Sajid Khan, Ph.D., M.Sc.

• Professional Background

  Education

  • 2017 - Ph.D. - Biological Sciences (Cancer Biology) - CSIR-Central Drug Research Institute/Jawaharlal Nehru University, India
  • 2011 - M.Sc. - Biotechnology - Aligarh Muslim University, India
  • 2009 - B.Sc. - Biology/Chemistry - Aligarh Muslim University, India

  Training

  • 2021 - Postdoctoral training - Translational Cancer Research - University of Florida, Gainesville, FL
  • 2018 - Postdoctoral training - Translational Cancer Research - University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR

  Appointments

  • 2022 - Assistant Professor/Research - Department of Biochemistry & Structural Biology, Long School of Medicine, UT Health San Antonio, TX
  • 2021 - 2022 - Research Assistant Professor - Department of Pharmacodynamics, College of Pharmacy, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL

• Research & Grants

  Dr. Khan's research focuses on understanding the apoptosis mechanisms in cancer cells and targeting BCL-2 family proteins (e.g., BCL-xL and BCL-2), by using Proteolysis-Targeting chimeras (PROTACs) for effective cancer therapy and reduced toxicity. In addition, Dr. Khan studies the mechanisms of drug resistance and develop strategies for therapeutic sensitization by using BCL-xL PROTACs and other targeted or chemotherapeutic drugs for combination therapy. His other research interests are targeting senescenct cells for improved cancer therpay, and drug repurposing. Dr. Khan’s primary disease area of interest is pancreatic cancer, with secondary interests in colorectal cancer, lung cancer and breast cancer. 

  Grants

  Title: Develop a better second-line therapy for relapsed and refractory pancreatic cancer

  Project/Proposal Start and End Date: 05/2023 – 04/2025 

  Source of Support: William & Ella Owens Medical Research Foundation 

  Name of PD/PI: Daohong Zhou 

  Role: Co-Principal Investigator

   

  Title: Overcoming KRASG12C inhibitor resistance in colorectal cancer by targeting the therapy-induced senescent cells

  Project Number: 

  Name of PD/PI: Sajid Khan

  Source of Support: Mike Hogg Fund

  Project/Proposal Start and End Date: 01/2023 – 12/2023 

  Role: Principal Investigator        

   

  Title: Inhibition of Bcl-xL by Targeted Degradation

  Project Number: R01 CA241191

  Name of PD/PI: Zheng (Contact PI), Konopleva, & Zhou

  Source of Support: NIH/NCI

  Project/Proposal Start and End Date: 04/2020 – 03/2025 

  Role: Co-Investigator         

   

  Title: Use of BCL-xL proteolysis targeting chimeras to treat pancreatic cancer

  Project Number: R01 CA242003

  Name of PD/PI: Zhou, Trevino, & Zheng (Contact PI)

  Source of Support: NIH/NCI

  Project/Proposal Start and End Date: 09/2019 – 08/2024           

  Role: Co-Investigator         

   

  Title: Role of Senescent Cells in Radiation-induced Pulmonary Fibrosis

  Project Number: R01 CA219836

  Name of PD/PI: Zhou

  Source of Support: NIH/NCI

  Project/Proposal Start and End Date: 07/2017 – 07/2022

  Role: Co-Investigator         

             

   

• Publications

  Google Scholar

  My Bibliography  

  1. Khan S, Zhang X, Lv D, Zhang Q, He Y, Zhang P, Liu X, Thummuri D, Yuan Y, Wiegand JS, Pei J, Zhang W, Sharma A, McCurdy CR, Kuruvilla VM, Baran N, Ferrando AA, Kim Y-M, Rogojina A, Houghton PJ, Huang G, Hromas R, Konopleva M, Zheng G, Zhou D. A selective BCL-XL PROTAC degrader achieves safe and potent antitumor activity. Nature Medicine. 2019, 25:1938–1947. PMCID: PMC6898785
  2. Khan S*, Kellish P, Connis N, Thummuri D, Wiegand J, Zhang P, Zhang X, Budamagunta V, Hua N, Yang Y, De U, Jin L, Zhang W, Zheng G, Hromas R, Hann C, Zajac-Kaye M, Kaye FJ, Zhou D. Co-targeting BCL-XL and MCL-1 with DT2216 and AZD8055 synergistically inhibit small-cell lung cancer growth without causing on-target toxicities in mice. Cell Death Discovery. 2023 Jan 2;9(1):1. (*corresponding author). PMCID: PMC9806104
  3. Khan S*, Weigand J, Zhang P, Hu W, Thummuri D, Budamagunta V, Hua N, Jin L, Allegra CJ, Kopetz SE, Zajac-Kaye M, Kaye FJ, Zheng G, Zhou D*. A BCL-XL PROTAC degrader DT2216 synergizes with KRASG12C inhibitors in preclinical models of KRASG12C–mutated cancers. Journal of Hematology & Oncology. 2022, 15:23. (*co-corresponding author). PMCID: PMC8905794
  4. Thummuri D*, Khan S*, Underwood PU*, Zheng P, Wiegand J, Zhang X, Budamagunta V, Sobh A, Tagmount A, Loguinov A, Riner AN, Akki AS, Williamson E, Hromas R, Vulpe C, Zheng G, Trevino JG, Zhou D. Overcoming Gemcitabine Resistance in Pancreatic Cancer Using the BCL-XL Specific Degrader DT2216. Molecular Cancer Therapeutics. 2022, 21:184-192. (*co-first author). PMCID: PMC8742767
  5. Lv D, Pal P, Liu X, Jia Y, Thummuri D, Zhang P, Hu W, Pei P, Zhang Q, Zhou S, Khan S, Zhang X, Hua N, Yang Q, Arango S, Zhang W, Nayak D, Olsen S, Weintraub S, Hromas R, Konopleva M, Yuan Y, Zheng G, Zhou D. Development of a BCL-xL and BCL-2 dual degrader with improved anti-leukemic activity. Nature Communications. 2021,12:6896. PMCID: PMC8617031
  6. Pal P, Thummuri D, Lv D, Liu X, Zhang P, Hu W, Poddar S, Hua N, Khan S, Yuan Y, Zhang X, Zhou D, Zheng G. Discovery of a Novel BCL-XL PROTAC Degrader with Enhanced BCL-2 Inhibition. Journal of Medicinal Chemistry. 2021, 64:14230-14246. PMCID: PMC8900268
  7. Kolb R, De U, Khan S, Luo Y, Kim M-C, Yu H, Wu C, Mo J, Zhang X, Zhang P, Zhang X, Borcherding N, Koppel D, Fu Y-X, Zheng SG, Avram D, Zheng G, Zhou D, Zhang W. Proteolysis-targeting chimera against BCL-XL destroys tumor-infiltrating regulatory T cells. Nature Communications. 2021, 2:1281. PMCID: PMC7904819
  8. Khan S, He Y, Zhang X, Yuan Y, Pu S, Kong Q, Zheng G, Zhou D. PROteolysis TArgeting Chimeras (PROTACs) as Emerging Anticancer Therapeutics. Oncogene, 2020, 39:4909-4924. PMCID: PMC7319888
  9. He Y*, Khan S*, Huo Z, Lv D, Zhang X, Liu X, Yuan Y, Hromas R, Xu M, Zheng G, Zhou D. Proteolysis targeting chimeras (PROTACs) are emerging therapeutics for hematologic malignancies. Journal of Hematology & Oncology. 2020, 13:103. PMCID: PMC7384229. (*co-first author)
  10. He Y, Koch R, Budamagunta V, Zhang P, Zhang X, Khan S, Thummuri D, Ortiz YT, Zhang X, Lv D, Wiegand JS, Li W, Palmer AC, Zheng G, Weinstock DM, Zhou D. DT2216-a Bcl-xL-specific degrader is highly active against Bcl-xL-dependent T cell lymphomas. Journal of Hematology & Oncology. 2020, 13:95. PMCID: PMC7364785
  11. Khan S, Shukla S, Sinha S, Meeran SM. Centchroman altered the expressions of tumor‐related genes through active chromatin modifications in mammary cancer. Molecular Carcinogenesis. 2016, 55:1747-1760.
  12. Khan S, Shukla S, Sinha S, Lakra AD, Bora HK, Meeran SM. Centchroman suppresses breast cancer metastasis by reversing epithelial-mesenchymal transition via downregulation of HER2/ERK1/2/MMP-9 signaling. The International Journal of Biochemistry & Cell Biology. 2015, 58:1-16.
  13. Dighe SU*, Khan S*, Soni I, Jain P, Shukla S, Yadav R, Sen P, Meeran SM, Batra S.  Synthesis of β- Carboline-Based N-Heterocyclic Carbenes and Their Antiproliferative and Antimetastatic Activities against Human Breast Cancer Cells. Journal of Medicinal Chemistry. 2015; 58:3485–99. (*co-first author)
  14. Khan S, Shukla S, Sinha S, Meeran SM. Role of adipokines and cytokines in obesity-associated breast cancer: Therapeutic targets. Cytokine & Growth Factor Reviews. 2013, 24(6):503-13.