Qi Zhang, PhD

Mitochodrial-targeted compounds 

      Over last 5 years I was focused on the validating new mitochondria-targeted compounds both as site-specific probes for reactive oxygen species and as modulators of mitochondrial function. We discovered that TPP- conjugated compounds can be used as relatively non-toxic anticancer agents, which selectively accumulate in cancer cells and tumor tissues. We established a method for profiling cancer cell bioenergetic status as a base for design of anticancer treatment targeting cancer cell bioenergetic status. We have also demonstrated that Mitochondria-targeted compounds can prevent side effects of chemotherapeutic drugs while retaining their anticancer activity. These investigations have resulted in relatively nontoxic and tumor cell-selective anti- proliferating agents that can be used to enhance the chemotherapeutic efficacy of standard-of-care antitumor drugs.

Drugs screening for cancer chemoprevention:

         Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the United States and continues to be the most common fatal cancer. Chemoprevention is an important approach to decrease lung cancer. A major focus of my research is to evaluate compounds for their ability to inhibit the growth of cancer in vitro and in vivo. We have been investigating the effects of natural products such as green tea, ginseng, magnolol extract, etc., which have shown promise as anti-cancer agents. Besides, we are researching the anti-cancer properties of other compounds such as honokiol, rapamycin, bexarotene, a vitamin A analog, and of agents that target specific driver genes, such as inhibitors of EGFR, MEK, AKT, and PI3K, etc.