Advancing Coronavirus Research: Dr. Xufang Deng’s mission to protect human and animal health

Advancing Coronavirus Research: Dr. Xufang Deng's mission to protect human and animal health

Thursday, November 6, 2025

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When the first SARS coronavirus outbreak shut down his college campus in China over 20 years ago, Dr. Xufang Deng found himself intrigued - not only by the disruption the virus caused, but by the astonishing power of a microscopic pathogen.

That early experience set him on a scientific path that would eventually lead to Oklahoma State University's College of Veterinary Medicine, where he now leads one of the field's most innovative coronavirus research programs.

"We study how coronaviruses infect the host body and cause disease," Deng said. "We want to know exactly which viral components are responsible for making animals and people sick. The ultimate goal is to develop effective antiviral drugs and vaccines so one day we don't need to worry about coronavirus outbreaks."

Deng has been working in coronavirus research for more than 14 years, beginning with his postdoctoral work in the U.S. long before COVID-19 brought the term "coronavirus" into everyday vocabulary; his lab was already exploring how these viruses jump species, how they evolve, and why some cause respiratory disease while others trigger gastrointestinal illness.

His foundational work paid off. In 2024, Deng and collaborators at Rutgers University and OSU created the first compound in the world proven to inhibit a key coronavirus enzyme - the papain-like protease - in animal models. The discovery was recognized in Science, one of the world's top scientific journals.

"It was a breakthrough moment," Deng said. "No one had ever shown this before. It opens the door to a new class of antiviral drugs."

Follow-up studies published in Nature Communications continued to refine antiviral compounds and map potential drug-resistance mutations - knowledge critical to staying ahead of future viral threats.

Coronaviruses don't just threaten humans - many strains affect animals, including cattle, pigs and companion animals. Deng's research spans both, driven by scientific purpose and personal loss. Years ago, he lost his cat, Gary, to feline infectious peritonitis (FIP), a fatal coronavirus disease in cats.

"That was heartbreaking," he said. "I study coronaviruses, but I couldn't save my own cat. That motivates me to keep going - to develop vaccines and treatments that can save animals and people."

Through ongoing collaborations with USDA scientists, Deng is working to develop vaccines for animal coronavirus diseases that impact agricultural systems and the veterinary profession.

Deng's lab is also a training ground for young scientists. He currently mentors graduate students, DVM students and undergraduate researchers.

"My students are the driving force behind our research," he said. "They lead projects as first authors, they do the bench work and they contribute directly to discoveries. I want them to gain meaningful, hands-on experience and learn how their research advances medicine."

Student researchers in his lab have gone on to medical school, veterinary careers and advanced graduate programs, helped by their early exposure to high-level research.

Coronaviruses continue to emerge in both human and animal populations, often jumping from wildlife reservoirs. Deng believes preparedness is key - and science is the path forward.

"There are many coronaviruses in nature, especially in bats," he said. "You never know which one will become the next threat. Our job is to stay ahead - to understand, to prevent and to be ready."

With a rare combination of foundational virology expertise, translational research success, and a passion for training next-generation scientists, Deng is helping build that future - one breakthrough at a time.