Jozef Zienkiewicz, Ph.D.

Research Professor

jozef.zienkiewicz@vanderbilt.edu
Faculty Appointments
Research Professor of Medicine
Education
Ph.D., University of Wroclaw, Wroclaw, PolandM.S., University of Wroclaw, Wroclaw, Poland
Office Address
1161 21st Avenue South
Medical Center North
Nashville, TN 37232
Research Description
Jozef Zienkiewicz, PhD, is a Research Professor of Medicine in the Division of Allergy, Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine within the Department of Medicine at Vanderbilt University Medical Center.

Dr. Zienkiewicz received his PhD degree in Physical and Theoretical Chemistry from the University of Wroclaw, Poland. He completed his postdoctoral study in Organic Chemistry in the Department of Chemistry at Vanderbilt University and a fellowship in Biological Chemistry in the Department of Microbiology & Immunology at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine.

Dr. Zienkiewicz significantly contributed to the crucial discovery in the field of innate immunity. He and his colleagues identified an interactive site (RDR) located in Box 2 of the MyD88’s TIR domain which serves as an interface in signaling through Toll-like Receptors. Subsequently, mutations in this site were discovered in patients with recurrent pyogenic infections described as inborn errors of innate immunity.

As a member of the research faculty, Dr. Zienkiewicz’s studies are mainly focused on inflammation, particularly, on proinflammatory signaling to the nucleus in inflammation-mediated acute and chronic diseases. He and his colleagues developed new strategy for anti-inflammatory therapies targeting nuclear transport checkpoint comprised of nuclear import adaptor proteins, importins (karyopherins) alpha and beta. These new anti-inflammatory therapeutics termed, nuclear transport checkpoint inhibitors (NTCIs), were successfully tested in various murine models of microbial and metabolic inflammation such as endotoxin shock, acute liver injury, acute lang inflammation, type 1 diabetes, polymicrobial sepsis, familiar hypercholesterolemia, metabolic syndrome-induced hypersensitivity to microbial inflammation, kidney fibrosis, and skin inflammation (atopic dermatitis, a.k.a. eczema).

Dr. Zienkiewicz authored or co-authored over twenty original manuscripts in the field of innate immunity and inflammation, and two review articles: about sepsis and a groundbreaking review on inflammation (Decoding inflammation: Its causes, genomic responses, and emerging countermeasures, 2019 Scand. J. Immunol.). He is also a co-inventor on over ten patents issued in the US, Europe and Asia. His work has laid the foundation for phase 1/2 clinical trial for atopic dermatitis in the US (NCT04313400, Amytrx Therapeutics, Inc.).
Publications
Liu Y, Zienkiewicz J, Qiao H, Gibson-Corley KN, Boyd KL, Veach RA, Hawiger J. Genomic control of inflammation in experimental atopic dermatitis. Sci Rep. 2022 Nov 11/7/2022; 12(1): 18891. PMID: 36344555, PII: 10.1038/s41598-022-23042-x, DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-23042-x, ISSN: 2045-2322.

Liu Y, Zienkiewicz J, Boyd KL, Smith TE, Xu ZQ, Hawiger J. Hyperlipidemic hypersensitivity to lethal microbial inflammation and its reversal by selective targeting of nuclear transport shuttles. Sci Rep. 2021 Jun 6/7/2021; 11(1): 11907. PMID: 34099795, PMCID: PMC8184916, PII: 10.1038/s41598-021-91395-w, DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-91395-w, ISSN: 2045-2322.

Chiusa M, Hu W, Zienkiewicz J, Chen X, Zhang MZ, Harris RC, Vanacore RM, Bentz JA, Remuzzi G, Benigni A, Fogo AB, Luo W, Mili S, Wilson MH, Zent R, Hawiger J, Pozzi A. EGF receptor-mediated FUS phosphorylation promotes its nuclear translocation and fibrotic signaling. J. Cell Biol. 2020 Sep 9/7/2020; 219(9): PMID: 32678881, PII: 151955, DOI: 10.1083/jcb.202001120, ISSN: 1540-8140.

Hawiger J, Zienkiewicz J. Decoding inflammation, its causes, genomic responses, and emerging countermeasures. Scand. J. Immunol [print-electronic]. 2019 Dec; 90(6): e12812. PMID: 31378956, PMCID: PMC6883124, DOI: 10.1111/sji.12812, ISSN: 1365-3083.

Liu Y, Veach RA, Zienkiewicz J, Boyd KL, Smith TE, Xu ZQ, Wylezinski LS, Hawiger J. Protection from Endotoxin Shock by Selective Targeting of Proinflammatory Signaling to the Nucleus Mediated by Importin Alpha 5. Immunohorizons. 2019 Sep 9/18/2019; 3(9): 440-6. PMID: 31533951, PMCID: PMC6768080, PII: 3/9/440, DOI: 10.4049/immunohorizons.1900064, ISSN: 2573-7732.

Veach RA, Liu Y, Zienkiewicz J, Wylezinski LS, Boyd KL, Wynn JL, Hawiger J. Survival, bacterial clearance and thrombocytopenia are improved in polymicrobial sepsis by targeting nuclear transport shuttles. PLoS ONE. 2017 Jun 6/18/2017; 12(6): e0179468. PMID: 28628637, PII: PONE-D-17-04854, DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0179468, ISSN: 1932-6203.

Hawiger J, Veach RA, Zienkiewicz J. New paradigms in sepsis: from prevention to protection of failing microcirculation. J. Thromb. Haemost [print-electronic]. 2015 Oct; 13(10): 1743-56. PMID: 26190521, DOI: 10.1111/jth.13061, ISSN: 1538-7836.

DiGiandomenico A, Veach RA, Zienkiewicz J, Moore DJ, Wylezinski LS, Hutchens MA, Hawiger J. The "genomic storm" induced by bacterial endotoxin is calmed by a nuclear transport modifier that attenuates localized and systemic inflammation. PLoS ONE. 2014 Oct 10/20/2014; 9(10): e110183. PMID: 25329889, PMCID: PMC4203769, PII: PONE-D-14-26863, DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0110183, ISSN: 1932-6203.

Zienkiewicz J, Armitage A, Hawiger J. Targeting nuclear import shuttles, importins/karyopherins alpha by a peptide mimicking the NFkB1/p50 nuclear localization sequence. J Am Heart Assoc. 2013 Oct; 2(5): e000386. PMID: 24042087, PMCID: PMC3835248, PII: jah3309, DOI: 10.1161/JAHA.113.000386, ISSN: 2047-9980.

Liu Y, Major AS, Zienkiewicz J, Gabriel CL, Veach RA, Moore DJ, Collins RD, Hawiger J. Nuclear transport modulation reduces hypercholesterolemia, atherosclerosis, and fatty liver. J Am Heart Assoc. 2013 Apr; 2(2): e000093. PMID: 23563994, PMCID: PMC3647260, PII: 2/2/e000093, DOI: 10.1161/JAHA.113.000093, ISSN: 2047-9980.

Shoemaker AH, Zienkiewicz J, Moore DJ. Clinical assessment of HNF1A and GCK variants and identification of a novel mutation causing MODY2. Diabetes Res. Clin. Pract [print-electronic]. 2012 May; 96(2): e36-9. PMID: 22341299, PMCID: PMC3560353, PII: S0168-8227(12)00058-7, DOI: 10.1016/j.diabres.2012.01.032, ISSN: 1872-8227.

Veach RA, Zienkiewicz J, Collins RD, Hawiger J. Lethality in a murine model of pulmonary anthrax is reduced by combining nuclear transport modifier with antimicrobial therapy. PLoS ONE. 2012 Jan 1/26/2012; 7(1): e30527. PMID: 22291977, PMCID: PMC3266913, PII: PONE-D-11-13071, DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0030527, ISSN: 1932-6203.

Moore DJ, Zienkiewicz J, Kendall PL, Liu D, Liu X, Veach RA, Collins RD, Hawiger J. In vivo islet protection by a nuclear import inhibitor in a mouse model of type 1 diabetes. PLoS ONE. 2010 Oct 10/5/2010; 5(10): e13235. PMID: 20949090, PMCID: PMC2950856, DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0013235, ISSN: 1932-6203.

Liu D, Zienkiewicz J, DiGiandomenico A, Hawiger J. Suppression of acute lung inflammation by intracellular peptide delivery of a nuclear import inhibitor. Mol. Ther [print-electronic]. 2009 May; 17(5): 796-802. PMID: 19259070, PMCID: PMC2835128, PII: mt200918, DOI: 10.1038/mt.2009.18, ISSN: 1525-0024.

Zienkiewicz J, Fryszkowska A, Zienkiewicz K, Guo F, Kaszynski P, Januszko A, Jones D. Synthesis of liquid crystalline 4H-benzo[1,2,4]thiadiazines and generation of persistent radicals. J. Org. Chem [print-electronic]. 2007 Apr 4/27/2007; 72(9): 3510-20. PMID: 17407358, DOI: 10.1021/jo070122a, ISSN: 0022-3263.

Li C, Zienkiewicz J, Hawiger J. Interactive sites in the MyD88 Toll/interleukin (IL) 1 receptor domain responsible for coupling to the IL1beta signaling pathway. J. Biol. Chem [print-electronic]. 2005 Jul 7/15/2005; 280(28): 26152-9. PMID: 15849357, PII: M503262200, DOI: 10.1074/jbc.M503262200, ISSN: 0021-9258.

Zienkiewicz J, Kaszynski P, Young VG. Experimental and theoretical studies of fused-ring persistent [1,2,4]thiadiazinyl radicals. J. Org. Chem. 2004 Oct 10/29/2004; 69(22): 7525-36. PMID: 15497978, DOI: 10.1021/jo0486746, ISSN: 0022-3263.

Zienkiewicz J, Kaszynski P, Young VG. Fused-ring thiadiazines: preparation and crystallographic characterization of 3-phenyl derivative of benzo-, pyridio[2,3-e]-, pyrazino[2,3-e]-, and tetrafluorobenzo-[1,2,4]thiadiazines. J. Org. Chem. 2004 Apr 4/2/2004; 69(7): 2551-61. PMID: 15049657, DOI: 10.1021/jo035835h, ISSN: 0022-3263.

Zienkiewicz J, Galewski Z. Liquid crystalline properties of 4-methyl-, 4-ethyl-and 4-propyl-4'-alkyloxyazobenzenes. Pol. J. Chem. 2002 Oct 10/10/2002; 73(2): 359-66.

Zienkiewicz J, Galewski Z. Liquid crystalline properties of 4-hexyl-4'-alkoxyazobenzenes and 4-heptyl-4'-alkoxyazobenzenes. Proc. SPIE. 1998 Jan 1/1/1998; 3319: 45-54.

Zienkiewicz J, Galewski Z. Smectic polymorphism of the 4-butyl-4'-alkoxyazobenzenes and 4-pentyl-4'-alkoxyazobenzenes. Liq. Cryst. 1997 Jul 7/1/1997; 23(1): 9-16. DOI: 10.1080/026782997208613.