University, Dr. Suo's laboratory-initiated research efforts on extracellular vesicles (EVs).
Dr. Suo published the following paper in Cells in 2021, and won the “Cells Best Paper Award” which was announced in December 2023:
- “Mesenchymal Stem Cell-Derived Exosomes: Applications in Regenerative Medicine”
by Mangesh D. Hade, Caitlin N. Suire and Zucai Suo
Cells 2021, 10(8), 1959; https://doi.org/10.3390/cells10081959
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4409/10/8/1959
Short summary to introduce the main content of the winning paper:
Exosomes are miniscule, membrane-bound sacs released by most cells. They are formed within cellular compartments called multivesicular bodies and then secreted into the extracellular space. These tiny vesicles play a crucial role in various cellular processes, including communication between cells, cell growth and differentiation, blood vessel formation, stress response, and immune function. The versatility of exosomes stems from their diverse cargos, which include proteins, lipids, metabolites, cell surface receptors, enzymes, cytokines, transcription factors, and nucleic acids. These valuable cargos enable exosomes to participate in a wide range of biological activities. Due to their biocompatibility, stability, low toxicity, and efficient cargo delivery, exosomes are promising candidates for tissue engineering and regenerative medicine. By studying the functions and molecular contents of exosomes, researchers aim to develop innovative therapies for tissue repair and regeneration. This review provides an overview of exosome biogenesis, secretion, uptake, cargos, and isolation techniques. We explore the potential of exosomes in addressing various health conditions, including wound healing, liver diseases, heart disease, bone regeneration, and COVID-19. We also delve into the therapeutic potential of exosomal microRNAs in brain injuries, cardiovascular disease, and COVID-19. Overall, this review underscores the significant role of exosomes in regenerative medicine and their potential to revolutionize the field of tissue repair and regeneration.
We had the pleasure of meeting him online and had a discussion in which we learned more about his background, views, and interests.
The following is a brief interview with Prof. Dr. Zucai Suo:
1. Could you give a brief introduction of yourself to the readers? Could you introduce your current research direction and progress?
I'm a professor in the Department of Biomedical Sciences at Florida State University College of Medicine, and I moved here about six years ago in the summer of 2018 from Ohio State University. I was a professor of chemistry and biochemistry for many years at The Ohio State University. I have also had a long-term drug discovery hobby, originating from my time as a senior biochemist at Eli Lilly. Then, after I got to Florida State University, my laboratory started to work in the field of extracellular vesicles (EVs).
2. Could you describe the difficulties and breakthrough innovations in this research field?
People didn’t pay much attention to the field of EVs in 1990s. Only a few labs worked on it back then. Now, the main thing is that we still don’t know a whole lot about the biological impact or the molecular pathways for EVs in the cells. It's still a big black box right now.
3. What appealed to you about the journal that made you want to submit your paper? How was your experience submitting to Cells?
One thing that drew my attention is that Cells has a pretty good impact factor. The journal has a very good editorial staff, and they helped us a lot. The staff was very patient, and the experience was great. After I published this review, I published several research articles and reviews in Cells.
4. Is this still a research interest of yours or have you moved to a different area?
I’ll keep going in this direction, but there are two major research topics in my lab. The second topic, we’re going to review the usage of EVs for treating Fragile X Syndrome.
5. Do you have any advice for aspiring young researchers looking to make a meaningful impact in their respective fields?
I would like to suggest to young faculty members or young scientists that if you want to get attention or get a high citation count for your papers, you need to find some hot topics to write about. Find the right subject to write about and do a good job of researching all relevant papers. Then summarize those in a good way.
6. As the winner of this award, is there something you want to express or someone you wish to thank most?
My trainees and the start-up fund which was provided by Florida State University.
7. What is your opinion of the open access model of publishing?
People are approaching me privately by e-mail, asking, “Say, can you send me the PDF file of that paper?”. Especially from other countries, like developing countries because they don't have enough resources. They came to me many times, and I sent the PDF file of some papers to them. But I have to follow the copyright issue for other journals. Cells is open access which makes it easy for people to read and download our paper. I like the open access way of doing it. That's probably one of the major reasons why our paper got such a high citation number in such a short time. One of the primary downsides is that you have to pay the cost of publication.