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Publications

Selected Publications

Selected papers by topic. For the complete, up-to-date list, see Google Scholar.

* corresponding author

Anticancer drug discovery
  1. Firdous F, Farrukh SUB, Furqan M, et al., Myant KB, et al., Saleem RSZ*, Faisal A*. Novel 1,2,5-selenadiazole derivatives as microtubule-targeting agents that overcome multidrug resistance. Arch. Pharm. 2025, 358, e70087. doi
  2. Muddassar M, Furqan M, et al., Saleem RSZ, et al., Faisal A*. Computational identification and experimental characterization of an Aurora kinase inhibitor. Bioorg. Med. Chem. 2025, 123, 118160. doi
  3. Iqbal S, Firdous F, Furqan M, et al., Myant KB, et al., Faisal A*, Saleem RSZ*. Bis-amide SSE1917 as a microtubule-stabilizing anticancer agent. Bioorg. Chem. 2024, 143, 107094. doi
  4. Saleem RSZ, Schwalm MP, Knapp S. Expanding the ligand spaces for E3 ligases for the design of protein degraders. Bioorg. Med. Chem. 2024, 105, 117718. doi
  5. Firdous F, Riaz S, Furqan M, et al., Myant KB, et al., Saleem RSZ*, Faisal A*. 4-Azapodophyllotoxin derivatives as microtubule-targeting agents that can overcome multidrug resistance. ACS Med. Chem. Lett. 2023, 14, 1369. doi
  6. Firdous F, Ibrahim R, Furqan M, et al., Faisal A*, Saleem RSZ*. Griseofulvin derivatives as microtubule-stabilizing agents. ChemistrySelect 2022, 7, e202202832. doi
  7. Furqan M, Fayyaz A, Firdous F, et al., Saleem RSZ, et al., Faisal A*. Quinones as Aurora kinase inhibitors. J. Nat. Prod. 2022, 85, 1503. doi
  8. Farrukh SUB, Bilal A, Zahid H, et al., Saleem RSZ*, Faisal A*. Novel carboxamides causing centrosome declustering and apoptosis in breast cancer cells. ChemistrySelect 2022, 7, e202104218. doi
  9. Tariq MU, Parveen H, Furqan M, et al., Saleem RSZ, et al., Faisal A*. CCT245718, a dual FLT3/Aurora A inhibitor, overcomes D835Y-mediated resistance to FLT3 inhibitors in AML cells. Br. J. Cancer 2021, 125, 966. doi (2021 Bashir-Alavi Award)
  10. Malik HS, Bilal A, Ullah R, et al., Saleem RSZ, Hussain H*, Faisal A*. Natural and semisynthetic chalcones as dual FLT3 and microtubule polymerization inhibitors. J. Nat. Prod. 2020, 83, 3111. doi
  11. Riaz S, Iqbal M, Ullah R, et al., Faisal A*, Saleem RSZ*. Novel α-substituted chalcones with potent anticancer activity and ability to overcome multidrug resistance. Bioorg. Chem. 2019, 87, 123. doi
  12. Manzoor S, Bilal A, Khan S, et al., Saleem RSZ*, Faisal A*. Identification and characterization of SSE15206, a microtubule depolymerizing agent that overcomes multidrug resistance. Sci. Rep. 2018, 8, 3305. doi
  13. Iftikhar S, Khan S, Bilal A, et al., Faisal A*, Saleem RSZ*. Modified chalcone-based p53 stabilizing agents. Bioorg. Med. Chem. Lett. 2017, 27, 4101. doi
  14. Nguyen TNT, Saleem RSZ, et al., Tepe JJ*. Radioprotection by hymenialdisine-derived checkpoint kinase 2 inhibitors. ACS Chem. Biol. 2012, 7, 172. doi
  15. Saleem RSZ, Lansdell TA, Tepe JJ*. Debromohymenialdisine-derived Chk2 inhibitors. Bioorg. Med. Chem. 2012, 20, 1475. doi
Antiviral and anti-infective drug discovery and open science
  1. Isaksson R, Carter E, Hind C, et al., Saleem RSZ, et al., Todd MH*. Idler compounds: a simple protocol for openly sharing fridge contents for cross-screening. J. Med. Chem. 2026, 69, 2453. doi (ACS Editors’ Choice)
  2. Oh H, Sears J, Ramalingam MB, Saleem RSZ, et al. Spirodioxolane nsP2 helicase inhibitors with antialphaviral activity. RSC Med. Chem. 2026, 17, 452. doi
  3. Duong HP, Melechov D, Lim W, Jingyi M, et al., Saleem RSZ, et al., Todd MH*. Fenarimol analogues active against Madurella mycetomatis, the main causative agent of eumycetoma. RSC Med. Chem. 2025, 16, 6094. doi
Inhibitors of amyloid aggregation
  1. Kalsoom U, Alazmi M, Farrukh SUB, et al., Javed I*, Davis TP*, Saleem RSZ*. Differential modulation of Aβ fibrillization by selenadiazole-based inhibitors. ACS Chem. Neurosci. 2021, 12, 3806. doi
  2. Farrukh SUB, Javed I, Ather AQ, et al., Saleem RSZ*. Pyridazinylpyrazolone-based diazo compounds as inhibitors of human islet amyloid polypeptide aggregation. Bioorg. Chem. 2019, 84, 339. doi
Organoselenium chemistry
  1. Friberg LIM, Kavanagh A, et al., Saleem RSZ, et al., Blaskovich MAT*, Hansford KA*. Organoselenium compounds as an enriched source for the discovery of new antimicrobial agents. RSC Med. Chem. 2025, 16, 3213. doi
  2. Nasim MJ*, Ali W, da Silva Júnior EN, Saleem RSZ, et al., Jacob C*. The chalcogen exchange. Sci 2025, 7, 74. doi
  3. Nawaz I, Khan MN, Shah S, Hawsawi M, Saleem RSZ*, Chotana G*. NHC-derived amide-functionalized organoselenium compounds. ACS Omega 2025, 10, 10579. doi
  4. Alhasan R, Martins GM, De Castro PP, Saleem RSZ, et al., Jacob C. Selenoneine-derived selenohydantoin with glutathione peroxidase-like activity. Bioorg. Med. Chem. 2023, 94, 117479. doi
  5. Rendeková J, et al., Saleem RSZ, et al., Jacob C*. The selenium–nitrogen bond as basis for reactive selenium species with antimicrobial activity. Curr. Org. Synth. 2017, 14, 1082. doi
Natural products, total synthesis and methodology
  1. Nawaz I, Nawaz M, Saleem RSZ, Chotana GA*. SuFEx via glass-assisted organocatalysis. Adv. Synth. Catal. 2025, 367, e202401175. doi
  2. Hanif A, Sardar A, Alazmi M, et al., Saleem RSZ*. One-pot three-component access to arylidene 2-aminoimidazolones. ChemistrySelect 2019, 4, 1753. doi
  3. Saleem RSZ, Tepe JJ*. A concise total synthesis of hymenialdisine. Tetrahedron Lett. 2015, 56, 3011. doi
  4. Mehnaz S, Saleem RSZ, Yameen B, et al., Gross H*. Lahorenoic acids A–C from the biocontrol strain Pseudomonas aurantiaca PB-St2. J. Nat. Prod. 2013, 76, 135. doi
  5. Saleem RSZ, Tepe JJ*. Synthesis of 1,2,4-triazolines and triazoles utilizing oxazolones. J. Org. Chem. 2010, 75, 4330. doi (highlighted in Synfacts)
Organic optoelectronic materials
  1. Ahmed K, Khan MN, Mulla RA, et al., Saleem RSZ*. Substituent-modulated quinoxaline carboxamides as wide-bandgap organic optoelectronic materials. J. Mol. Struct. 2026, accepted. doi
  2. Khan MN, Umar SM, Ahmed K, et al., Saleem RSZ*. Pyrazoline–thiazole hybrids for organic optoelectronics. J. Photochem. Photobiol. A 2026, 481, 117426. doi
  3. Khan MN, Baig H, Hanif A, et al., Saleem RSZ*. Tunable 2-aminoimidazolone donor–acceptor chromophores. J. Photochem. Photobiol. A 2026, 481, 117447. doi
  4. Yaqoob H, Arif N, Saleem RSZ, et al., Chotana GA*. CF3-pyridyl-substituted hetero- and homocyclic conjugated molecules. Mater. Adv. 2026, accepted. doi
  5. Yaqoob H, Nawaz M, Saleem RSZ, Chotana GA*. Perylene-based D-π-A-π-D molecules for optoelectronic applications. J. Photochem. Photobiol. A 2026, 470, 116661. doi
  6. Khan MN, Ahmed K, Siddiqui L, et al., Saleem RSZ*. Naphthyl chalcones for photovoltaic applications. J. Mol. Struct. 2025, 142526. doi
  7. Baig H, Iqbal A, Rasool A, et al., Saleem RSZ*. Piperidyl and pyrrolidinyl chalcones. ACS Omega 2023, 8, 28499. doi
  8. Baig H, Irfan R, Rasool A, et al., Saleem RSZ*. 4-Aminochalcones. J. Photochem. Photobiol. A 2023, 114790. doi
  9. Baig H, Rasool A, Hussain SZ, et al., Saleem RSZ*. Novel 2-aminoimidazolones. J. Photochem. Photobiol. A 2022, 429, 113918. doi
Selected reviews
  1. Pasha MH, Hawsawi MB, Saleem RSZ*. Catalytic asymmetric synthesis of hydrogenated pyridazines. J. Chem. 2026, 5790070. doi
  2. Siddiqui L, Khan KM, Saleem RSZ*. Recent progress in kinase-targeting antimalarial drug discovery. Mini-Rev. Med. Chem. 2026, accepted.
  3. Siddiqui L, Hawsawi M, Chotana G, Saleem RSZ*. Bis-chalcones in biological and materials sciences. ACS Omega 2024, 9, 42061. doi
  4. Ahmed K, Choudhary MI, Saleem RSZ*. Heterocyclic pyrimidine derivatives as promising antibacterial agents. Eur. J. Med. Chem. 2023, 115701. doi
  5. Firdous F, Raza HG, Chotana GA, Choudhary MI, Faisal A, Saleem RSZ*. Centrosome clustering and chemotherapy. Mini-Rev. Med. Chem. 2023, 23, 429. doi
  6. Ahmed K, Ashraf D, Chotana GA, Faisal A, Khan KM*, Saleem RSZ*. Selenium-containing peptides and their biological applications. Curr. Med. Chem. 2022, 29, 6379. doi
  7. Irfan R, Mousavi S, Alazmi M, Saleem RSZ*. A comprehensive review of aminochalcones. Molecules 2020, 25, 5381. doi
Book chapters
  1. Darkal AK, Sarfraz M, Nasim MJ, Ney Y, Saleem RSZ, Jacob C. Composition, nutritional and health benefits. In Edible Alliums: Botany, Production and Uses; CABI, 2022; pp 35–50.
  2. Nasim MJ, Ali W, Domínguez-Álvarez E, da Silva Júnior EN, Saleem RSZ, Jacob C. Reactive selenium species: redox modulation, antioxidant, antimicrobial and anticancer activities. In Organoselenium Compounds in Biology and Medicine; Royal Society of Chemistry, 2018; pp 277–302. doi