H. Andy Zhong

Awards and Honors

Excellence in Research/Creative Activity Award, College of Arts and Sciences, University of Nebraska at Omaha, (2020). 

The Cottrell College Science Award, Research Corporation (2008)

Editorial Service:

Editorial Board, Journal of Molecular Graphics & Modelling (2020-present)

Associate Editor, Journal of Molecular Graphics & Modelling (2024-present)

Review Board Member, Cancers (2020-present)

Guest Editor, Special Issue: Structure-based Design on Anticancer Drug Discovery. Current Topics in Medicinal Chemistry, 2020, Vol. 20, Issue 10. 

Co-Guest Editor (with Guest Editor, J. Phillip Bowen), Special Issue: Advances in Drug Discovery for the Treatment of Cancer: Many Approaches, One Goal, Current Topics in Medicinal Chemistry, 2016, Vol. 16 (13). 

Guest Editor, Special Issue: ADME and Toxicity in Early Drug Discovery, Current Topics in Medicinal Chemistry, 2013, Vol. 13 (11). 

Publications

For a complete publication list. please click on the link and go to the NCBI webpage. (Google Scholar h-index: 27)

1. Brown C, Kariuki W, Zhong HA, Kippes A, Sui Y. Cannabidiol promotes intestinal cholesterol uptake mediated by Pregnane X Receptor. Front. Endocrinol. 2024, 15:1398462. doi: 10.3389/fendo.2024.1398462
2. Sabbah DA, Hajjo R, Bardaweel SK, Zhong HA* Targeting the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway in anticancer research: a recent update on inhibitor design and clinical trials (2020-2023). Expert Opinion on Therapeutic Patents, 2024, 34(3), 141-158.  DOI:10.1080/13543776.2024.2338100
3. Hajjo R, Sabbah DA, Bardaweel SK, Zhong HA.* Targeting the EGFR/RAS/RAF signaling pathway in anticancer research: a recent update on inhibitor design and clinical trials (2020–2023), Expert Opinion on Therapeutic Patents, 2024, 34(1-2), 51-69, DOI: 10.1080/13543776.2024.2327307
4. Zhong, H.A.*; Goodwin, D.T. Selectivity Studies and Free Energy Calculations of AKT Inhibitors. Molecules 2024, 29, 1233. https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules29061233
5. Hamilton LJ, Pattabiraman M, Zhong HA, Walker M, Vaughn H, Chandra S. Curcumin Stereoisomer, Cis-Trans Curcumin, as a Novel Ligand to A1 and A3 Adenosine Receptors. Pharmaceuticals. 2023,  16(7), 917; https://doi.org/10.3390/ph16070917.
6. Zhong HA* and Almahmoud S. Docking and Selectivity Studies of Covalently Bound Janus Kinase 3 Inhibitors. Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2023, 24(7), 6023; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms24076023
7. Al Hasan M, Sabirianov M, Redwine G, Goettsch K, Yang SX, Zhong HA*.  Binding and selectivity studies of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) inhibitors. J. Mol. Graphics & Modeling., 2023, 121, 108433.  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jmgm.2023.108433
8. Sethi B, Kumar V, Jayasinghe TD, Dong Y, Ronning DR, Zhong HA, Coulter DW, Mahato RI. Targeting BRD4 and PI3K signaling pathways for the treatment of medulloblastoma. J Control Release. 2023 Jan 5;354:80-90. doi: 10.1016/j.jconrel.2022.12.055. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 36599397.
9. Almahmoud S, and Zhong HA*  Molecular Modeling of Allosteric Site of Isoform-Specific Inhibition of the Peroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptor PPARγ. Biomolecules 2022, 12(11), 1614; https://doi.org/10.3390/biom12111614
10. Zhao G, Ren R, Wei X, Jia Z, Chen N, Sun Y, Zhao Z, Lele SM, Zhong HA, Goldring MB, Goldring SR, Wang D. Thermoresponsive polymeric dexamethasone prodrug for arthritis pain. J Control Release. 2021 Nov 10;339:484-497. doi: 10.1016/j.jconrel.2021.10.007. 
11. Almahmoud S, Elix CC, Jones JO, Hopkins CR, Vennerstrom JL, Zhong HA*.  Virtual screening and biological evaluation of PPARγ antagonists as potential anti-prostate cancer agents.  Bioorg Med Chem.  2021, 46:116368 . https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bmc.2021.116368 
12. Dima A. Sabbah, Rima Hajjo, Sanaa K. Bardaweel & Haizhen A. Zhong.*  Phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) inhibitors: a recent update on inhibitor design and clinical trials (2016–2020), Expert Opinion on Therapeutic Patents, 2021, 31:10, 877-892, DOI:
    10.1080/13543776.2021.1924150.
13. Sabbah DA, Hajjo R, Bardaweel SK, Zhong HA. An Updated Review on Betacoronavirus Viral Entry Inhibitors: Learning from Past Discoveries to Advance COVID-19 Drug Discovery. Curr Top Med Chem. 2021;21(7):571-596. doi: 10.2174/1568026621666210119111409. PMID: 33463470.
14. Hamilton LJ, Walker M, Pattabiraman M, Zhong HA, Luedtke B, Chandra S. Novel curcumin analog (Cis-Trans Curcumin) as ligand to adenosine receptors A _2A and A _2B: potential for therapeutics . Pharmacol Res. 2021 Mar;165:105410. doi: 10.1016/j.phrs.2020.105410. Epub 2021 Jan 2. PMID: 33401004.
15. Sabbah DA, Hajjo R, Bardaweel SK, Zhong HA. An Updated Review on SARS-CoV-2 Main Proteinase (MPro): Protein Structure and Small-Molecule Inhibitors. Curr Top Med Chem. 2021; 21(6):442-460. doi: 10.2174/1568026620666201207095117. PMID: 33292134.
16. Sabbah DA, Hajjo R, Sweidan K, Zhong HA. An Integrative Informatics Approach to Explain the Mechanism of Action of Novel N1-(Anthraquinon-2-yl) Amidrazones as BCR/ABL Inhibitors. Curr Comput Aided Drug Des. 2020 Aug 19. doi: 10.2174/1573409916666200819113444. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 32814537.
17. Zhong HA.  Structure-based Design on Anticancer Drug Discovery.  Curr Top Med Chem.  2020; 20 (10) :813-814.  doi: 10.2174/156802662010200331100200.  PubMed PMID: 32463006.
18. Wani RJ, Sharma P, Zhong HA, Chauhan H.  Preparation and Characterization of Griseofulvin Solid Dispersions.  Assay Drug Dev Technol.  2020 Apr; 18 (3) :109-118.  doi: 10.1089/adt.2019.965.  PubMed PMID: 32319818.
19. Almahmoud S, Jin W, Geng L, Wang J, Wang X, Vennerstrom JL, Zhong HA. Ligand-based design of GLUT inhibitors as potential antitumor agents .  Bioorg Med Chem.  2020 Apr 1; 28 (7) :115395.  doi: 10.1016/j.bmc.2020.115395.  Epub 2020 Feb 18.  PubMed PMID: 32113844
20. Almahmoud S, Zhong HA.  Molecular Modeling Studies on the Binding Mode of the PD-1/PD-L1 Complex Inhibitors. Int. J. Mol. Sci., 2019, 20, 4654.  doi:10.3390/ijms20184654.
21. Daszynski DM, Santhoshkumar P, Phadte AS, Sharma KK, Zhong HA, Lou MF, Kador PF. Failure of Oxysterols Such as Lanosterol to Restore Lens Clarity from Cataracts. Sci Rep. 2019 Jun 11; 9(1):8459. doi: 10.1038/s41598-019-44676-4.
22. Almahmoud S, Wang X, Vennerstrom JL, Zhong HA*. Conformational Studies of Glucose Transporter 1 (GLUT1) as an Anticancer Drug Target. Molecules. 2019 Jun 7;24(11). pii: E2159. doi: 10.3390/molecules24112159.
23. Sabbah DA, Ibrahim AH, Talib WH, Alqaisi KM, Sweidan K, Bardaweel SK, Sheikha GA, Zhong HA, Al-Shalabi E, Khalaf RA, Mubarak MS. Ligand-Based Drug Design: Synthesis and Biological Evaluation of Substituted Benzoin Derivatives as Potential Antitumor Agents. Med Chem. 2019, 15, 417-429. doi: 10.2174/1573406414666180912111846.
24. Zhong HA, Santos EM, Vasileiou C, Zheng Z, Geiger JH, Borhan B, Merz KM Jr. Free-Energy-Based Protein Design: Re-Engineering Cellular Retinoic Acid Binding Protein II Assisted by the Moveable-Type Approach. J Am Chem Soc. 2018 Mar 14;140(10):3483-3486. doi: 10.1021/jacs.7b10368. Epub 2018 Feb 28..
25. Xianting Cao, Haizhen A. Zhong, Pengfei Zhang, and Hui Zheng. The Simple System of Fixing CO2 to Synthesize Benzimidazolones at Atmospheric Pressure. Journal of CO2 Utilization, 2018, 24, 250-255.
26. Sabbah DA, Al-Tarawneh F, Talib W, Sweidan K, Bardaweel S, Al-Shalabi E, Zhong HA, Abu Sheikha G, Abu Khalaf R, Mubarak MS. Benzoin Schiff Bases: Design, Synthesis, and Biological Evaluation as Potential Antitumor Agents. Medicinal Chemistry. 2018, 14 (7), 695-708; doi: 10.2174/1573406414666180412160142.
27. Sabbah DA, Hishmah B, Sweidan K, Bardaweel S, AlDamen M, Zhong HA, Abu Khalaf R, Ibrahim AH, Al-Qirim T, Abu Sheikha G, Mubarak MS. Structure-Based Drug Design: Synthesis, X-Ray Crystallography, and Biological Evaluation of N-Substituted-4-Hydroxy-2-Quinolone-3-Carboxamides as Potential PI3Kα Inhibitors. Anticancer Agents Med Chem. 2018, 18(2), 263-276. doi: 10.2174/1871520617666170911171152.
28. Kumar V, Chaudhary AK, Dong Y, Zhong HA, Mondal G, Lin F, Kumar V, Mahato RI. Design, Synthesis and Biological Evaluation of novel Hedgehog Inhibitors for treating Pancreatic Cancer. Sci Rep. 2017 May 10; 7(1):1665. doi: 10.1038/s41598-017-01942-7. 
29. Udumula V, Endres JL, Harper CN, Jaramillo L, Zhong HA, Bayles KW, Conda-Sheridan M. Simple synthesis of endophenazine G and other phenazines and their evaluation as anti-methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus agents. Eur J Med Chem.  2017, 125:710-721. doi: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2016.09.079. Epub 2016 Sep 28. 
30. Sabbah DA, and Zhong HA. Modeling the protonation states of β-secretase binding pocket by molecular dynamics simulations and docking studies. J. Mol. Graphics & Modeling., 2016, 68, 206-215 
31. Sabbah DA, Hu J, Zhong HA. Advances in the Development of Class I Phosphoinositide 3-Kinase (PI3K) Inhibitors. Curr. Top. Med. Chem., 2016, 16, 1413-26. 
32. Xu D, Li R, Wu J, Jiang L, Zhong HA. Drug Design Targeting the CXCR4/CXCR7/CXCL12 Pathway. Curr. Top. Med. Chem., 2016, 16, 1441-51. 
33. Ehlers T, Furness S, Robinson TP, Zhong HA, Goldsmith D, Arbiser J, Bowen JP. Methionine AminoPeptidase Type-2 Inhibitors Targeting Angiogenesis. Curr. Top. Med. Chem. ,  2016, 16 (13), 1478-88. 
34. Bowen JP, Zhong HA. Advances in Drug Discovery for the Treatment of Cancer: Many Approaches, One Goal. Curr Top Med Chem. 2016;16(13):1411-2. doi: 10.2174/1568026616999151012120106.
35. Bowen JP, Zhong HA. Perspectives in Medicinal Chemistry: The Evolution of Medicinal Chemistry. Curr Top Med Chem. 2016;16(9):897-8. doi: 10.2174/1568026616999151029114013.
36. Xu J, Zhong HA, Madrahimov A, Helikar T, Lu G. Molecular phylogeny and evolutionary dynamics of influenza A nonstructural (NS) gene. Infect Genet Evol. 2014 Mar;22:192-200. doi: 10.1016/j.meegid.2013.10.011.
37. Zhong HA. ADME and toxicity in early drug discovery. Curr Top Med Chem. 2013;13(11):1255-6. doi: 10.2174/15680266113139990031
38. Zhong HA, Arbiser J, Bowen JP. Selectivity, binding affinity, and ionization state of matrix metalloproteinase inhibitors. Curr Pharm Des. 2013;19(26):4701-13. doi: 10.2174/1381612811319260004.
39. Dutta T, Che Y, Zhong H, Laity JH, Dusevich V, Murowchick JB, Zang L, Peng Z. Synthesis and self-assembly of triphenylene-containing conjugated macrocycles. RSC advances. 2013; 3:6008. doi: DOI: 10.1039/C3RA23421E.
40. Zhong HA, Mashinson V, Woolman TA, Zha M. Understanding the molecular properties and metabolism of top prescribed drugs. Curr Top Med Chem. 2013;13(11):1290-307. doi: 10.2174/15680266113139990034. 
41. Sabbah DA, Vennerstrom JL, Zhong HA. Binding selectivity studies of phosphoinositide 3-kinases using free energy calculations. J Chem Inf Model. 2012 Dec 21;52(12):3213-24. doi: 10.1021/ci3003057.
42. Sabbah DA, Simms NA, Wang W, Dong Y, Ezell EL, Brattain MG, Vennerstrom JL, Zhong HA. N-Phenyl-4-hydroxy-2-quinolone-3-carboxamides as selective inhibitors of mutant H1047R phosphoinositide-3-kinase (PI3Kα). Bioorg Med Chem. 2012 Dec 15;20(24):7175-83. doi: 10.1016/j.bmc.2012.09.059.
43. Xu J, Davis CT, Christman MC, Rivailler P, Zhong H, Donis RO, Lu G. Evolutionary history and phylodynamics of influenza A and B neuraminidase (NA) genes inferred from large-scale sequence analyses. PLoS One. 2012;7(7):e38665. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0038665
44. Sabbah DA, Simms NA, Brattain MG, Vennerstrom JL, Zhong H. Biological evaluation and docking studies of recently identified inhibitors of phosphoinositide-3-kinases. Bioorg Med Chem Lett. 2012 Jan 15;22(2):876-80. doi: 10.1016/j.bmcl.2011.12.044.
45. Rickert JD, Herpy TA, Zhong H, Lu G. Computational analysis of adaptive antigenic mutations of the human influenza hemagglutinin for vaccine strain selection. Int J Bioinform Res Appl. 2012;8(1-2):81-98. doi: 10.1504/IJBRA.2012.045978.
46. Bagui M, Dutta T, Zhong H, Li S, Chakraborty S, Keightley A, Peng Z. Synthesis and optical properties of perylene diimide derivatives with triphenylene-based dendrons linked at the bay positions through a conjugated ethynyl linkage. Tetrahedron. 2012; 68(13):2806. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.tet.2012.02.008.
47. Zhong H, Wees MA, Faure TD, Carrillo C, Arbiser J, Bowen JP. The impact of ionization States of matrix metalloproteinase inhibitors on docking-based inhibitor design. ACS Med Chem Lett. 2011 Jun 9;2(6):455-60. doi: 10.1021/ml200031m.
48. Bagui M, Dutta T, Chakraborty S, Melinger JS, Zhong H, Keightley A, Peng Z. Synthesis and optical properties of triphenylene-based dendritic donor perylene diimide acceptor systems. J Phys Chem A. 2011 Mar 10;115(9):1579-92. doi: 10.1021/jp1085334.
49. Zhong H, Bowen JP. Recent advances in small molecule inhibitors of VEGFR and EGFR signaling pathways. Curr Top Med Chem. 2011;11(12):1571-90. doi: 10.2174/156802611795860924
50. Sabbah DA, Brattain MG, Zhong H. Dual inhibitors of PI3K/mTOR or mTOR-selective inhibitors: which way shall we go?. Curr Med Chem. 2011;18(36):5528-44. doi: 10.2174/092986711798347298. 
51. Sabbah DA, Vennerstrom JL, Zhong H. Docking studies on isoform-specific inhibition of phosphoinositide-3-kinases. J Chem Inf Model. 2010 Oct 25;50(10):1887-98. doi: 10.1021/ci1002679.
52. Zhong H, Tran LM, Stang JL. Induced-fit docking studies of the active and inactive states of protein tyrosine kinases. J Mol Graph Model. 2009 Nov;28(4):336-46. doi: 10.1016/j.jmgm.2009.08.012.
53. Zhong H, Kirschner KN, Lee M, Bowen JP. Binding free energy calculation for duocarmycin/DNA complex based on the QPLD-derived partial charge model. Bioorg Med Chem Lett. 2008 Jan 15;18(2):542-5. doi: 10.1016/j.bmcl.2007.11.090
54. Bowman AL, Nikolovska-Coleska Z, Zhong H, Wang S, Carlson HA. Small molecule inhibitors of the MDM2-p53 interaction discovered by ensemble-based receptor models. J Am Chem Soc. 2007 Oct 24;129(42):12809-14. doi: 10.1021/ja073687x. 
55. Zhong H, Bowen J. Galahad, Tripos Inc. (Computer Software Review). J. Am. Chem. Soc.. 2007; 129:5780. doi: DOI: 10.1021/ja069815j
56. Zhong H, Bowen JP. Molecular design and clinical development of VEGFR kinase inhibitors. Curr Top Med Chem. 2007;7(14):1379-93. doi: 10.2174/156802607781696855. 
57. Zhong H, Carlson HA. Conformational Studies of Polyprolines. J Chem Theory Comput. 2006 Mar;2(2):342-53. doi: 10.1021/ct050182t
58. Zhong H, Bowen JP. Antiangiogenesis drug design: multiple pathways targeting tumor vasculature. Curr Med Chem. 2006;13(8):849-62. doi: 10.2174/092986706776361085
59. Zhong H, Bowen JP. Theoretical study of stereoselective reduction controlled by NADH analogs. J Mol Graph Model. 2005 Sep;24(1):1-9. doi: 10.1016/j.jmgm.2005.04.003
60. Zhong H, Stewart EL, Kontoyianni M, Bowen JP. Ab Initio and DFT Conformational Studies of Propanal, 2-Butanone, and Analogous Imines and Enamines. J Chem Theory Comput. 2005 Mar;1(2):230-8. doi: 10.1021/ct049890p
61. Zhong H, Carlson HA. Computational studies and peptidomimetic design for the human p53-MDM2 complex. Proteins. 2005 Jan 1;58(1):222-34. doi: 10.1002/prot.20275
62. Zhong H, Taylor EW. Structure and dynamics of a predicted ferredoxin-like selenoprotein in Japanese encephalitis virus. J Mol Graph Model. 2004 Dec;23(3):223-31. doi: 10.1016/j.jmgm.2004.07.002.

Book Chapters

1. Zhong HA. ADMET Properties: Overview and Current Topics. Chapter 8, Pages 113-133. Book, Drug Design: Principles and Applications. Editor, Abhinav Grover, Publisher: Springer Nature; 2017. ISBN 978-981-10-5187-6. DOI 10.1007/978-981-10-5187-6_8.
2. Zhong HA, Güner OF, Bowen JP. Book Chapter, Chapter 20, "Rational Drug Discovery, Design, and Development" (pages 443-464), in Book titled Drug Delivery: Fundamentals and Applications, Second Edition ISBN 9781482217711 - CAT# K22118, CRC Press, Editors: Anya M Hillery, Kinam Park. (2016)
3. Zhong HZ, and Bowen JP. Computer-assisted drug design. Encyclopedia of Pharmaceutical Science and Technology, Fourth Edition DOI: 10.1081/E-EPT4-120050222. July, 2013. Pages, 620-633. Informa plc (Switzerland)
4. Bowen JP and Zhong HZ. Computational Chemistry. Encyclopedia of Pharmaceutical Science and Technology, Fourth Edition DOI: 10.1081/E-EPT4-120050220. July, 2013, Pages, 600-614. Informa plc (Switzerland)
5. Zhong HZ, Lee M, Bowen JP, “Modeling and Simulations of Nucleic Acids and Their Complexes”. In Book "Synthetic and Biophysical Studies of DNA Binding Compounds." Editors: Moses Lee and Lucjan Strekowski, ISBN: 978-81-7895-290-1.  Transworld Research Network, Kerala, India (2007: pages 93-129).