Affiliations

Adjunct Professor, Department of Biochemistry, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, NUS.
Principal Investigator, Institute of Molecular & Cell Biology, A*STAR.
Supervisors, NUS Graduate School for Integrative Sciences and Engineering (NGS), NUS.

Education

Research Interest

Qi Zeng is a Research Director at the Institute of Molecular Cell Biology (IMCB), A*STAR Singapore. She is also an Adjunct Professor at the Department of Biochemistry of the National University of Singapore (NUS). Qi Zeng studied her Ph.D in Roswell Park Memorial Institute (RPMI, USA) and IMCB. She obtained her Ph.D in 1993 from National University of Singapore. She identified PRL-3 gene in 1998 (Zeng et al., BBRC). In 2001, Professor Vogelstein’s team from Johns Hopkins University first demonstrated a role of PRL3 gene in cancer progression and metastasis (Saha et al., Science 2001). PRL3 is an intracellular protein (inside cell) overexpressed in many tumors and has been reported globally by research laboratories. Since PRL3 is specifically overexpressed in tumors, yet undetectable in most normal tissues, thus, PRL3 is an excellent tumor specific antigen for targeted cancer therapy. Traditionally, intracellular oncoproteins (such as PRL3 phosphatase) are targeted by small chemical inhibitors (chemotherapy), mainly because intracellular compartments are presumed to be inaccessible to large antibody drugs. However, as compared to chemotherapy, antibody therapy is more target specific, reducing off-target effects. Prof Qi Zeng is the pioneer to propose a new concept of ‘Targeting Intracellular Oncoproteins with Antibody Therapy or Vaccinations’ as an unconventional cancer immunotherapy to inhibit cancer cells expressing intracellular oncoproteins. To move from basic research findings to clinical settings, her team developed PRL3-zumab, a First in Class humanized antibody approved by clinical trial authorities: Singapore (HSA), USA (FDA), China (NMPA) to perform Phase 2 Clinical Trials in below links:

https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03191682

https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04118114

https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04452955

Selected Publications

1. Ang, K.H., Thura, M., Tan, Q.S.W., Gupta, A., Kuan, K.Y., 1, Li, J., Chia, P.L., Qiu, B., Hong, J., Guo, K., 1, Wang, X., Su, X., and Zeng, Q. (2025) PRL3-zumab, a novel anti-angiogenic therapy in neovascular eye diseases. Nature Communications (2025) 16:4791, https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-59929-2
2. Park, D.J., Thura, M., Chiu, V.K., Vicuna, B., Sanchez, B., Ang, K.H., Chia, P.L., Kuan, K.Y., Li, J., Zhang, K., 2,5, Zheng, W.H., Ng, M.C.H., Zeng, Q. (2025). The PRL3-zumab Paradigm: A Multicentre, Open Label, Single Dose Level Phase II Clinical Trial Design of a Novel Cancer Immunotherapy. Cell Reports Medicine (2025), https://doi.org/10.1016/j.xcrm.2025.102120
3. Ye, Z., Ng, C.P., Liu, H., Bao,Q., Xu, S., Zu, D., He,Y., Huang, Y., Al-Aidaroos, A.Q., Guo, K., Li, J., Yaw, L.P., Xiong, Q., Thura, M., Zheng, W., Guan, F., Cheng, X., Shi, Y., and Zeng, Q. (2024) PRL1 and PRL3 promote macropinocytosis via its lipid phosphatase activity. Theranostics 14(9): 3423–3438.
4. Loh, A.H.P., Thura, M., Gupta, A., Tan, S.H., Kuan, K.K.Y., Ang, K.H., Merchant, K., Chang, K.T.E., Yon, H.Y., Chen, Y., Cheng, M.H.W., Mahadev, A., Ng, M.C.H., Seng, M.S., Iyer, P., Chia, P.L., Soh, S.Y., and Zeng, Q. (2023) Exploiting frequent and specific expression of PRL3 in pediatric solid tumors for first-in-child use of PRL3-zumab humanized antibody. Mol Ther Oncolytics Aug 18;30:153-166. doi: 10.1016/j.omto.2023.08.006. eCollection 2023 Sep 21. (report on beneficial effect of PRL3-zumab in pediatric cancer patient).
5. Chee, C.E., Ooi, M., Lee, S.C., Sundar, R., Heong, V., Yong, W.P., Ng, C.H., Wong, A., Lim, J.S.L., Tan, D.S.P., Soo, R., Tan, J.T.C., Yang, S., Thura, M., Al-Aidaroos, A.Q., Chng, W.J., Zeng, Q., Goh, B.C. A (2023) Phase I, First-in-Human Study of PRL3-zumab in Advanced, Refractory Solid Tumors and Hematological Malignancies. Targeted Oncology, 18 (3), 391-402 (Summary of phase 1 clinical trial of PRL3-zumab with excellent safety profile and early indication of efficacy).