ANG Wee Han

ANG Wee Han

Professor, Vice Dean (Special Duties), Associate Provost (NUS Multidisciplinary and Interdisciplinary Masters’ Programmes)

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Research

ORCID: 0000-0003-2027-356X
ResearcherID: L-2249-2013

 

Recognition and Achievements

• Member, Society of Biological Inorganic Chemistry Council, 2023-present
• Chair, AsBIC-9 Conference in Singapore, 2018
• Secretary, Asian Biological Inorganic Chemistry Steering Committee, 2016-present
• EPFL Doctorate Prize, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, 2008

 

Research Interests

We are interested in the development of therapeutic metallopharmaceuticals and techniques to investigate the interactions of transition metal-based drugs with their biological targets.

 

Research Highlight

Ref. : Weng, C.; Yang, H.; Loh, B. S.; Wong, M. W.; Ang, W. H., Targeting Pathogenic Formate-Dependent Bacteria with a Bioinspired Metallo–Nitroreductase Complex. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2023, 145, 6453-6461. We report the first water-stable Ru–arene complex capable of selectively and fully reducing nitroaromatics into anilines using formate as the hydride source. We demonstrated its application to activate nitro-caged sulfanilamide prodrug in formate-abundant bacteria, specifically pathogenic methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, paving the way for a targeted antibacterial chemotherapeutic approach leveraging on redox–active metal complexes for prodrug activation via bioinspired nitroreduction.

Figure shows the generation of metallo-nitroreductases (NTR) using combinatorial assembly of ruthenium-arene precursors and Schiff base ligands. These metallo-NTR can harness endogenous formate produced by Staphylococcus aureus to activate nitroaromatic prodrugs into antibacterial sulfonanilide via transfer hydrogenation reaction to treat drug-resistant bacterial strains.

 

Teaching Contributions AY2023/2024

• CM4271 Medicinal Chemistry

 

Representative Publications  

• Weng, C.; Tan, Y. L. K.; Koh, W. G.; Ang W. H., Harnessing Transition Metal Scaffolds for Targeted Antibacterial Therapy. Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2023, 62, e202310040.
• Weng, C.; Yang, H.; Loh, B. S.; Wong, M. W.; Ang, W. H., Targeting Pathogenic Formate-Dependent Bacteria with a Bioinspired Metallo–Nitroreductase Complex. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2023, 145, 6453-6461.
• Chang, M. R.; Rusanov, D. A.; Arakelyan, J.; Alshehri, M.; Asaturova, A. V.; Kireeva, G. S.; Babak, M. V.; Ang, W. H., Targeting emerging cancer hallmarks by transition metal complexes: Cancer stem cells and tumor microbiome. Part I. Coord. Chem. Rev. 2023, 475, 214923
• Babak, M. V.; Chong, K. R.; Rapta, P.; Zannikou, M.; Tang, H. M.; Reichert, L.; Chang, M. R.; Kushnarev, V.; Heffeter, P.; Meier-Menches, S. M.; Lim, Z. C.; Yap, J. Y.; Casini, A.; Balyasnikova, I. V.; Ang, W. H., Interfering with Metabolic Profile of Triple-Negative Breast Cancer using Rationally-Designed Metformin Prodrugs. Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2021, 60, 13405-13413.
• Weng, C.; Shen, L.; Teo, J. W. ; Lim, Z. C.; Loh, B. S.; Ang, W. H., Targeted Antibacterial Strategy Based on Reactive Oxygen Species Generated from Dioxygen Reduction Using an Organoruthenium Complex. JACS Au 2021, 1, 1348–1354.
• Ong, J. X.; Le, H. V.; Lee, V. E. Y.; Ang, W. H., A Cisplatin‐Selective Fluorescent Probe for Real‐Time Monitoring of Mitochondrial Platinum Accumulation in Living Cells. Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2021, 60, 9264-9269.
• Loh, B. S.; Ang, W. H., “Illuminating” Echinocandins’ Mechanism of Action. ACS Cent. Sci. 2020, 6, 1651-1653.
• Tham, M. J. R.; Babak, M. V.; Ang, W. H., PlatinER: A Highly Potent Anticancer Platinum(II) Complex that Induces Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress Driven Immunogenic Cell Death. Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2020, 59, 19070-19078.
• Weng, C.; Shen, L.; Ang, W. H., Harnessing Endogenous Formate for Antibacterial Prodrug Activation by in cellulo Ruthenium-Mediated Transfer Hydrogenation Reaction. Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2020, 59, 9314-9318.
• Ong, J. X.; Lim, C. S. Q.; Le, H. V.; Ang, W. H., A Ratiometric Fluorescent Probe for Cisplatin: Investigating the Intracellular Reduction of Platinum(IV) Prodrug Complexes. Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2019, 58, 164-167.