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Academic Staff

Prof. Wong Wing Leung
PolyU Scholars Hub

Prof. Wong Wing-leung

Associate Professor

PolyU Scholars Hub
ORCID ID
SCOPUS ID

Research Overview

We are engaged in the development of novel fluorescent small-molecule ligands designed to selectively target noncanonical RNA and DNA secondary structures, such as G-quadruplexes, as well as key bacterial protein targets including NDM-1 and FtsZ. Our research aims to advance chemical biology and support drug discovery efforts for the treatment of human diseases.

Research Interests

  • Organic Synthesis
  • Chemical Biology
  • Biosensing & Cell Imaging
  • Drug Discovery
  • Functional Ionic Liquids

Education and Academic Qualifications

  • Bachelor of Science in Chemical Technology, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University
  • Doctor of Philosophy, City University of Hong Kong

Academic and Professional Experience

  • Guest Editor, Molecules (2022 - Present)

Achievements

  • Wing Leung Wong, Lai To Leung, Liang Zhang, Chi Mei Chow, Haojun Zhu, Lai Fan Lai, Kwok Keung Paul Ho, “Fullerene derivatives and their applications in organic photovoltaics”. US Patent granted: US9637384B2.
  • Paul Kwok Keung Ho, Wing Leung Wong, “New conductive and photosensitive polymers”. US Patent granted: US9583711B2.
  • Kwok-Yin Wong, Dik-Lung Ma, Wing Leung Wong, Wai-Hong Chung, Fung-Yi Chan, “Luminescent protein staining and method for detecting poly(amino acid) in a mixture”. US Patent granted: US8318498B2.
  1. Zheng, B.-X.; Long, W.; Zeng, Y.-X.; She, M.-T.; Zheng, Y.; Zheng, W.-D.; Wang, Y.-K.; Chan, K.-H.; Leung, A. S.-L.; Chan, C.-M.; Lu, Y.-J.; Wong, W.-L. A mitochondria-targeting and G-quadruplex structure-binding ligand inducing calcium overload and ferroptosis in human cancer cells. British Journal of Pharmacology 2025, 182, 3923–3951. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/bph.70061
  2. Zheng, B.-X.; Long, W.; Zheng, W.; Zeng, Y.; Guo, X.-C.; Chan, K.-H.; She, M.-T.; Leung, A. S.-L.; Lu, Y.-J.; Wong, W.-L. Mitochondria-Selective Dicationic Small-Molecule Ligand Targeting G-Quadruplex Structures for Human Colorectal Cancer Therapy. Journal of Medicinal Chemistry 2024, 67, 6292–6312. DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.3c02240
  3. Luo, J.-R.; Long, W.; Chen, Z.-X.; Wang, S.-M.; Zeng, Y.-X.; Lu, Y.-J.; Zheng, B.-X.; She, M.-T.; Wong, W.-L. Live Cell Imaging and Real-Time Monitoring of Nucleolus Morphology and Mitophagy with a Red Fluorescent and Photostable rRNA-Specific Probe in Human Cancer Cells. ACS Sensors 2024, 9, 1545–1554. DOI: 10.1021/acssensors.3c02764
  4. Long, W.; Zeng, Y.-X.; Zheng, B.-X.; Li, Y.-B.; Wang, Y.-K.; Chan, K.-H.; She, M.-T.; Lu, Y.-J.; Cao, C.; Wong, W.-L. Targeting hTERT Promoter G-Quadruplex DNA Structures with Small-Molecule Ligand to Downregulate hTERT Expression for Triple-Negative Breast Cancer Therapy. Journal of Medicinal Chemistry 2024, 67, 13363–13382. DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.4c01255
  5. Chan, K.-H.; Zheng, B.-X.; Leung, A. S.-L.; Long, W.; Zhao, Y.; Zheng, Y.; Wong, W.-L. A NRAS mRNA G-quadruplex structure-targeting small-molecule ligand reactivating DNA damage response in human cancer cells for combination therapy with clinical PI3K inhibitors. International Journal of Biological Macromolecules 2024, 279, 135308. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2024.135308
  6. Zheng, B.-X.; Yu, J.; Long, W.; Chan, K. H.; Leung, A. S.-L.; Wong, W.-L. Structurally diverse G-quadruplexes as the noncanonical nucleic acid drug target for live cell imaging and antibacterial study. Chemical Communications 2023, 59, 1415–1433, 10.1039/D2CC05945B. DOI: 10.1039/D2CC05945B
  7. Zheng, B.-X.; Long, W.; She, M.-T.; Wang, Y.; Zhao, D.; Yu, J.; Siu-Lun Leung, A.; Hin Chan, K.; Hou, J.; Lu, Y.-J.; Wong, W.-L. A Cytoplasm-Specific Fluorescent Ligand for Selective Imaging of RNA G-Quadruplexes in Live Cancer Cells. Chemistry – A European Journal 2023, 29, e202300705. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/chem.202300705
  8. Long, W.; Zheng, B.-X.; Li, Y.; Huang, X.-H.; Lin, D.-M.; Chen, C.-C.; Hou, J.-Q.; Ou, T.-M.; Wong, W.-L.; Zhang, K.; Lu, Y.-J. Rational design of small-molecules to recognize G-quadruplexes of c-MYC promoter and telomere and the evaluation of their in vivo antitumor activity against breast cancer. Nucleic Acids Research 2022, 50, 1829–1848. DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkac090
  9. Zheng, B.-X.; Long, W.; Zhang, Y.-H.; Huang, X.-H.; Chen, C.-C.; Zhong, D.-X.; She, M.-T.; Chen, Z.-X.; Cai, D.-P.; Lu, Y.-J.; Wong, W.-L. Rational design of Red fluorescent and selective G-quadruplex DNA sensing probes: The study of interaction signaling and the molecular structural relationship achieving high specificity. Sensors and Actuators B: Chemical 2020, 314, 128075. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.snb.2020.128075
  10. Lu, Y.-J.; Deng, Q.; Hou, J.-Q.; Hu, D.-P.; Wang, Z.-Y.; Zhang, K.; Luyt, L. G.; Wong, W.-L.; Chow, C.-F. Molecular Engineering of Thiazole Orange Dye: Change of Fluorescent Signaling from Universal to Specific upon Binding with Nucleic Acids in Bioassay. ACS Chemical Biology 2016, 11, 1019–1029. DOI: 10.1021/acschembio.5b00987

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