Minying Cai, PhD
Clinical and Translational Oncology Program
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Research Professor, Chemistry & Biochemistry
Biography
Dr. Minying Cai is currently a research professor in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry at the University of Arizona. She has been working in the Chemistry & Biochemistry department for more than 20 years and has more than 100 publications and numerous patents in the area of novel drug discovery for obesity, diabetes, cancer, pain and neuro-disorder diseases. Dr. Cai received the Ph.D. at the University of Arizona in Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics. Before that, she was a well developed researcher in Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica; Shanghai Research Center of Biotechnology in Chinese Academy of Sciences.
Cancer Focus
Melanoma is the most deadly form of skin cancer in the United States. Recent breakthroughs of BRAF-V600E inhibitors and PD-1 inhibitors have successfully prolonged the median overall survival for malignant melanoma patients. Nevertheless, tumor cells eventually relapse and become resistant to these treatments. We are developing new technologies and new therapeutics to block the cancer resistance. Our lately designed molecules can specifically prevent melanoma. In collaboration with other investigators worldwide, we aim to identify and develop molecule modulators of membrane proteins and signaling proteins for the therapeutic treatment of melanoma without resistance.
Selected Publications
Haghighi, S. Mowlazadeh, Y. Zhou, J. Dai, J. R. Sawyer, V. J. Hruby, and M. Cai, "Replacement of Arg with Nle and modified D-Phe in the core sequence of MSHs, Ac-His-D-Phe-Arg-Trp-NH, leads to hMC1R selectivity and pigmentation.", Eur J Med Chem, vol. 151, pp. 815-823, 2018 May 10. PMCID: PMC6003700 PMID: 29679901
Zhou, Y., and M. Cai, "Novel approaches to the design of bioavailable melanotropins.", Expert Opin Drug Discov, vol. 12, issue 10, pp. 1023-1030, 2017 10. PMCID: PMC5953761 PMID: 28699792
Cai, M., U. Kiran Marelli, B. Mertz, J. G. Beck, F. Opperer, F. Rechenmacher, H. Kessler, and V. J. Hruby, "Structural Insights into Selective Ligand-Receptor Interactions Leading to Receptor Inactivation Utilizing Selective Melanocortin 3 Receptor Antagonists.", Biochemistry, vol. 56, issue 32, pp. 4201-4209, 2017 08 15. PMCID: PMC5999403 PMID: 28715181
Zhou, Y., S. Mowlazadeh Haghighi, I. Zoi, J. R. Sawyer, V. J. Hruby, and M. Cai, "Design of MC1R Selective γ-MSH Analogues with Canonical Amino Acids Leads to Potency and Pigmentation.", J Med Chem, vol. 60, issue 22, pp. 9320-9329, 2017 11 22. PMCID: PMC5999399 PMID: 29094944
Cai, M., and V. J. Hruby, "The Melanocortin Receptor System: A Target for Multiple Degenerative Diseases.", Curr Protein Pept Sci, vol. 17, issue 5, pp. 488-96, 2016. PMCID: PMC5999398 PMID: 26916163