Self-Introduction:

Dr. Huiling Cao is an tenured Associate Professor (Principal Investigator) and Ph.D. Supervisor in the Department of Biochemistry, School of Medicine, Southern University of Science and Technology (SUSTech). She is a recipient of the National Excellent Young Scientists Fund and a Shenzhen Overseas High-Level Talent award. Her research focuses on skeletal development, bone homeostasis, and bone-related diseases.

Dr. Cao is a Lifetime Member of the International Chinese Musculoskeletal Research Society (ICMRS) and currently serves as Chair of the ICMRS Youth Committee. She is Deputy Chair of the Youth Committee of the Innovation and Translation Group of the Chinese Orthopaedic Association, and Deputy Chair of the Basic Research and Biomedical Engineering Group of the Sports Injury Committee of the Guangdong Medical Doctor Association.

In 2026, she was recognized as an Outstanding Graduate Mentor with the “Excellent Mentor and Trusted Friend” Award at SUSTech. Dr. Cao serves as a reviewer for numerous leading international journals, including Cell Host & Microbe, Nature Communications, Advanced Materials, Signal Transduction and Targeted Therapy, Bone Research, Cellular & Molecular Immunology, Acta Pharmaceutica Sinica B, and Advanced Science. She is also a grant review expert for the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC), serving on both panel and external review committees for programs including the Excellent Young Scientists Fund, Key Programs, General Programs, Regional Programs, and Young Scientists Fund. In addition, she serves as a reviewer for provincial talent programs such as the Guangdong and Hunan Distinguished Young Scholars and Excellent Young Scholars awards.

Dr. Cao has led multiple competitive research projects, including the NSFC Excellent Young Scientists Fund, NSFC International Cooperation Program, General Program, Young Scientists Fund, and major research projects funded by the Ministry of Science and Technology of China.

She has published more than 50 peer-reviewed articles in leading international journals, including Journal of Clinical Investigation, Nature Communications, Nature Aging, Cell Reports Medicine, Protein & Cell, Molecular Therapy, Signal Transduction and Targeted Therapy, Acta Pharmaceutica Sinica B, Diabetes, Bone Research, Journal of Biological Chemistry, and JCI Insight. She has co-authored two academic books and holds eight granted invention patents. Her current H-index is 31.

Dr. Cao has mentored numerous outstanding trainees. Her Ph.D. student Zhen Ding was recognized as one of the Top Ten Outstanding Graduates of SUSTech in 2026 and received the University Outstanding Doctoral Dissertation Award. Her graduate students have repeatedly received National Scholarships. She has continuously mentored doctoral students who successfully obtained NSFC Basic Research Program Grants for Doctoral Students, and her postdoctoral fellows have secured funding from the NSFC Young Scientists Fund and the China Postdoctoral Science Foundation.

Research Interests：

(1) Study the mechanism of the formation of osteoblasts, osteoclasts and chondrocytes during skeletal development and steady state maintenance under physiological and pathological conditions;

(2) Study the role of adhesion proteins (such as Kindlin-2, Migfilin, Pinch1/2) in skeletal development and homeostasis；

(3) Study on the regulatory mechanisms of glucose and fat metabolism;

(4) Study on the mutual regulation of bone and extra-bone tissues and organs.

Professional Experience：

2010.07- 2011.08    University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine   Post-Doc

2014.11- 2016.12    Dept of Biology, SUSTech                  Lecturer

2017.01- 2020.02   Dept of Biology, SUSTech                  Research associate professor

2020.03-2021-03    School of Medicine, SUSTech            Research associate professor

2021.04-                 School of Medicine, SUSTech            Research Fellow

Educational Background：

1999.09-2004.07 Department of Laboratory Medicine, Tianjin Medical University  MD

2004.09-2010.07 Joint Training Program of Chinese and American Doctor         PhD

Honors & Awards：

2016 ASBMR Young Investigator Travel Grant, 2016 Plenary Poster，ASBMR 2016 Annual Meeting, September 16-19, 2016, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
2012 Chinese National Excellent Doctoral Dissertation nomination.（Only 278 dissertations were nominated in 2012） “Activating transcription factor 4 regulates osteoclast differentiation in mice”, Chinese Ministry of Education, 2012
2012 Excellent Doctoral Dissertation Award.  Tianjin city, China, 2012
2011 ASBMR Young Investigator Award, 2011.  ASBMR (American Society for Bone and Mineral Research) annual meeting, 2011, San Diego, California, USA
2011 Young Investigator Award.  9th International Conference on Bone and Mineral Research (ICBMR) & 11th International Osteoporosis Symposium, 2011, Nanjing, China
2010 Excellent PhD Graduate Award.  Tianjin medical university, China, 2010

Publications:

1. 1. Li, X.#, Ma, G.#*, Wang, F.#, Ding, Z., Chen, Y., Cheng, S., Pang, W., Chen, L., Cao, H.* (2026) Kindlin-2 functional restoration through methylmalonic acid clearance by Coenzyme A counteracts osteoporosis. Molecular Therapy. S1525-0016(26)00402-8.

2. 2. Ma, G.#, Chen, Y.#, Cheng, S., Wang, F., Han, Y., Chen, L., Ding, Z., Li, Y., Cao, H.* Targeting the Ip6k2–Runx2 axis disrupts osteoblast–osteoclast coupling to treat osteoporosis. Nature Communications. 2026 Jun 30;17(1):8130.

3. 3. Chen, Y., Wang, F., Ma, G.*, Cao, H.* (2026) Kindlin protein family: physiology, pathology, and implications for development and disease. Oral Science and Homeostatic Medicine, 2(1) （Cover article）

4. 4. Wang, H., Zhang, L., Zhang, Y., Wang, W., Ni, J., Liu, J., Gong, W., Au, M. T., Yeung, M. H. Y., Cao, H., and Wen, C. (2025) Spatially resolved single-cell-based histocytomorphometry for growth plate analysis across multiple species. Journal of Orthopaedic Translation, 101015

5. 5. Chen, Y.#, Pang, W.#, Ma, G.#, Yan, Y., Xiao, Z., Chen, Y., Ding, Z., Chen, L., Hou, X., and Cao, H.* (2025) March5-mediated Trim28 degradation preserves islet β-cell function in mice. Nature Communications 16, 7073

6. 6. Zhou, B.#, Huang, H.#, Ding, Z.#, Luo, K., Chen, Y., Han, Y., Pang, W., Tang, W., Chen, L., Jin, W.*, Ma, G.*, and Cao, H.* (2025) Unveiling two distinct osteolineage cell populations linked to age-related osteoporosis in adult mice through integrative single-cell analyses. Cellular and Molecular Life Sciences 82, 106

7. 7. Ma, G.#, Cheng, S.#, Han, Y.#, Tang, W., Pang, W., Chen, L., Ding, Z., and Cao, H.1* (2025) The p53-miR17 family-Rankl axis bridges liver-bone communication. Molecular Therapy 33, 631–648

8. 8. Ma, G.#, Han, Y.#, Tang, W., Zhou, B., Chen, L., Ding, Z., Cheng, S., Chen, D.*, and Cao, H.* (2024) Endothelial-to-Osteoblast Conversion maintains bone homeostasis through Kindlin-2/Piezo1/TGFβ/Runx2 axis. Protein & Cell 16, 497–502

9. 9. Ding, Z., Ma, G., Zhou, B., Cheng, S., Tang, W., Han, Y., Chen, L., Pang, W., Chen, Y., Yang, D., and Cao, H.* (2024) Targeting miR-29 mitigates skeletal senescence and bolsters therapeutic potential of mesenchymal stromal cells. Cell Reports Medicine 5, 101665

10. 10. Wu, Y., Jing, H., Li, Y., Li, M., Zheng, Y., Lin, Y., Ma, G., Cao, H.*, and Yang, H.* (2024) NOR1 promotes the osteoblastic differentiation of human periodontal ligament stem cells via TGF-β signaling pathway. Cellular and Molecular Life Sciences 81, 338

11. 11. Dong, Y., Yuan, H., Ma, G.*, and Cao, H.* (2024) Bone-muscle crosstalk under physiological and pathological conditions. Cellular and Molecular Life Sciences 81, 310

12. 12. Chen, Y., Guo, B., Ma, G.*, and Cao, H.* (2024) Sensory nerve regulation of bone homeostasis: Emerging therapeutic opportunities for bone-related diseases. Ageing Research Reviews 99, 102372

13. 13. Tang, W.#, Ding, Z.#, Gao, H.#, Yan, Q.#, Liu, J., Han, Y., Hou, X., Liu, Z., Chen, L., Yang, D.*, Ma, G.*, and Cao, H.* (2023) Targeting Kindlin-2 in adipocytes increases bone mass through inhibiting FAS/PPARγ/FABP4 signaling in mice. Acta Pharmaceutica Sinica B 13, 4535–4552

14. 14. Dong, Y.#, Ma, G.#*, Hou, X.#, Han, Y.#, Ding, Z., Tang, W., Chen, L., Chen, Y., Zhou, B., Rao, F., Lv, K., Du, C., and Cao, H.* (2023) Kindlin-2 controls angiogenesis through modulating Notch1 signaling. Cellular and Molecular Life Sciences 80, 223

15. 15. Hou, X.#, Chen, Y.#, Zhou, B., Tang, W., Ding, Z., Chen, L., Wu, Y., Yang, H., Du, C., Yang, D., Ma, G.*, and Cao, H.* (2023) Talin-1 inhibits Smurf1-mediated Stat3 degradation to modulate β-cell proliferation and mass in mice. Cell Death & Disease 14, 709

16. 16. He, T.#, Zhou, B.#, Sun, G.#, Yan, Q., Lin, S., Ma, G., Yao, Q., Wu, X., Zhong, Y., Gan, D., Huo, S., Jin, W., Chen, D., Bai, X.*, Cheng, T.*, Cao, H.*, and Xiao, G.* (2024) The bone–liver interaction modulates immune and hematopoietic function through Pinch-Cxcl12-Mbl2 pathway. Cell Death & Differentiation 31, 90–105

17. 17. Gao, H.#, Zhong, Y.#, Zhou, L.#, Lin, S.#, Hou, X.#, Ding, Z., Li, Y., Yao, Q., Cao, H., Zou, X., Chen, D., Bai, X., and Xiao, G. (2023) Kindlin-2 inhibits TNF/NF-κB-Caspase 8 pathway in hepatocytes to maintain liver development and function. eLife 12, e81792

18. 18. Dong, Y.#, Chen, Y.#, Ma, G., and Cao, H.* (2023) The role of E3 ubiquitin ligases in bone homeostasis and related diseases. Acta Pharmaceutica Sinica B 13, 3963–3987

19. 19. Liu, Z.#, Tang, W.#, Liu, J.#, Han, Y., Yan, Q., Dong, Y., Liu, X., Yang, D., Ma, G.*, and Cao, H.* (2023) A novel sprayable thermosensitive hydrogel coupled with zinc modified metformin promotes the healing of skin wound. Bioactive Materials 20, 610–626

20. 20. Chen, S #, Wu, X #, Lai, Y., Chen, D., Bai, X., Liu, S., Wu, Y., Chen, M., Lai, Y., Cao, H.*, Shao, Z.*, and Xiao, G.* (2022) Kindlin-2 inhibits Nlrp3 inflammasome activation in nucleus pulposus to maintain homeostasis of the intervertebral disc. Bone Research 10, 5

21. 21. Chen, S.#, Chen, M.#, Wu, X.#, Lin, S., Tao, C., Cao, H.*, Shao, Z.*, and Xiao, G.* (2022) Global, regional and national burden of low back pain 1990–2019: A systematic analysis of the Global Burden of Disease study 2019. Journal of Orthopaedic Translation 32, 49–58

22. 22. Wu, X.#, Lai, Y.#, Chen, S.#, Zhou, C., Tao, C., Fu, X., Li, J., Tong, W., Tian, H., Shao, Z., Liu, C., Chen, D., Bai, X.*, Cao, H.*, and Xiao, G.* (2022) Kindlin-2 preserves integrity of the articular cartilage to protect against osteoarthritis. Nature Aging 2, 332–347

23. 23. Gao, H.#, Zhou, L.#, Zhong, Y.#, Ding, Z.#, Lin, S., Hou, X., Zhou, X., Shao, J., Yang, F., Zou, X., Cao, H.*, and Xiao, G.* (2022) Kindlin-2 haploinsufficiency protects against fatty liver by targeting Foxo1 in mice. Nature Communications 13, 1025

24. 24. Qin, L.#, Liu, N.#, Bao, C.-l.-m.#, Yang, D.-z., Ma, G.-x., Yi, W.-h.*, Xiao, G.-z.*, and Cao, H.-l.* (2023) Mesenchymal stem cells in fibrotic diseases—the two sides of the same coin. Acta Pharmacologica Sinica 44, 268–287

25. 25. Sadeghzade, S., Liu, J., Wang, H., Li, X., Cao, J., Cao, H., Tang, B., and Yuan, H. (2022) Recent advances on bioactive baghdadite ceramic for bone tissue engineering applications: 20 years of research and innovation (a review). Materials Today Bio 17, 100473

26. 26. Gao, H.#, Zhong, Y.#, Ding, Z.#, Lin, S.#, Hou, X., Tang, W., Zhou, X., Zou, X., Shao, J., Yang, F., Bai, X., Liu, C., Cao, H.*, and Xiao, G.* (2021) Pinch Loss Ameliorates Obesity, Glucose Intolerance, and Fatty Liver by Modulating Adipocyte Apoptosis in Mice. Diabetes 70, 2492–2505

27. 27. Qin, L.#, He, T.#, Chen, S.#, Yang, D., Yi, W.*, Cao, H.*, and Xiao, G.* (2021) Roles of mechanosensitive channel Piezo1/2 proteins in skeleton and other tissues. Bone Research 9, 44

28. 28. Qin, L.#, Fu, X.#, Ma, J., Lin, M., Zhang, P., Wang, Y., Yan, Q., Tao, C., Liu, W., Tang, B., Chen, D., Bai, X., Cao, H.*, and Xiao, G.* (2021) Kindlin-2 mediates mechanotransduction in bone by regulating expression of Sclerostin in osteocytes. Communications Biology 4, 402

29. 29. Qin, L., Yang, D., Yi, W.*, Cao, H.*, and Xiao, G.* (2021) Roles of leader and follower cells in collective cell migration. Molecular Biology of the Cell 32, 1267–1272

30. 30. Cao, H.#*, Yan, Q.#, Wang, D.#, Lai, Y., Zhou, B., Zhang, Q., Jin, W., Lin, S., Lei, Y., Ma, L., Guo, Y., Wang, Y., Wang, Y., Bai, X., Liu, C., Feng, J. Q., Wu, C., Chen, D., Cao, X., and Xiao, G.* (2020) Focal adhesion protein Kindlin-2 regulates bone homeostasis in mice. Bone Research 8, 2

31. 31. Zhu, K., Lai, Y., Cao, H., Bai, X., Liu, C., Yan, Q., Ma, L., Chen, D., Kanaporis, G., Wang, J., Li, L., Cheng, T., Wang, Y., Wu, C.*, and Xiao, G.* (2020) Kindlin-2 modulates MafA and β-catenin expression to regulate β-cell function and mass in mice. Nature Communications 11, 484

32. 32. Qin, L., Liu, W., Cao, H.*, and Xiao, G.* (2020) Molecular mechanosensors in osteocytes. Bone Research 8, 23

33. 33. Lei, Y.#, Fu, X.#, Li, P.#, Lin, S., Yan, Q., Lai, Y., Liu, X., Wang, Y., Bai, X., Liu, C., Chen, D., Zou, X., Cao, X., Cao, H.*, and Xiao, G.* (2020) LIM domain proteins Pinch1/2 regulate chondrogenesis and bone mass in mice. Bone Research 8, 37

34. 34. Fu, X.#, Zhou, B.#, Yan, Q.#, Tao, C., Qin, L., Wu, X., Lin, S., Chen, S., Lai, Y., Zou, X., Shao, Z., Wang, M., Chen, D., Jin, W., Song, Y., Cao, H.*, Zhang, G.*, and Xiao, G.* (2020) Kindlin-2 regulates skeletal homeostasis by modulating PTH1R in mice. Signal Transduction and Targeted Therapy 5, 297

35. 35. Gao, H.#, Guo, Y.#, Yan, Q.#, Yang, W., Li, R., Lin, S., Bai, X., Liu, C., Chen, D., Cao, H.*, and Xiao, G.* (2019) Lipoatrophy and metabolic disturbance in mice with adipose-specific deletion of kindlin-2. JCI Insight 4

36. 36. Wang, Y., Yan, Q., Zhao, Y., Liu, X., Lin, S., Zhang, P., Ma, L., Lai, Y., Bai, X., Liu, C., Wu, C., Feng, J. Q., Chen, D., Cao, H. *, and Xiao, G.* (2019) Focal adhesion proteins Pinch1 and Pinch2 regulate bone homeostasis in mice. JCI Insight 4

37. 37. Yang, X., Xia, R., Yue, C., Zhai, W., Du, W., Yang, Q., Cao, H., Chen, X., Obando, D., Zhu, Y., Chen, X., Chen, J.-J., Piganelli, J., Wipf, P., Jiang, Y., Xiao, G., Wu, C., Jiang, J., and Lu, B. (2018) ATF4 Regulates CD4+ T Cell Immune Responses through Metabolic Reprogramming. Cell Reports 23, 1754–1766

38. 38. Xu, H., Cao, H., and Xiao, G. (2016) Signaling via PINCH: Functions, binding partners and implications in human diseases. Gene 594, 10–15

39. 39. Wu, C.#*, Jiao, H.#, Lai, Y.#, Zheng, W., Chen, K., Qu, H., Deng, W., Song, P., Zhu, K., Cao, H., Galson, D. L., Fan, J., Im, H.-J., Liu, Y., Chen, J., Chen, D., and Xiao, G.* (2015) Kindlin-2 controls TGF-β signalling and Sox9 expression to regulate chondrogenesis. Nature Communications 6, 7531

40. 40. Qin, T.-T., Xu, G.-C., Qi, J.-W., Yang, G.-L., Zhang, K., Liu, H.-L., Xu, L.-X., Xiang, R., Xiao, G., Cao, H., Wei, Y., Zhang, Q.-Z., and Li, L.-Y. (2015) Tumour necrosis factor superfamily member 15 (Tnfsf15) facilitates lymphangiogenesis via up-regulation of Vegfr3 gene expression in lymphatic endothelial cells. The Journal of Pathology 237, 307–318

41. 41. Teramachi, J., Hiruma, Y., Ishizuka, S., Ishizuka, H., Brown, J. P., Michou, L., Cao, H., Galson, D. L., Subler, M. A., Zhou, H., Dempster, D. W., Windle, J. J., Roodman, G. D., and Kurihara, N. (2013) Role of ATF7‐TAF12 interactions in the vitamin D response hypersensitivity of osteoclast precursors in Paget's disease. Journal of Bone and Mineral Research 28, 1489–1500

42. 42. Zhu, K., Jiao, H., Li, S., Cao, H., Galson, D. L., Zhao, Z., Zhao, X., Lai, Y., Fan, J., Im, H. J., Chen, D., and Xiao, G. (2013) ATF4 promotes bone angiogenesis by increasing vegf expression and release in the bone environment. Journal of Bone and Mineral Research 28, 1870–1884

43. 43. Cao, H., Zhu, K., Qiu, L., Li, S., Niu, H., Hao, M., Yang, S., Zhao, Z., Lai, Y., Anderson, J. L., Fan, J., Im, H.-J., Chen, D., Roodman, G. D., and Xiao, G. (2013) Critical Role of AKT Protein in Myeloma-induced Osteoclast Formation and Osteolysis. Journal of Biological Chemistry 288, 30399–30410

44. 44. Xiao, G.#*, Cheng, H.#, Cao, H.#, Chen, K., Tu, Y., Yu, S., Jiao, H., Yang, S., Im, H.-J., Chen, D., Chen, J.*, and Wu, C.* (2012) Critical Role of Filamin-binding LIM Protein 1 (FBLP-1)/Migfilin in Regulation of Bone Remodeling. Journal of Biological Chemistry 287, 21450–21460

45. 45. Yang, S., Xu, H., Yu, S., Cao, H., Fan, J., Ge, C., Fransceschi, R. T., Dong, H. H., and Xiao, G. (2011) Foxo1 Mediates Insulin-like Growth Factor 1 (IGF1)/Insulin Regulation of Osteocalcin Expression by Antagonizing Runx2 in Osteoblasts. Journal of Biological Chemistry 286, 19149–19158

46. 46. Cao, H.#, Yu, S.#, Yao, Z., Galson, D. L., Jiang, Y., Zhang, X., Fan, J., Lu, B., Guan, Y., Luo, M., Lai, Y., Zhu, Y., Kurihara, N., Patrene, K., Roodman, G. D., and Xiao, G. (2010) Activating transcription factor 4 regulates osteoclast differentiation in mice. The Journal of Clinical Investigation 120, 2755–2766

Patents:

1. 专利号：ZL 2017 1 0180991.X，发明专利，名称：Kindlin-2蛋白作为靶点在制备治疗糖尿病的药物中的应用，发明人：肖国芝，曹惠玲，授权日期：2020-04-28，公告（公开）日期：2017-09-01。

2. 专利号：ZL 2017 1 0169753.9，发明专利，名称：Kindlin-2蛋白作为靶点在制备治疗肾炎的药物中的应用，发明人：肖国芝，曹惠玲，授权日期：2020-07-31，公告（公开）日期：2017-09-08。

3. 专利号：ZL 2017 1 0170718.9，发明专利，名称：Kindlin-2蛋白作为靶点在制备治疗骨性关节炎的药物中的应用，发明人：肖国芝，曹惠玲，授权日期：2020-07-31，公告（公开）日期：2017-09-08。

4. 专利申请号：2021101129689，发明专利，名称：抑制肝细胞中Kindlin-2蛋白表达量的试剂在制备治疗脂肪肝产品中的应用，发明人：肖国芝，曹惠玲，高焕庆，实审阶段，申请日期：2021/1/27。

5. 专利申请号：202210513385.6，发明专利，名称：一种水凝胶喷雾及其制备方法与应用，发明人：曹惠玲，马贵兴，刘正伟，实审，申请日期：2022/05/12。

6. 专利号：ZL 2022 1 1211629.1，Kindlin-2 作为靶点在皮肤创伤修复中的应用，发明人：曹惠玲，马贵兴，申请日期：2022-09-30，授权公告日：2023-12-01。

7. 专利申请号：202210877899X，Kindlin-2 作为靶点在治疗骨质疏松及预防癌症骨转移中的应用，发明人：曹惠玲，马贵兴，实审阶段，申请日期：2022/07/25。

8. 专利申请号：4，抑制脂肪细胞中 Kindlin-2 蛋白表达的试剂在制备治疗关节炎产品中的应用，发明人：曹惠玲，马贵兴，实审阶段，公告（公开）日期：2023-07-21。