Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Jun Xiang Ong, Hai Van Le, Violet Eng Yee Lee, Wee Han Ang
Summary: Mitochondria have been identified as important targets for cisplatin in cancer treatment. In addition to cisplatin, anticancer Pt complexes with similar structures have been developed to target mitochondria. The researchers developed a mitochondria-targeted fluorescent probe to monitor Pt accumulation in mitochondria in real time, and identified two distinct pathways through which Pt complexes could be delivered to mitochondria.
ANGEWANDTE CHEMIE-INTERNATIONAL EDITION
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Marie-Christin Barth, Norman Haefner, Ingo B. B. Runnebaum, Wolfgang Weigand
Summary: The research explores the anticancer potential of platinum(IV) complexes and investigates the effects of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) ligands on their cytotoxicity. The synthesis and characterization of nine platinum(IV) complexes are presented, and their cytotoxic activity is evaluated against ovarian carcinoma cell lines. The most promising complex, Compound 7, induces cell cycle arrest and apoptosis or necrosis in a cell line-dependent manner, acting through a stress response pathway involving p21, CHOP, and ATF3 genes.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Congcong Lin, Yuxiu Chen, Mengli Zhu, Junping Pei, Yang Zhou, Maling Gou, Liang Ouyang
Summary: A nano-delivery system based on a novel sulfhydryl blocking reagent was developed for the CDDP prodrug, which can deplete GSH in tumor cells and increase the cytotoxicity of CDDP. This system promotes the distribution of CDDP in tumors, reduces inactivation, and enhances the efficacy of CDDP.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF PHARMACEUTICS
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Nicole D. Barth, Floris J. Van Dalen, Utsa Karmakar, Marco Bertolini, Lorena Mendive-Tapia, Takanori Kitamura, Martijn Verdoes, Marc Vendrell
Summary: This study reports the first enzyme-activatable chemokine conjugates for targeting specific macrophage subsets in live tumors. The conjugates selectively target TAMs over other macrophages and immune cells by exploiting the high expression of chemokine receptors and the activity of cysteine cathepsins. This opens up new possibilities for the design of targeted theranostic probes for immune cells in the tumor microenvironment.
ANGEWANDTE CHEMIE-INTERNATIONAL EDITION
(2022)
Article
Oncology
Wangie Yu, Yunyun Chen, Nagireddy Putluri, Abdullah Osman, Cristian Coarfa, Vasanta Putluri, Abu H. M. Kamal, Jennifer Kay Asmussen, Panagiotis Katsonis, Jeffrey N. Myers, Stephen Y. Lai, Wuhao Lu, Clifford C. Stephan, Reid T. Powell, Faye M. Johnson, Heath D. Skinner, Jawad Kazi, Kazi Mokim Ahmed, Linghao Hu, Addison Threet, Matthew D. Meyer, James A. Bankson, Tony Wang, Jack Davis, Kirby R. Parker, Madison A. Harris, Mokryun L. Baek, Gloria V. Echeverria, Xiaoli Qi, Jin Wang, Andy I. Frederick, Alex J. Walsh, Olivier Lichtarge, Mitchell J. Frederick, Vlad C. Sandulache
Summary: We found that head and neck squamous cell carcinoma cells acquire cisplatin resistance through metabolic rewiring, including reduced KEAP1 gene activity, activation of the Nrf2 pathway, increased cell biomass and reducing equivalents, and enhanced glucose and glutamine metabolism. These metabolic changes result in reduced energy production and proliferation, leading to resistance to cisplatin.
BRITISH JOURNAL OF CANCER
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Shan Wang, Beitong Zhu, Bingya Wang, Xinhua Cao, Lei Zhu, Ji-Ting Hou, Lintao Zeng
Summary: The study found a close association between ROS and ER stress, and developed a fluorescent probe ERC for detecting HOCl in the ER with high sensitivity and photostability, showing low cytotoxicity and good cell membrane permeability, successfully used for imaging study.
CHINESE CHEMICAL LETTERS
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Bhagyashree Kulkarni, Mehak Malhotra, Manickam Jayakannan
Summary: This study developed a fluorescent nanocarrier that can monitor and deliver non-luminescent anticancer drugs like cisplatin intracellularly, providing a valuable tool for cancer research.
CHEMISTRY-AN ASIAN JOURNAL
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Xue Tian, Lloyd C. Murfin, Luling Wu, Simon E. Lewis, Tony D. James
Summary: Small-molecule based fluorescent probes play an increasingly important role in detecting and imaging biological signaling molecules due to their simplicity, high selectivity, and real-time analysis capabilities. Various sensing mechanisms, including FRET, ICT, PeT, ESIPT, AIE, as well as dual/triple sensing mechanisms, are highlighted, but challenges remain. Future development should focus on improving small-molecule fluorescent probes for biosensing applications.
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Daniil Spector, Olga Krasnovskaya, Kirill Pavlov, Alexander Erofeev, Peter Gorelkin, Elena Beloglazkina, Alexander Majouga
Summary: This review summarizes the research on the development of Pt(IV) prodrugs with NSAIDs as axial ligands, their cytotoxic action and anti-inflammatory activity mechanism studies, structure-activity ratio, and therapeutic efficacy. The chemo-anti-inflammatory strategy aims to efficiently deliver cytotoxic metabolites and NSAIDs intracellularly in tumor cells to reduce side effects and increase therapeutic efficacy. Studies have shown high therapeutic efficacy both in vitro and in vivo.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Applied
Dan Yue, Jiayan Zhu, Dong Chen, Weidong Li, Bowen Qin, Bing Zhang, Deri Liu, Xiaotong Yang, Yilei Zhang, Zhenling Wang
Summary: A stable and spindle-shaped metal-organic framework (Zn-DTBA) has been successfully synthesized for simultaneous detection of GSH and Cys. The framework has different fluorescence response for the two analytes and can be applied for detection in serum.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Yuuta Fujikawa, Masaya Mori, Minami Tsukada, Seiya Miyahara, Honoka Sato-Fukushima, Eita Watanabe, Yuko Murakami-Tonami, Hideshi Inoue
Summary: The fluorescent probes developed in this study enable the simultaneous detection of multiple tumour markers such as GSTP1 with other cancer-associated enzymes by concurrently using spectrally distinguished fluorescent probes, potentially broadening the scope of cancer detection.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Xiaoqiang Tu, Lijun He, Haojie Huang, Haishun Ye, Lu Sun, Long Yi
Summary: Thiolysis of 7-cyanobenzoxadiazole (CBD) arylether was studied for the development of GSH-selective fluorescent probes, showing tunable reactivities and suitable dissociation constants for GSH. The results indicate that CBD-based probes are highly GSH-selective and suitable for bioimaging applications.
CHEMICAL COMMUNICATIONS
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Rong He, Dandan Tang, Ningge Xu, Heng Liu, Kun Dou, Xuejun Zhou, Fabiao Yu
Summary: Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is a common malignant tumor of the head and neck, with a high incidence in China and Southeast Asian countries. In this study, a novel near-infrared fluorescent probe, SNAFL-GSH, was designed and synthesized for the detection of glutathione (GSH). The probe showed selective detection of GSH and the ability to distinguish normal and cancer cells. It has great potential for application in the diagnosis and evaluation of NPC.
CHINESE CHEMICAL LETTERS
(2024)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Ines J. Marques, Pedro D. Vaz, Ana V. Girao, Mariela M. Nolasco, Carla D. Nunes
Summary: Silica-coated iron oxide and silica nanoparticles were prepared and derivatized with a europium complex to yield magneto-fluorescent and fluorescent nanomaterials. The fluorescence was enhanced by the anchored europium complex and maintained in cellular medium. These nanomaterials have potential applications as biosensors and in imaging.
NEW JOURNAL OF CHEMISTRY
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Analytical
Qiang Peng, Tao Xiong, Fangling Ji, Jun Ren, Lingyun Jia
Summary: Environment-sensitive fluorogenic antibodies have been developed for target-specific bioimaging, but their construction is challenging due to the design of fluorogenic probes and antibody labeling. In this study, a simple strategy to generate a fluorogenic nanobody, termed D-body, was reported by incorporating a reduction-responsive Nile blue foldamer. The D-body exhibited high fluorogenic activity upon lysosomal activation, allowing for wash-free cell imaging and fast in vivo imaging with high tumor-to-background ratio. The modular D-body is readily available and easy to handle, making it highly tunable for bioimaging applications.
ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Jun Xiang Ong, Wee Han Ang
CHEMISTRY-AN ASIAN JOURNAL
(2020)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Max Jing Rui Tham, Maria V. Babak, Wee Han Ang
ANGEWANDTE CHEMIE-INTERNATIONAL EDITION
(2020)
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Daryl Darwan, Kang Rui Garrick Lim, Hadhi Wijaya, Zhi Chiaw Lim, Tian Wang, Wee Han Ang, Zhi-Kuang Tan
ADVANCED OPTICAL MATERIALS
(2020)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Kang Rui Garrick Lim, Daryl Darwan, Hadhi Wijaya, Zhi Chiaw Lim, Janaki Shanmugam, Tian Wang, Li Jun Lim, Wee Han Ang, Zhi-Kuang Tan
ADVANCED MATERIALS INTERFACES
(2020)
Editorial Material
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Boon Shing Loh, Wee Han Ang
ACS CENTRAL SCIENCE
(2020)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Kateryna Ohui, Iryna Stepanenko, Iuliana Besleaga, Maria V. Babak, Radu Stafi, Denisa Darvasiova, Gerald Giester, Vivien Posa, Eva A. Enyedy, Daniel Vegh, Peter Rapta, Wee Han Ang, Ana Popovic-Bijelic, Vladimir B. Arion
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Jun Xiang Ong, Hai Van Le, Violet Eng Yee Lee, Wee Han Ang
Summary: Mitochondria have been identified as important targets for cisplatin in cancer treatment. In addition to cisplatin, anticancer Pt complexes with similar structures have been developed to target mitochondria. The researchers developed a mitochondria-targeted fluorescent probe to monitor Pt accumulation in mitochondria in real time, and identified two distinct pathways through which Pt complexes could be delivered to mitochondria.
ANGEWANDTE CHEMIE-INTERNATIONAL EDITION
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Inorganic & Nuclear
Violet Eng Yee Lee, Zhi Chiaw Lim, Suet Li Chew, Wee Han Ang
Summary: A common challenge in Pt(IV) prodrug design is the limited repertoire of linkers available to connect the Pt(IV) scaffold with the bioactive payload. This study introduces a new class of Pt(IV) prodrugs using masked self-immolative 4-aminobenzyl linkers for controlled and traceless codrug delivery, which proved to be more effective than traditional methods in vitro.
INORGANIC CHEMISTRY
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Maria V. Babak, Kai Ren Chong, Peter Rapta, Markella Zannikou, Hui Min Tang, Lisa Reichert, Meng Rui Chang, Vladimir Kushnarev, Petra Heffeter, Samuel M. Meier-Menches, Zhi Chiaw Lim, Jian Yu Yap, Angela Casini, Irina V. Balyasnikova, Wee Han Ang
Summary: The study developed a novel drug complex 3met which can induce deadly metabolic catastrophe in triple-negative breast cancer, reducing tumor burden and significantly improving treatment outcomes.
ANGEWANDTE CHEMIE-INTERNATIONAL EDITION
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Analytical
Jun Xiang Ong, Kah Meng Lee, Shoo Peng Koh, Yuansheng Wu, Sheot Harn Chan
Summary: This study evaluated the radiation exposure to the public from the consumption of domestically produced seafood by measuring the levels of radionuclides in local fish and shellfish. The results showed that the derived annual total effective dose from the intake of radionuclides was significantly lower than the maximum allowable dose for the public.
JOURNAL OF RADIOANALYTICAL AND NUCLEAR CHEMISTRY
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Cheng Weng, Hui Yang, Boon Shing Loh, Ming Wah Wong, Wee Han Ang
Summary: This study reports the development of a synthetic small-molecule NTR system based on transfer hydrogenation mediated by transition metal complexes. The water-stable Ru-arene complex can selectively and fully reduce nitroaromatics into anilines in a biocompatible buffered aqueous environment using formate as the hydride source. The application of this system in activating nitro-caged sulfanilamide prodrug in formate-abundant bacteria, specifically methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, has been demonstrated.
JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY
(2023)
Review
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Cheng Weng, Yong Leng Kelvin Tan, Wayne Gareth Koh, Wee Han Ang
Summary: Antimicrobial resistance is a serious and urgent threat to global public health, and the limited development of new drugs with alternative modes of action exacerbates this problem. Transition metal complexes can provide compounds with unique properties that are not easily accessible using pure organic scaffolds, replenishing the diminishing stockpile of drug candidates. This review highlights four emerging antibacterial strategies that harness the unique chemical properties of transition metal complexes, namely Trojan horse, triggered warhead release, new-to-nature chemistry, and biomimetic reactions.
ANGEWANDTE CHEMIE-INTERNATIONAL EDITION
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Cheng Weng, Linghui Shen, Jin Wei Teo, Zhi Chiaw Lim, Boon Shing Loh, Wee Han Ang
Summary: The use of organotransition metal complexes for oxidoreduction allows for targeted oxidative stress in Gram-positive bacteria, particularly methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. This innovative strategy based on redox chemistry of organotransition metal complexes provides a potential solution to combat drug resistance.
Article
Oncology
Guowei Kim, Hon Lyn Tan, Raghav Sundar, Bettina Lieske, Cheng Ean Chee, Jingshan Ho, Asim Shabbir, Maria Babak, Wee Han Ang, Boon Cher Goh, Wei Peng Yong, Lingzhi Wang, Jimmy B. Y. So
Summary: This study investigates the safety and tolerability of PIPAC oxaliplatin for peritoneal metastases from gastrointestinal tumors, concluding that the recommended phase II dose is 120 mg/m(2). Further studies are needed to clarify the efficacy and role of PIPAC oxaliplatin for peritoneal metastases.
CLINICAL CANCER RESEARCH
(2021)
