Liang Xu

Liang Xu
  • Professor
He/him/his

Contact Info

Phone:
785-864-6319
Office: 3177 GLH
Lab: 3185 GLH

Personal Links

Biography —

My research interest is in cancer drug discovery and translational cancer research. I am working on molecularly targeted cancer therapy and chemo/radiosensitization by modulating cell signaling pathways, and discovery of novel therapeutics targeting cancer stem cells. Most recently I am focusing on drug discovery to "drug the undruggable" RNA-binding proteins, Musashi and HuR, and explore their roles in cancer drug resistance and immune evasion. I have over 25 issued or pending patents with several successful new compounds entered into clinical trials.

I earned my MD (1986) and Ph.D. (1992) at the Fourth Military Medical University (FMMU) in China, did post-doc research at the University of Louvain in Belgium and Stanford University, then moved to Georgetown University in 1996. In 2001 I started my lab as Research Assistant Professor at University of Michigan, and in 2010 I relocated to the KU as Associate Professor.

I am currently a Professor in the Department of Molecular Biosciences and a member of KU Cancer Center, and serve as Director of the Biological Irradiation Core and Experimental/Preclinical Imaging Core at KU, and a standing member of IACUC at KU.

Education —

Post-doc in Molecular Therapy, Georgetown University, 1999, Washington
Post-doc in Cancer Biology, Standford University, 1997, Stanford, CA
Post-doc in Immunology, University of Louvain, 1996, Brussels, Belgium
Residency in Medical Oncology, Xijing Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, 1994, China
Ph.D. in Molecular Oncology, Fourth Military Medical University, 1992, China
M.D., Fourth Military Medical University, 1986, China

Research —

1) Cancer drug discovery to "drug the undruggable" RNA-binding proteins, Musashi and HuR

The RNA-binding proteins (RBPs) Musashi-1 (Msi1) and Hu antigen R (HuR) are emerging therapeutic targets for cancer and cancer stem cells. So far there is limited success on small molecules that directly inhibit Msi1 and HuR. RBPs such as Msi1 and HuR are considered “undruggable” due to the lack of a well-defined binding pocket for target RNA. Since relocating to the University of Kansas in 2010, I established a multidisciplinary cancer drug discovery team to “drug the undruggable” Msi1 and HuR. Through a contemporary, structure-based, multidisciplinary and integrated drug discovery approach, we identified promising hits and initial lead compounds with sub-micromolar Ki values. Currently we are employing structure-based rational design for lead optimization and target validation to discover novel compounds that inhibit the so far undruggable Msi1 and HuR, aiming to develop them as an entirely new class of molecular-targeted anti-cancer drugs. We are also exploring their roles in cancer drug resistance and immune evasion.

2) Novel nanovector delivery systems targeting cancer and cancer stem cells - Drug/gene delivery and tumor mRNA vaccines

Funded by multiple NIH and DOD grants, my lab works on the tumor-targeted delivery of molecular cancer therapeutics using novel nanotechnology. A self-assembled, virus-mimicking, non-viral nanovector for non-viral tumor-targeted, systemic p53 gene therapy has shown promise in chemo/radiosensitization of breast, prostate, head and neck cancer. It just completed a first-in-human Phase I clinical trial and is now in multi-center Phase II Trials. Multiple US and International Patents are issued or pending. Currently we are exploring nanovectors for mRNA-based tumor vaccines.

Teaching —

BIOL 426 – Cell Biol Lab (Spring 2024)

BIOL 752 – Cell Biology Lectures (Fall 2024)

I have been teaching the graduate courses BIOL 752 Cell Biology and BIOL 925 Grant Writing, the goal is to introduce students to current topics in cell biology and the course focuses on current questions and approaches to study the questions. I encourage students to actively participate in discussion and practice in pitch presentation, provide a brief pitch of their project and rationale. I just take on the BIOL 426 UG Cell Biology Lab, focusing on the hands-on training and data records.

My teaching philosophy is to encourage my students to focus on cross-disciplinary, technology-driven, and team science/collaborative skills.  The goals in my classroom teaching are to introduce students to up-to-date research technology/skills and to teach them how to work in a collaborative, team science environment, be competitive in both academic and industrial job markets at the time of graduation, and be successful in translational biomedical research. 

My first graduate student at KU, Dr. Amber Smith, went to Stanford University for her post-doc research after graduation and is now a group leader in a large biotech company doing medical research. My graduate student Dr. Qi Zhang (MB 2018 - 2023) went to Dana Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard University for post-doc research. My graduate student Ms. Lanjing Wei (KU BIOE 2018 - 2024), successfully defended her thesis in February, 2024, is now a post-doc at the Harvard University Medical School. 

Selected Publications —

See all papers by Lian Xu on Pubmed

  1. Wei L, Kim SH, Armaly AM, Aubé J, Xu L, Wu X. RNA-binding protein HuR inhibition induces multiple programmed cell death in breast and prostate cancer. Cell Commun Signal. 2024 Dec 3;22(1):580.  PMID: 39627778; PMCID: PMC11613925.
  2. Wei L, Kim SH, Armaly AM, Aubé J, Xu L, and Wu X, HuR inhibition overcomes cFLIP-mediated doxorubicin resistance in triple-negative breast cancer.  npj Precision Oncology . 2024;8(1):286. PMID pending.
  3. Zhang Q, Yang Z, Hao X, Dandreo LJ, He L, Zhang Y, Wang F, Wu X, and Xu L. Niclosamide improves cancer immunotherapy by modulating RNA-binding protein HuR-mediated PD-L1 signaling. Cell & Bioscience 2023; 13(1):192. PMC10583380
  4. Wu X, Ramesh R, Wang J, Zheng Y, Armaly AM, Wei L, Xing M, Roy S, Lan L, Gao FP, Miao Y, Xu L, and Aubé J. Small Molecules Targeting the RNA-Binding Protein HuR Inhibit Tumor Growth in Xenografts. Journal of Medicinal Chemistry 2023; 66(3):2032-2053. PMC10101218
  5. Huang Z, Liu S, Tang A, Wu X, Aube J, Xu L, and Huang Y. Targeting RNA-binding protein HuR to inhibit the progression of renal tubular fibrosis.Journal of Translational Medicine 2023; 21(1):428. PMC10311833
  6. Wei L, Zhang Q, Zhong C, He L, Zhang Y, Armaly AM, Aubé J, Welch DR, Xu L, and Wu X. Functional inhibition of the RNA-binding protein HuR sensitizes triple-negative breast cancer to chemotherapy.Mol Oncol 2023; 17(10):1962-1980. PMC10552894 (Highlighted as featured paper for the Breast Cancer Awareness Month).
  7. Yang Z, Zhang Q, Wu X, Hao S, Hao X, Jones E, Zhang Y, Qiu J, and Xu L. Repurposing Niclosamide as a Novel Anti-SARS-CoV-2 Drug by Restricting Entry Protein CD147. Biomedicines 2023; 11(7). PMC10377517
  8. Wu X and Xu L. The RNA-binding protein HuR in human cancer: A friend or foe? Advanced Drug Delivery Reviews 2022; 184:114179. PMC9035123
  9. Zhang P, Wu X, Gardashova G, Yang Y, Zhang Y, Xu L*, and Zeng Y*. Molecular and Functional Extracellular Vesicle Analysis using Nanopatterned Microchips Monitors Tumor Progression and Metastasis. Science Translational Medicine 2020; 12(547):eaaz2878. PMC8024111 (Featured as cover story). *Correspondence.
  10. Wu X, Gardashova G, Lan L, Han S, Zhong C, Marquez RT, Wei L, Wood S, Roy S, Gowthaman R, Karanicolas J, Gao P, Dixon DA, Welch DR, Li L, Ji M, Aubé A, Xu L. Targeting the interaction between RNA-binding protein HuR and FOXQ1 suppresses breast cancer invasion and metastasis. Communications Biology 2020; 3(1):193. PMC7181695.
  11. Lan L, Xing M, Kashipathy MM, Douglas JT, Gao P, Battaile KP, Hanzlik RP, Lovell S, and Xu L. Crystal and solution structures of human oncoprotein musashi-2 N-terminal RNA recognition motif 1. Proteins2020; 88(4):573-583. PMC7079100 (Featured as Cover story)
  12. Wu X, Lan L, Wilson DM, Marquez RT, Tsao W-C, Gao P, Roy A, Turner B, McDonald P, Tunge JA, Rogers SA, Dixon DA, Aube J, and Xu L. Identification and validation of novel small molecule disruptors of HuR-mRNA interaction. ACS Chem Biol 2015; 10(6):1476-1484. PMC4631057