Nephrology attending physician | The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang Chinese Medical University | China
Wen Zhang is an active and multidisciplinary researcher whose work centers on the pathophysiology, immunology, and metabolic regulation of kidney diseases, with a strong focus on the gut–kidney axis, microbiota-driven mechanisms, and emerging therapeutic strategies for diabetic nephropathy and chronic kidney disease (CKD). Her research explores how disruptions in intestinal microbiota composition contribute to oxidative stress, inflammation, fibrosis, immune dysregulation, and metabolic impairments that accelerate renal dysfunction.A major theme of Zhang’s work involves characterizing the role of microbial metabolites, such as short-chain fatty acids, in modulating inflammatory cytokines, renal cell signaling, epithelial integrity, and fibrotic pathways. Her studies highlight how gut dysbiosis exacerbates kidney disease progression and how microbiome-based interventions—such as probiotics, prebiotics, dietary modulation, and fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT)—have potential to restore homeostasis and protect kidney health. This positions her research at the forefront of therapeutic innovation linking microbiome science with nephrology.Zhang has contributed important findings in renal immunology, examining how immune activation, T-cell response patterns, and inflammatory cascades contribute to acute and chronic renal injury. She also investigates cross-organ interactions, especially the gut–lung–kidney axis, providing new perspectives on systemic inflammation and its impact on renal outcomes. Her work offers mechanistic insights into pathways involving NF-κB, TGF-β, oxidative stress mediators, and metabolic regulators that underlie fibrotic and inflammatory kidney diseases.In addition to mechanistic research, Zhang has coauthored several clinical case analyses that document rare or complex presentations of kidney-related autoimmune disorders, vasculitic syndromes, drug-induced injuries, and hematologic complications with renal involvement. These reports expand clinical understanding of unusual manifestations and guide improved diagnostic and therapeutic decision-making in nephrology practice.Her body of work consistently aligns molecular science with clinically relevant applications, strengthening the translational bridge between laboratory discovery and patient-centered kidney care. Through her contributions to journals such as Frontiers in Endocrinology, Frontiers in Immunology, Frontiers in Medicine, and Life Sciences, Wen Zhang advances global research on microbiome-driven disease mechanisms, renal immunology, and innovative therapeutic approaches for chronic metabolic and inflammatory kidney disorders.
Profiles: ORCID
Featured Publications
Jiang, H., Wang, X., Zhou, W., Huang, Z., & Zhang, W. (2025). Gut microbiota-derived short-chain fatty acids mediate the antifibrotic effects of traditional Chinese medicine in diabetic nephropathy. Frontiers in Endocrinology.
Jiang, H., Wang, X., Zhou, W., Huang, Z., & Zhang, W. (2025). Gut microbiota dysbiosis in diabetic nephropathy: Mechanisms and therapeutic targeting via the gut-kidney axis. Frontiers in Endocrinology.
Zhang, P., Zhang, W., Xia, H., Fn, Z., Fan, J., Ma, H., Zhang, C., & Liu, S. (2025). Case Report: A rare case of complex Behçet’s disease complicated with acute tubular necrosis and IgA nephropathy, coexisting with myelodysplastic syndrome, trisomy 8, and intestinal involvement. Frontiers in Immunology.
Wang, X., Zhou, W., Liu, X., Huang, Z., & Zhang, W. (2025). IL-11-mediated macrophage crosstalk drives renal inflammation and fibrosis: A novel therapeutic target in chronic kidney disease. Life Sciences.
Wang, X., Liu, X., Gong, F., Jiang, Y., Zhang, C., Zhou, W., & Zhang, W. (2025). Targeting gut microbiota for diabetic nephropathy treatment: Probiotics, dietary interventions, and fecal microbiota transplantation. Frontiers in Endocrinology.
Wen Zhang’s research advances global understanding of the gut–kidney axis, revealing how microbiota-driven pathways shape inflammation, fibrosis, and metabolic regulation in chronic kidney disease. Her innovative work bridges immunology, microbiome science, and translational nephrology, guiding the development of microbiota-based therapies that improve patient outcomes and support future breakthroughs in renal medicine and precision health.