Qi ZENG

Qi Zeng is a Senior Prinicipal Investigator  at the Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology (IMCB), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR) and an Adjunct Professor at the Department of Biochemistry at the National University of Singapore (NUS).  She is also the founder of Intra-immuSG (IISG), an A*STAR spun-off biotech company.

Qi graduated from Xiamen University (China) and studied her PhD in Roswell Park Memorial Institute (RPMI, USA). She obtained her PhD in 1993 from NUS. As part of her graduate work, she genetically engineered the first transgenic rat in Asia for a San Diego biotech firm to study human diabetes, and her success story appeared in Fortune Magazine (USA, Oct 1991). She has continued using animal models to study human diseases such as cancers for decades. 

In 1998, Qi discovered PRL3 (PTP4A3) new gene and subsequently revealed that PRL3 promotes various hallmarks of cancer cells such as cell migration, proliferation, macropinocytosis, tumor angiogenesis and epithelial mesenchymal transition (EMT) via various signalling pathways including PTEN-PI3K, EGFR and autophagy. Of conceptual advance, her team demonstrated that PRL-1 and PRL3 monoclonal antibodies can inhibit experimental metastatic tumors expressing their respective antigens. 

In 2011, Qi proposed a new concept of ‘targeting intracellular oncoproteins with antibody therapy or vaccination to treat cancer’ as an unconventional cancer immunotherapy to inhibit tumors expressing intracellular oncoproteins.  She is the pioneer in using the approach of immunotherapy targeting intracellular oncoproteins for blocking tumor growth in cancer mice.  Mechanistically, her team revealed intracellular PRL3 can be externalised onto the cancer cells under tumor microenvironment stresses to be recognised by the antibody to trigger anti-tumor ADCC/ADCP host immunity.

In 2014, Qi secured funding to move from basic research findings to further pre-clinical work to bring PRL3-zumab to clinical trials. Today, PRL3-zumab is a First in Class humanised antibody approved by various regulatory authorities including Singapore (Health Sciences Authority (HSA)), USA (Food and Drug Administration (FDA)), China (National Medical Products Administration (NMPA)), and Malaysia (National Pharmaceutical Regulatory Agency (NPRA)) to perform Phase 2 Clinical Trials  after completing Phase 1 excellent drug safety trial in the National University Hospital (NUH), Singapore.

RESEARCH
The current focus of Qi’s lab aims to define the PRL3 phosphatase molecular mechanism in driving various hallmarks of cancer cells as well as to define the role and therapeutic relevance of PRL-3 related proteins. The molecular basis underlying the PRL3-zumab in mediating anti-tumor response and clinical benefits related to patients’ immune system conditions. Her team is focusing on the unprecedent cancer immunotherapy, which encompasses four novelties: (1) New target (PRL3), an intracellular oncotarget that is highly (~80.6%) expressed in multiple cancer types; (2) New drug (PRL3-zumab), the First-in-Class humanized antibody; (3) New Concept: targeting intracellular oncoprotein with antibody therapy (rather than chemotherapy); and (4) New Clinical design as a breakthrough innovative cancer immunotherapy to meet urgent unmet medical needs.