NAME: Lan, Rongfeng

POSITION TITLE: Assistant Professor of Cell Biology; Shenzhen University Health Science Center

EDUCATION/TRAINING

A.   Personal Statement

I am interest ed in the design and development of novel molecul es for live-cell imaging or cancer curing . I worked in Hong Kong for ~4 years as a postdoctoral research fellow and since 2016, was appointed A ssistant Professor at Shenzhen University Health Science Center . My work is actively exploring promising targets for cancer therapy, rational design of small molecules, and high throughput screening of pre-drug candidates . My r esearch has been continuously supported by the National Natural Science Foundation in China (NSFC) with youth and general grants since 20 15 . I have published 28 papers in peer-reviewed journals, achieving >300 citations combined. I actively participate in various scientific activities and am a member of the Chinese Society for Cell Biology and the Chinese Chemical Society. I am currently developing a smart probe for live-cell imaging .

B.   Positions and Honors

Positions and Employment

06/2012–12/2012      Senior research assistant,  Hongkong Baptist University Shenzhen Research Center

1/2013- 5/2016          Research assistant and postdoctoral research fellow, Department of Chemistry, Hong Kong Baptist University

1/2014-5/2016              Assistant Research Fellow, Hongkong Baptist University Shenzhen Research Center.

6/2016-now                Assistant Professor, Shenzhen University Health Science Center

C.   Contributions to Science (*: corresponding/co-corresponding author)

A full list of my publications (in a total of 28) is enclosed at the end of this document.

1.    Smart probe for imaging of key cell cycle regulators

Rationally designed and multifunctional luminesce probes for cellular imaging have many uses. Small chemical probes are more convenient to use than luminesce proteins for cellular imaging. We have designed the first smart probe that can directly and specifically bind to the primary cilium.

1） Hongguang Li^#, Rongfeng Lan^#, Chi-Fai Chan, Guochen Bao, Chen Xie, Pak-Ho Chu, William C S Tai, Shuai Zha, Jing-Xiang Zhang, Ka-Leung Wong*. A luminescent lanthanide approach towards direct visualization of primary cilia in living cells, Chemical Communications, 2017, 53(52): 7084-7087.

1. Tao Zhang, Rongfeng Lan, Chi-Fai Chan, Ga-Lai Law*, Wai-Kwok Wong*, Ka-Leung Wong*, In vivo selective cancer-tracking gadolinium eradicator as new-generation photodynamic therapy agent, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 2014, 111(51): E5492-E5497

2.    Small organic inhibitors of cell cycle regulators as PLK1 or Aurora kinase for cancer therapy

Specific cancer-targeting molecules have the potential to make a strong contribution to clinical cancer treatment. Small organic compounds are preferred due to their relatively easy synthesis and permissible drug delivery. Cell cycle regulators, such as PLK1 or Aurora kinase are considered targets for specific arrest of the cell cycle in mitosis. I designed and synthesized CBB2001 as a specific molecule to inhibit PLK1 with an IC₅₀ of 0.1 μM.

1. Rongfeng Lan, Guimiao Lin, Feng Yin, Jun Xu, Xiaoming Zhang, Jing Wang, Yanchao Wang, Jianxian Gong, Yuan-Hua Ding, Zhen Yang, Fei Lu*, Hui Zhang*, Dissecting the phenotypes of Plk1 inhibition in cancer cells using novel kinase inhibitory chemical CBB2001, Laboratory Investigation, 2012, 92(10): 1503-1514

D.   Research Support

Ongoing Research Support

NSFC (China) general project (21778038)                 01/01/2018 to 12/31/2021

Rongfeng Lan, PI                                                                    ￥630,000 (direct cost)

Cyclen based rare earth complexes design, synthesis and its application in live cell imaging.

Completed Research Support

NSFC (China) youth project (21402167)                        01/01/2015 to 12/31/2017

Rongfeng Lan, PI                                                                ￥250,000

Developing of C-CBL targeting peptide-chromophore probe for microscopic imaging of autophagy.

E.    Peer-reviewed publications (*: corresponding author)

1.      Hongguang Li, Chen Xie, Rongfeng Lan , Shuai Zha, Chi-Fai Chan, Wing-Yan Wong, Ka-Lok Ho, Brandon Dow Chan, Yuxia Luo, Jing-Xiang Zhang, Ga-Lai Law, William C. S. Tai, Jean-Claude Bunzli, Ka-Leung Wong. A smart europium-ruthenium complex as anticancer prodrug: controllable drug release and real-time monitoring under different light excitations, Journal of Medicinal Chemistry, 2017, 60(21): 8923-8932.

2.      Li Chen, Yang-Yang Zhao, Rong-Feng Lan , Lin Du, Bing-Shuai Wang, Tong Zhou, Ya-Ping Li, Qi-Qing Zhang, Min-Gang Ying,  Qiu-Hong Zheng*, Qin-Ying Liu*. Dicitrinone D, an antimitotic polyketide isolated from the marine-derived fungus Penicillium citrinum, Tetrahedron, 2017, 73(40): 5900-5911.

3.      Qianqian Wang, Fei Lu* and Rongfeng Lan *. RNA-sequencing dissects the transcriptome of polyploid cancer cells that resistant to combined treatments of cisplatin with paclitaxel and docetaxel, Molecular Biosystems, 2017, 13 (10): 2125-2134.

4.      Hongguang Li^#, Rongfeng Lan ^# , Chi-Fai Chan, Guochen Bao, Chen Xie, Pak-Ho Chu, William C S Tai, Shuai Zha, Jing-Xiang Zhang, Ka-Leung Wong*. A luminescent lanthanide approach towards direct visualization of primary cilia in living cells, Chemical Communications, 2017, 53(52): 7084-7087.

5.      Lin Ji, Huan-Tong Wu, Xiao-Yan Qin*, Rongfeng Lan *. Dissecting carboxypeptidase E: properties, functions and pathophysiological roles in disease, Endocrine Connections.2017, 6(4): R18-R38.

6.      Lijun Jiang, Rongfeng Lan , Tao Huang, Chi-Fai Chan, Hongguang Li, Sam Lear, Jingyi Zong, Wing-Yan Wong, Magnolia Muk-Lan Lee, Brandon Dow Chan, Wai-Lun Chan, Wai-Sum Lo, Nak-Ki Mak*, Maria Li Lung, Hong Lok Lung, Sai-Wah Tsao, Graham S. Taylor*, Zhao-Xiang Bian*, William C. S. Tai, Ga-Lai Law*, Wing-Tak Wong*, Steven Cobb*, Ka-Leung Wong*, EBNA1-targeted probe for the imaging and growth inhibition of tumours associated with the Epstein-Barr virus, Nature Biomedical Engineering, 2017, 1, doi:10.1038/s41551-017-0042.

7.      Hongguang Li, Bethany I. Harriss, Alkystis Phinikaridou, Sara Lacerda, Gregory Ramniceanu, Bich-Thuy Doan, Ka-Lok Ho, Chi-Fai Chan, Wai-Sum Lo, René M. Botnar, Rongfeng Lan , Cyrille Richard, Ga-Lai Law, Nicholas J. Long, Ka-Leung Wong. Gadolinium and platinum in tandem: real-time multi-modal monitoring of drug delivery by MRI and fluorescence imaging. Nanotheranostics, 2017, 1(2):186-195.

8.      Dandan Qi, Qianqian Wang, Min Yu, Rongfeng Lan *, Shuiming Li*, Fei Lu*, Mitotic phosphorylation of SOX2 mediated by Aurora kinase A is critical for the stem-cell like cell maintenance in PA-1 cells, Cell Cycle, 2016, 15(15): 2009-2018

9.      Dandan Qi, Qianqian Wang, Hongguang Li, Tao Zhang, Rongfeng Lan *, Daniel W.J. Kwong, Wai-Kwok Wong, Ka-Leung Wong*, Shuiming Li*, Fei Lu*, SILAC-based quantitative proteomics identified lysosome as a fast response target to PDT agent Gd-N induced oxidative stress in human ovarian cancer IGROV1 cells, Molecular Biosystems, 2015, 11(11): 3059-67

10.   Chi-Fai Chan, Chen Xie, Ming-Kiu Tsang, Sam Lear, Lixiong Dai, Yan Zhou, Jakub Cicho, Miroslaw Karbowiak, Dariusz Hreniak*, Rongfeng Lan *, Steve L. Cobb, Michael Hon-Wah Lam, Jianhua Hao, Ka-Leung Wong*, The effects of morphology and linker length on the properties of peptide-lanthanide upconversion nanomaterials as G2 phase cell cycle inhibitors, European Journal of Inorganic Chemistry, 2015, 2015(27): 4539-45

11.   Hongguang Li, Chi-Fai Chan, Wai-Lun Chan, Sam Lear, Steven L. Cobb*, Nai-Ki Mak, Terrence Chi-Kong Lau, Rongfeng Lan *, Wai-Kwok Wong*, Ka-Leung Wong*, Monitoring and inhibition of Plk1: amphiphilic porphyrin conjugated Plk1 specific peptides for its imaging and anti-tumor function, Organic and Biomolecular Chemistry, 2014, 12(31): 5876-5882

12.   Tao Zhang, Rongfeng Lan , Longlong Gong, Baoyan Wu, Yuzhi Wang, Daniel W.J. Kwong*, Wai-Kwok Wong*, Ka-Leung Wong*, Da Xing*, An Amphiphilic BODIPY-porphyrin conjugate: intense two-photon absorption and rapid cellular uptake for two-poton-iduced imaging and photodynamic therapy, ChemBioChem, 2015, 16(16): 2357-64

13.   Feng Yin, Chenbin Yang, Qianqian Wang, Shuwen Zeng, Rui Hu, Guimiao Lin, Jinglin Tian, Siyi Hu, Rongfeng Lan , Ho Sup Yoon, Fei Lu*, Kuan Wang*, Ken-Tye Yong*, A light-driven therapy of pancreatic adenocarcinoma using gold nanorods-based nanocarriers for co-delivery of doxorubicin and sirna, Theranostics, 2015, 5(8): 818-833

14.   Chi-Fai Chan, Rongfeng Lan , Ming-Kiu Tsang, Di Zhou, Sam Lear, Wai-Lun Chan, Steven L. Cobb*, Wai-Kwok Wong, Jianhua Hao, Wing-Tak Wong*, Ka-Leung Wong*, Directional Plk1 inhibition-driven cell cycle interruption using amphiphilic thin-coated peptide-lanthanide upconversion nanomaterials as in vivo tumor suppressors, Journal of Materials Chemistry B, 2015, 3(13): 2624-2634

15.   Wei Yang, Jingming Cao, Mengxun Zhang, Rongfeng Lan , Lizhi Zhu, Guangyan Du, Shuzhong He*, Chi-Sing Lee*, Systemic study on the biogenic pathways of yezo’otogirins: total synthesis and antitumor activities of (±)-yezo’otogirin C and its structural analogues, Journal of Organic Chemistry, 2015, 80 (2): 836-846

16.   Hongguang Li, Rongfeng Lan , Chi-Fai Chan, Lixiong Dai, Lijun Jiang, Daniel W.J. Kwong*, Michael Hon-Wah Lam, Ka-Leung Wong*, Real-time in situ monitoring via europium emission of the photo-release of antitumor cisplatin from a Eu-Pt complex, Chemical Communications, 2015, 51(74): 14022-14025

17.   Tao Zhang, Rongfeng Lan , Chi-Fai Chan, Ga-Lai Law*, Wai-Kwok Wong*, Ka-Leung Wong*, In vivo selective cancer-tracking gadolinium eradicator as new-generation photodynamic therapy agent, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 2014, 111(51): E5492-E5497

18.   Chi-Fai Chan, Ming-Kiu Tsang, Hongguang Li, Rongfeng Lan , Frances L. Chadbourne, Wai-Lun Chan, Ga-Lai Law*, Steven L. Cobb*, Jianhua Hao*, Wing-Tak Wong*, Ka-Leung Wong*, Bifunctional up-converting lanthanide nanoparticles for selective in vitro imaging and inhibition of cyclin D as anti-cancer agents, Journal of Materials Chemistry B, 2014, 2(1): 84-91

19.   Feng Yin, Rongfeng Lan , Xiaoming Zhang, Linyu Zhu, Fangfang Chen, Zhengshuang Xu, Yuqing Liu, Tao Ye, Hong Sun, Fei Lu*, Hui Zhang*, LSD1 Regulates Pluripotency of Embryonic Stem/Carcinoma Cells through Histone Deacetylase 1-Mediated Deacetylation of Histone H4 at Lysine 16, Molecular and Cellular Biology, 2014, 34(2): 158-179

20.   Lijun Jiang, Yin-Lai Lui, Hongguang Li, Chi-Fai Chan, Rongfeng Lan , Wai-Lun Chan, Terrence Chi-Kong Lau, George Sai-Wah Tsao, Nak-Ki Mak*, Ka-Leung Wong*, EBNA1-specific luminescent small molecules for the imaging and inhibition of latent EBV-infected tumor cells, Chemical Communications, 2014, 50(49): 6517-6519

21.   Tao Zhang, Rongfeng Lan , Chi-Fai Chan, Wai-Kwok Wong*, Ka-Leung Wong*, Highly selective and responsive visible to near-IR ytterbium emissive probe for monitoring mercury(II), Chemistry-A European Journal, 2014, 20(4): 970-973

22.   Tao Zhang, Chi-Fai Chan, Rongfeng Lan , Hongguang Li, Nak-Ki Mak, Wai-Kwok Wong*, Ka-Leung Wong*, Porphyrin-based ytterbium complexes targeting anionic phospholipid membranes as selective biomarkers for cancer cell imaging, Chemical Communications, 2013, 49(65): 7252-7254

23.   Hongguang Li, Frances L. Chadbourne, Rongfeng Lan , Chi-Fai Chan, Wai-Lun Chan, Gai-Lai Law*, Chi-Sing Lee*, Steven L. Cobb*, Ka-Leung Wong*, Real time detection of cell cycle regulator cyclin A on living tumor cells with europium emission, Dalton Transactions, 2013, 42(37): 13495-13501

24.   Jing-Xiang Zhang*, Hongguang Li, Chi-Fai Chan, Rongfeng Lan , Wai-Lun Chan, Ga-Lai Law*, Wai-Kwok Wong*, Ka-Leung Wong*, A potential water-soluble ytterbium-based porphyrin-cyclen dual bio-probe for Golgi apparatus imaging and photodynamic therapy, Chemical Communications, 2012, 48(77): 9646-9648

25.   Rongfeng Lan , Guimiao Lin, Feng Yin, Jun Xu, Xiaoming Zhang, Jing Wang, Yanchao Wang, Jianxian Gong, Yuan-Hua Ding, Zhen Yang, Fei Lu*, Hui Zhang*, Dissecting the phenotypes of Plk1 inhibition in cancer cells using novel kinase inhibitory chemical CBB2001, Laboratory Investigation, 2012, 92(10): 1503-1514

26.   Jing Wang, Fei Lu, Qi Ren, Hong Sun, Zhengshuang Xu, Rongfeng Lan , Yuqing Liu, David Ward, Junmin Quan*, Tao Ye*, Hui Zhang*, Novel histone demethylase LSD1 inhibitors selectively target cancer cells with pluripotent stem cell properties, Cancer Research, 2011, 71(23): 7238-7249

27.   Guimiao Lin, Lijuan Zhao, Feng Yin, Lianbo Li, Rongfeng Lan , Xiaoming Zhang, Hui Zhang, Baoxue Yang*, TCF3 inhibits F9 embryonal carcinoma growth by the down-regulation of Oct4, Oncology Reports, 2011, 26(4): 893-899

28.   Fei Lu, Rongfeng Lan , Hongyin Zhang, Qing Jiang, Chuanmao Zhang*, Geminin is partially localized to centrosome and plays a role in proper centrosome duplication, Biology of the Cell, 2009, 101(5): 273-285