Personal profile:
Xiaokang Zhu, female, Associate Professor, Ph. Her main research areas are: 1) construction of anti-tumor nanomedicines, in vitro and in vivo anti-tumor performance evaluation and safety assessment; 2) medicinal chemistry and conformational relationship research: using natural products such as anthraquinones as lead compounds, semi-synthetic chemical modification of them, and screening of small molecules for pharmacodynamic activity. She has presided over seven projects, including the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) Youth Project, Chongqing Natural Science Foundation, Central Universities Basic Operation Fund and Southwest University Doctoral Fund. She has published more than 20 relevant research papers and authorized 2 national invention patents. She is a long-time reviewer for Adv. Mater., Theranostics, Acta Biomater.
Main Courses：
Undertook undergraduate courses such as Medicinal Chemistry and Organic Chemistry. She has been awarded as the excellent class teacher (2016), excellent internship instructor (2016) and excellent teacher (2021) in the 20th anniversary of online education of Southwest University; she has supervised more than 10 innovation and entrepreneurship projects for undergraduate students at municipal and university levels.
Education and work experience:
1998.09-2002.06, Southwest University for Nationalities, Bachelor of Applied Chemistry
2002.09-2005.06, Sichuan University, Organic Chemistry, MSc
2007.09-2011.06, Southwest University, PhD, Medicinal Resources Chemistry
2009.01-2009.04, University of Grendel, UK, Visiting Study
2014.01-2015.01, University of Manchester, UK, School of Chemistry, Visiting Scholar
2021.03-2021.06, University of Pennsylvania, USA, Online Research and Academic Communication Skills Enhancement Program：
2005.07-Present, Southwest University, School of Pharmacy, Faculty Member
Research directions of the group:
(1) Research on the construction, in vitro and in vivo evaluation of antitumour properties and safety assessment of antitumour nanodrugs.
(2) Medicinal chemistry and conformational relationship research: natural products such as anthraquinones as lead compounds, their semi-synthetic chemical modifications, and screening of small molecules for pharmacodynamic activity.
Major research projects undertaken：
1. National Natural Science Foundation of China, Youth Program, 21602180, Synthesis of macrocyclic anthraquinone analogs targeting NF-κB and conformational relationship of anti-inflammatory activity, 2017/01-2019/12, Chair
2. Chongqing Natural Science Foundation, cstc2021jcyj-msxmX1026, Co-loaded rhubarb acid and triiron tetroxide nanosystems for the diagnosis and treatment of triple negative breast cancer, 2021/10-2024/09, Chair
3. XDJK2020C062, Design, synthesis and anti-inflammatory activity of rhodopsin derivatives targeting NF-кB/IKK, Southwest University, 2020/01-2022/12, Chair
4. XDJK2016C071, Synthesis and anti-inflammatory activity of macrocyclic anthraquinone-based IκB kinase inhibitors, XDJK2016C071, Southwest University, 2016/01-2017/12, Chair
Representative papers in the past five years：
1. Xiaokang Zhu∗, Qifang Chen, Li Xie, Wenjie Chen, Yang Jiang, Erqun Song, Yang Song∗. Iron ion and sulfasalazine-loaded polydopamine nanoparticles for Fenton reaction and glutathione peroxidase 4 inactivation for enhanced cancer ferrotherapy. Acta Biomaterialia 2022,145: 210–221
2. Li Xie, Wenjie Chen, Qifang Chen, Yang Jiang, Erqun Song, Xiaokang Zhu*, Yang Song*. Synergistic hydroxyl radical formation, system XC- inhibition and heat shock protein crosslinking tango in ferrotherapy: A prove-of-concept study of “sword and shield” theory. Materials Today Bio. 2022, 16:100353
3. Qifang Chen, #, Xianbin Ma, #, Li Xie, Wenjie Chen, Zhigang Xu, Erqun Song, Xiaokang Zhu*, Yang Song* Iron-Based Nanoparticles for MR Imaging-Guided Ferroptosis in Combination with Photodynamic Therapy to Enhance Cancer Treatment. Nanoscale 2021,13: 4855-4870
4. Xuting Liu, Bin Lu, Juanli Fu, Xiaokang Zhu, Erqun Song, Yang Song*. Amorphous silica nanoparticles induce inflammation via activation of NLRP3 inflammasome and HMGB1/TLR4/MYD88/NF-kb signaling pathway in HUVEC cells. J Hazard Mater. 2021, 404: 124050
5. Xiaokang Zhu*, Qifang Chen, Yujin Yang, Xixi Ai, Si Chen, Yang Song* Synthesis and anti-inflammatory effect of novel emodin derivatives bearing azole moieties. Arch Pharm 2020,353(2): 190026
6. David A Leigh*, Vanesa Marcos, Tugrul Nalbantoglu, Iñigo J Vitorica-Yrezabal, F Tuba Yasar, Xiaokang Zhu. Pyridyl-Acyl Hydrazone Rotaxanes and Molecular Shuttles. J Am Chem Soc. 2017, 139(20): 7104-7109
7. Li Ma, Konstantin A. Demin, Tatyana O. Kolesnikova, Sergey L. Kharsko, Xiaokang Zhu, Xiaodong Yuan, Cai Song, Darya A. Meshalkina, Brian E. Leonard, Li Tian & Allan V. Kalueff. Animal inflammation-based models of depression and their application to drug discovery. Expert Opinion on Drug Discovery. 2017,13-27
Authorized Patents
1. Li Xue Gang; Zhu Xiaokang; Ye Xiaoli; 3-Alkoxy-6-carboxy rhubarb acid or its pharmaceutically available salt and its preparation method and application, ZL200910104466.5.
2. Zhu Xiaokang; Zou Guangrong; Ai Xixi; Rhubarb derivatives and azoles and their preparation methods and applications, ZL201810040476.6
Undergraduates are welcome to enter the lab to carry out research and studies such as grand thesis and undergraduate thesis; students with background in pharmacy, chemistry or materials science are welcome to join this lab!
Admission Direction: Academic Master (Pharmacy), Professional Master (Biology and Medicine)
Contact information:
Email: zxk@swu.edu.cn; 2701247@qq.com
