Head and Professor of Department of Chemistry
| Office: | YEUNG-P5315 |
|---|---|
| Phone: | +852 3442-6857 |
| Fax: | +852 3442-0522 |
| Email: | [email protected] |
| Web: | Personal Homepage |
| ORCID ID: | 0000-0002-4710-7070 |
| Scopus Author ID: |
55451894000 |
- Anticancer drug development
- Drug mechanism and target validation
- Drug delivery
- Photodynamic therapy
- Chemical biology
Prof. Guangyu Zhu obtained his B.Sc. in Chemistry from Peking University in 2002, where he developed a strong passion for biological chemistry and drug discovery. He moved to the United States and obtained Ph.D. in Biological Chemistry from the Department of Chemistry at the University of Pittsburgh in 2007, where he worked on anticancer drug development and discovery. He subsequently did his postdoc at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), working on the mechanism of action of cisplatin, one of the most widely used chemotherapeutic drugs in the clinic. He joined the City University of Hong Kong as an Assistant Professor in 2011 and is now a Professor. Prof. Zhu serves as the Research Degree Coordinator of PhD programme and the MSc Programme Leader in the department. At the college level, he is a member of the College Graduate Studies Committee (CGSC) and the College Board of Science. At the university level, he served on the Committee on Taught Postgraduate Programmes (CTPP) and the Board of Graduate Studies under the Chow Yei Ching School of Graduate Studies.
Prof. Zhu's research interest lies at the interface of chemistry and biology, focusing on anticancer drug development and mechanism. His current research projects include the synthesis and biological evaluation of novel metal-based anticancer agents, the development of cancer-specific nanomedicine to conquer cisplatin resistance, and the screening of biologically active small-molecule anticancer agents and their target validation, by using interdisciplinary approaches and methods in the areas of biological chemistry, medicinal chemistry, molecular biology, and chemical biology. Prof. Zhu has also been recognized through several prestigious awards and honors. His recent noteworthy recognitions include the Asian Biological Inorganic Chemistry (AsBIC) James Hoeschele Award 2024, the College of Science Outstanding Young Researcher Award 2023, and the College of Science Teaching Excellence Award 2023. Professor Zhu was elected as a member of The Hong Kong Young Academy of Sciences (YASHK) in 2023. More information can be found at http://www.zhulab.com
- Deng, Z.?, Li, H.?, Chen, S., Wang, N., Liu, G., Liu, D., Ou, W., Xu, F., Wang, X., Lei, D., Lo, P.-C., Li, Y. Y., Lu, J., Yang, M., He, M.-L.*, and Zhu, G.* (2023) Near-infrared-activated anticancer platinum(IV) complexes directly photooxidize biomolecules in an oxygen-independent manner. Nat. Chem. 15, 930?–939
[Highlighted as News & Views in Nat. Chem. 2023, 15, 896; news report in CityU News; Croucher News; Eurekalert; Bioengineer; ScienMag; MedicalXpress; NSFC; X-MOL; CityU WeChat (in Chinese)] - Liu, G., Zhang, Y., Yao, H., Deng, Z., Chen, S., Wang, Y., Peng, W., Sun, G., Tse, M.-K., Chen, X., Yue, J., Peng, Y.-K., Wang, L.*, and Zhu, G.* (2023) An ultrasound-activatable platinum prodrug for sono-sensitized chemotherapy. Sci. Adv. 9, eadg5964
[News report in CityU News; Eurelalert; Hong Kong Economic Journal; Sing Tao Daily; Oriental Daily; X-MOL; iMedicines; CityU WeChat (in Chinese)] - Zhou, Q., Chen, S., Xu, Z., Liu, G., Zhang, S., Wang, Z., Tse, M.-K., Yiu, S.-M., and Zhu. G.* (2023) Multitargeted platinum(IV) anticancer complexes bearing pyridinyl ligands as axial leaving groups. Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 62, e202302156
[News report in X-MOL - Yao, H., Wang, Z.*, Wang, N., Deng, Z., Liu, G., Zhou, J., Chen, S., Shi, J., and Zhu, G.* (2022) Enhancing circulation and tumor accumulation of carboplatin via an erythrocyte-anchored prodrug strategy. Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 61, e202203838
- Yan, Q., Duan, M., Chen, C., Deng, Z., Wu, M., Yu, P., He, M.*, Zhu, G.*, Houk, K. N.*, and Sun, J.* (2022) Organocatalytic discrimination of non-directing aryl and heteroaryl groups: enantioselective synthesis of bioactive indole-containing triarylmethanes. Chem. Sci. 13, 5767-5773
- Wang, N., Deng, Z., Zhu, Q., Zhao, J., Xie, K., Shi, P., Wang, Z., Chen, X., Wang, F., Shi, J., and Zhu, G.* (2021) An erythrocyte-delivered and near-infrared photoactivatable oxaliplatin nanoprodrug for enhanced antitumor efficacy and immune response. Chem. Sci. 12, 14353-14362
[Highlighted as Outside Front Cover - Deng, Z., Li, C., Chen, S., Zhou, Q., Xu, Z., Wang, Z., Yao, H., Hirao, H., and Zhu, G.* (2021) An intramolecular photoswitch can significantly promote photoactivation of Pt(IV) prodrugs. Chem. Sci. 12, 6536-6542
[ Highlighted as Back Cover - Li, X.?, Duan, M.?, Deng, Z.?, Shao, Q., Chen, M., Zhu, G.*, Houk, K.N.*, and Sun, J.* (2020) Catalytic enantioselective synthesis of chiral tetraarylmethanes. Nat. Catal. 3, 1010-1019
[Highlighted in SYNFACTS - Deng, Z., Wang, N., Liu, Y., Xu, Z., Wang, Z., Lau, T.-C., and Zhu, G.* (2020) A photocaged, water-oxidizing, and nucleolus-targeted Pt(IV) complex with a distinct anticancer mechanism. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 142, 7803-7812
[Highlighted as Supplementary Cover - Wang, Z.*, Wang, N., Cheng, S.-C., Xu, K., Deng, Z., Chen, S., Xu, Z., Xie, K., Tse, M.-K., Shi, P., Hirao, H., Ko, C.-C., and Zhu, G.* (2019) Phorbiplatin, a highly potent Pt(IV) antitumor prodrug that can be controllably activated by red light. Chem 5, 3151-3165
- [Featured Article; news report in CityU News
- Ma, L., Wang, N., Ma, R., Li, C., Xu, Z., Tse, M.-K., and Zhu, G.* (2018) Monochalcoplatin: an actively transported, quickly reducible, and highly potent Pt(IV) anticancer prodrug. Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 57, 9098-9102
[Highlighted by X-mol - Wang, N., Wang, Z., Xu, Z., Chen, X., and Zhu, G.* (2018) A cisplatin-loaded immuno-chemotherapeutic nanohybrid bearing immune checkpoint inhibitors for enhanced cervical cancer therapy. Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 57, 3426-3430
[Highlighted by X-mol - Li, C., Ip, K.-W., Man. W.-L., Song, D., He, M.-L., Yiu, S.-M., Lau, T.-C.,* and Zhu, G.* (2017) Cytotoxic (salen)ruthenium(III) anticancer complexes exhibit different modes of cell death directed by axial ligands. Chem. Sci. 8, 6865-6870
- Wang, Z., Xu, Z., and Zhu, G.* (2016) A platinum(IV) anticancer prodrug targeting nucleotide excision repair to overcome cisplatin resistance. Angew. Chem. Intl. Ed. 55, 15564-15568
[Very Important Paper and Back Cover Article] - Wang, Z., Ai, F., Wang, Z., Zhang, W., Zhu, G.*, Lin, Z.*, and Sun, J.* (2015) Organocatalytic asymmetric synthesis of 1,1-diarylethanes by transfer hydrogenation. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 137, 383-389
- Wang, Y., Yang, Y., Yan, L., Kwok, S. Y., Li, W., Wang, Z., Zhu, X., Zhu, G., Zhang, W., Chen, X., and Shi, P. (2014) Poking cells for efficient vector-free intracellular delivery. Nat. Commun. 5, 4466
- Wen, H., Zhu, H., Chen, X., Hung, T. F., Wang, B., Zhu, G., Yu, S. F., and Wang, F.* (2013) Upconverting near-infrared light through energy management in core-shell-shell nanoparticles. Angew. Chem. Intl. Ed. 52, 13419-13423
- Zhu, G., Song, L., and Lippard, S. J. (2013) Visualizing inhibition of nucleosome mobility and transcription by cisplatin-DNA interstrand crosslinks in live mammalian cells. Cancer Res. 73, 4451-4460
- Chen, Z., Wang, B., Wang, Z., Zhu, G.* and Sun, J.* (2013) Complex bioactive alkaloid-type polycycles through efficient catalytic asymmetric multicomponent aza-diels-alder reaction of indoles with oxetane as directing group. Angew. Chem. Intl. Ed. 52, 2027-2031
[Highlighted in SYNTACTS: https://www.thieme-connect.com/ejournals/abstract/10.1055/s-0032-1318210] - Zhu, G., Myint, M., Ang, W. H., Song, L. and Lippard, S. J. (2012) Monofunctional platinum-DNA adducts are strong inhibitors of transcription and substrates for nucleotide excision repair in live mammalian cells. Cancer Res. 72, 790-800
- Wang, D., Zhu, G., Huang, X. and Lippard, S. J. (2010) Structural basis of RNA polymerase II transcription inhibition by pyriplatin, a monofunctional anticancer agent. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 107, 9584-9589
[Highlighted in Faculty of 1000 Biology: http://f1000biology.com/article/id/4041963/evaluation; SSRL Science Highlight - January 2011]
Invited Reviews
- Chen, S., Zhou, Q., Ng, K.-Y., Xu, Z., Xu, W., and Zhu, G.* (2024) Advances in technical strategies for monitoring the reduction of platinum(IV) complexes. Inorg. Chem. Front. 11, 3085–3118
[Invited review and highlighted as Front Cover] - Deng, Z., Chen, S., Liu, G., and Zhu, G. (2023) Unlocking the potential of platinum drugs: organelle-targeted small-molecule platinum complexes for improved anticancer performance. RSC Chem. Biol. 4, 1003–1013
- Deng, Z. and Zhu, G.* (2023) Beyond mere DNA damage: Recent progress in platinum(IV) anticancer complexes containing multi-functional axial ligands. Curr. Opin. Chem. Biol. 74, 102303
[Invited review to Metal-Based Cancer Therapeutics section] - Xu, Z., Deng, Z., Wang, Z., and Zhu, G.* (2021) Recent advances in the synthesis, stability, and activation of Pt(IV) prodrugs. Coord. Chem. Rev. 442, 213991
- Deng, Z., Wang, N., Ai, F., Wang, Z.*, and Zhu, G.* (2021) Nanomaterial-mediated platinum drug-based combinatorial cancer therapy. VIEW 2, 20200030
[Invited Review and Back Cover - Wang, Z., Deng, Z., and Zhu, G.* (2019) Emerging platinum(IV) prodrugs to combat cisplatin resistance: From isolated cancer cells to tumor microenvironment. Dalton Trans. 48, 2536-2544
[Invited Review and Front Cover
Book Chapters
- Deng, Z., Yao, H., Wang, Z., and Zhu, G.* (2023) Platinum anticancer drugs: Targeting and delivery. In Bioinorganic Chemistry and Homogeneous Biomimetic Inorganic Catalysis; Pecoraro, V. L.; Guo, Z.; in Comprehensive Inorganic Chemistry III; Reedijk, J., Poeppelmeier, K. R., Eds.; Vol. 2, pp 808-846. Oxford: Elsevier. ?2023 Elsevier Ltd. ISBN 9780128231531. DOI: B978-0-12-823144-9.00130-8.
- Wang, Z., and Zhu, G.* (2018) DNA damage repair pathways and repair of cisplatin-induced DNA damage. Reference Module in Chemistry, Molecular Sciences and Chemical Engineering https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-409547-2.14251-9