Li Zhong

Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, Beijing Shi, China

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Publications (6)21.67 Total impact

  • Article: Establishment of the active catalytic domain of human PDGFRbeta tyrosine kinase-based ELISA assay for inhibitor screening.
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    ABSTRACT: Tyrosine kinases are emerging as frequent targets of primary oncogenic events and therefore represent an optimal focus of therapeutic intervention. In an effort towards therapeutic PDGFR inactivation, we expressed the catalytic domain of PDGFRbeta as a soluble active kinase using Bac-to-Bac expression system, and studied the correlations between PDGFRbeta activity and enzyme concentration, ATP concentration, substrate concentration and divalent cation type. And a convenient, effective and non-radioactive ELISA screening model is then established for identification of the potential inhibitors targeting PDGFRbeta kinase. Of 500 RTK target-based compounds, TKI-30 was identified as a small molecule potential inhibitor of PDGFRbeta (IC(50)=0.34 microM). Further studies indicated that TKI-30 blocked PDGF-BB-induced autophosphorylation of PDGFRbeta in a dose-dependent manner in Swiss 3T3 cells and human umbilical vein smooth muscle cells (HUVSMCs). Moreover, it dose-dependently suppressed the PDGF-BB-induced proliferation in HUVSMCs and tube formation of HUVEC. Our data collectively indicated that PDGFRbeta-based ELISA assay is a new method available for screening inhibitors targeting PDGFRbeta kinase and TKI-30 is a potential novel anti-cancer agent worthy of being further investigated.
    Biochimica et Biophysica Acta 11/2007; 1770(10):1490-7. · 4.66 Impact Factor
  • Article: TKI-31 inhibits angiogenesis by combined suppression signaling pathway of VEGFR2 and PDGFRbeta.
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    ABSTRACT: Tyrosine kinases have been strongly implicated as therapeutic targets that influence the angiogenic process in growing tumors. In this study, we revealed that TKI-31 is a potent broad spectrum tyrosine kinase inhibitor, which inhibits vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2 (VEGFR2), platelet-derived growth factor receptor beta (PDGFRbeta) and also inhibits kinases of other class, such as c-Kit and c-Src on molecular base, but showed no activity against vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 1 (VEGFR1) and epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR). TKI-31 inhibits VEGF-induced phosphorylation of VEGFR2 in endothelial cells as well as PDGF(BB)-induced phosphorylation in fibroblast cells, and leading to the inhibition of down-stream signaling triggered by these receptors such as PI3K/Akt/mTOR, MAPK42/44(ERK) and paxillin. TKI-31 also inhibited VEGF-induced endothelial cells proliferation, migration and their differentiation into capillary-like tube formation. Its anti-angiogenic property was further confirmed by the inhibition of neovascularization on CAM, in vivo. These results collectively highlight the therapeutic potential of this compound for the treatment of solid tumors and other diseases where angiogenesis plays an important role.
    Cancer biology & therapy 04/2006; 5(3):323-30. · 2.64 Impact Factor
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    Article: In vitro pharmacological characterization of TKI-28, a broad-spectrum tyrosine kinase inhibitor with anti-tumor and anti-angiogenic effects.
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    ABSTRACT: Tyrosine kinases are used as important biomarkers in many tumor types. Preclinical and clinical anti-tumor studies have shown that broadly acting tyrosine kinase inhibitors may be more useful than specific inhibitors, since the former might overcome redundancies and crosstalk in tumor cell growth signaling pathways. Here, we aim to identify a novel potent tyrosine kinase inhibitor. Computer modeling of the pyrido-pyrimidine class compound, TKI-28(6-(2,6-dichlorophenyl)-8-methyl-2-phenylamino-8H-pyrido[2,3-d]pyrimidine-7-one), predicted that the compound would dock well in the ATP pocket of the ErbB-2 tyrosine kinase, yielding a high binding affinity for ErbB receptors. Biochemical studies revealed that TKI-28 potently inhibited the activities of tyrosine kinases such as ErbB-2, EGFR, KDR, PDGFRbeta, c-kit and c-Src, but had little effect on Flt-1 in cell-free system. TKI-28 also efficiently blocked autophosphorylation of the listed receptor tyrosine kinases, and subsequently downregulated phosphorylation of many downstream signaling proteins at the cellular level. TKI-28 exhibited a more potent anti-proliferative activity against EGF- and neuregulin-stimulated SK-OV-3 cells versus serum-stimulated cells, accompanied by apparent induction of apoptosis. Finally, TKI-28 was found to possess anti-angiogenic effects, characterized by inhibition of cell proliferation driven by EGF, VEGF and PDGF, as well as decreased cell migration and tube formation in HMECs. These results collectively highlight the pharmacological characteristics of TKI-28 as a broad-spectrum tyrosine kinase inhibitor, suggesting that it has great potential as an anti-cancer and anti-angiogenesis agent.
    Cancer biology & therapy 11/2005; 4(10):1125-32. · 2.64 Impact Factor
  • Article: 11,11'-dideoxy-verticillin: a natural compound possessing growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase-inhibitory effect with anti-tumor activity.
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    ABSTRACT: 11,11'-dideoxy-verticillin, a compound of the novel epidithiodioxopiprazine structural class, is isolated from the traditional Chinese medicinal herb Shiraia bambusicola. The present study demonstrated for the first time that 11,11'-dideoxy-verticillin has potent tyrosine kinase-inhibitory and anti-tumor activities. In the cell-free ELISA tyrosine kinase assay, 11,11'-dideoxy-verticillin significantly inhibited the activities of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), vascular endothelial growth factor receptor-1/fms-like tyrosine kinase-1 (VEGFR-1/Flt-1) and human epidermal growth factor receptor-2 (HER2/ErbB-2), with relative specificity on EGFR and VEGFR-1 with IC50s of 0.136+/-0.109 and 1.645+/-0.885 nM, respectively. Exposure of 11,11'-dideoxy-verticillin for 1 h to EGFR-overexpressed MDA-MB-468 human breast carcinoma cells and HER2-overexpressed SK-OV-3 human ovarian adenocarcinoma cells resulted in obvious inhibition of EGF-induced phosphorylation of EGFR and HER2. In addition, 11,11'-dideoxy-verticillin also inhibited the EGF-induced phosphorylation of Erk1/2, but had no effect on the phosphorylation of AKT in both tumor cell lines. Moreover, 11,11'-dideoxy-verticillin has potent anti-tumor activity. In vitro cytotoxicity assay showed that 11,11'-dideoxy-verticillin potently inhibited the proliferation of four human breast tumor cell lines with an average IC50 value of 0.2 microM. In vivo, 11,11'-dideoxy-verticillin exhibited remarkable efficacy against mice sarcoma 180 and hepatoma 22 after daily i.p. administration of 0.5 or 0.75 mg/kg with inhibition rates ranging from 45.0 to 72.4%. Treated with 11,11'-dideoxy-verticillin at 0.5-2.0 microM for 36 h, MB-MB-468 cells exhibited significant apoptotic morphological changes. At low concentrations (0.0625-0.5 microM) for 24 h, 11,11'-dideoxy-verticillin induced a dose-dependent accumulation of MDA-MB-468 cells in the G2/M phase of the cell cycle. These results indicate that 11,11'-dideoxy-verticillin is a naturally derived growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitor with potent anti-tumor activity.
    Anti-Cancer Drugs 07/2005; 16(5):515-24. · 2.41 Impact Factor
  • Article: Expression and purification of the catalytic domain of human vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2 for inhibitor screening.
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    ABSTRACT: Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), an endothelial cell-specific mitogen, can act in tumor-induced angiogenesis by binding to specific receptors on the surface of endothelial cells. One such receptor, VEGFR-2/KDR, plays a key role in VEGF-induced angiogenesis. Here, we expressed the catalytic domain of VEGFR-2 as a soluble active kinase using Bac-to-Bac expression system, and investigated correlations between VEGFR-2 activity and enzyme concentration, ATP concentration, substrate concentration and divalent cation type. We used these data to establish a convenient, effective and non-radioactive ELISA screening technique for the identification and evaluation of potential inhibitors for VEGFR-2 kinase. We screened 200 RTK target-based compounds and identified one (TKI-31) that potently inhibited VEGFR-2 kinase activity (IC50=0.596 microM). Treatment of NIH3T3/KDR cells with TKI-31 blocked VEGF-induced phosphorylation of KDR in a dose-dependent manner. Moreover, TKI-31 dose-dependently suppressed HUVEC tube formation. Thus, we herein report a novel, efficient method for identifying VEGFR-2 kinase inhibitors and introduce one, TKI-31, that may prove to be a useful new angiogenesis inhibitor.
    Biochimica et Biophysica Acta 05/2005; 1722(3):254-61. · 4.66 Impact Factor
  • Article: Evaluation of active recombinant catalytic domain of human ErbB-2 tyrosine kinase, and suppression of activity by a naturally derived inhibitor, ZH-4B.
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    ABSTRACT: Human cancers frequently express high levels of ErbB-2 tyrosine kinase, which is associated with aggressive tumor behavior and poor prognosis. ErbB-2 is thus a promising target for cancer therapy. Here we express the catalytic domain of ErbB-2 as a soluble active kinase, and investigate the correlations between its activity and kinase concentration, ATP concentration, substrate concentration and divalent cation type. A simple and effective screening model is established to identify and evaluate potential inhibitors of ErbB-2 kinase. ZH-4B, a naturally derived small molecule compound that potently inhibits ErbB-2 kinase activity with an IC50 value of 2.45+/-0.56 microM, is identified. In SK-OV-3 human ovarian cancer cells and SK-BR-3 human breast carcinoma cells, ZH-4B blocks epidermal growth factor (EGF)-induced phosphorylation of ErbB-2 in a dose-dependent manner. Our data collectively indicate that ZH-4B is a potential novel anti-cancer agent that deserves further investigation.
    Biochimica et Biophysica Acta 09/2004; 1673(3):186-93. · 4.66 Impact Factor