By Dr Zaklina Kovacevic

Journal articles

Shiferaw MS; Somers K; Kovacevic Z, 2026, 'MYCN-driven metabolic remodelling of the tumour microenvironment in neuroblastoma: implications for stromal biology and CAF heterogeneity', Cancer and Metastasis Reviews, 45, http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10555-026-10355-w

Chang J; Alenizi S; Milioli HZ; Lay W; Pounraj S; Li Y; Shiferaw MS; Hosseini-Beheshti E; Kovacevic Z, 2026, 'Silencing the Signal: The Metastasis Suppressor NDRG1 Disrupts Small Extracellular Vesicle-Mediated Crosstalk in Pancreatic Cancer', Journal of Extracellular Vesicles, 15, http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/jev2.70334

Dixon KM; Lui GYL; Kovacevic Z; Zhang D; Yao M; Chen Z; Dong Q; Assinder SJ; Richardson DR, 2026, 'Correction to: Dp44mT targets the AKT, TGF-β and ERK pathways via the metastasis suppressor NDRG1 in normal prostate epithelial cells and prostate cancer cells (British Journal of Cancer, (2013), 108, 2, (409-419), 10.1038/bjc.2012.582)', British Journal of Cancer, 134, pp. 1116 - 1120, http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41416-026-03353-w

Kanwal B; Pounraj S; Hanif R; Kovacevic Z, 2026, 'Metabolic Crosstalk in Triple-Negative Breast Cancer Lung Metastasis: Differential Effects of Vitamin D and E in a Co-Culture System', Cancers, 18, http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/cancers18020294

Kanwal B; Shah SS; Shaheen F; Shiferaw MS; Maurya D; Li Y; Pounraj S; Kovacevic Z, 2025, 'The Effects of Vitamin D on the Breast Cancer Tumor Microenvironment', Cancers, 17, http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/cancers17233751

Shehadeh-Tout F; Milioli HH; Roslan S; Jansson PJ; Dharmasivam M; Graham D; Anderson R; Wijesinghe T; Azad MG; Richardson DR; Kovacevic Z, 2023, 'Innovative thiosemicarbazones that induce multi-modal mechanisms to down-regulate estrogen-, progesterone-, androgen- and prolactin-receptors in breast cancer', Pharmacological Research, 193, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.phrs.2023.106806

Chang J; Lo ZHY; Alenizi S; Kovacevic Z, 2023, 'Re-Shaping the Pancreatic Cancer Tumor Microenvironment: A New Role for the Metastasis Suppressor NDRG1', Cancers, 15, http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/cancers15102779

Geleta B; Tout FS; Lim SC; Sahni S; Jansson PJ; Apte MV; Richardson DR; Kovacevic Z, 2022, 'Targeting Wnt/tenascin C-mediated cross talk between pancreatic cancer cells and stellate cells via activation of the metastasis suppressor NDRG1', Journal of Biological Chemistry, 298, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jbc.2022.101608

Asperger H; Stamm N; Gierke B; Pawlak M; Hofmann U; Zanger UM; Marton A; Katona RL; Buhala A; Vizler C; Cieslik JP; Kovacevic Z; Richardson DR; Ruckhäberle E; Niederacher D; Fehm T; Neubauer H; Ludescher M, 2021, 'Correction to: Progesterone receptor membrane component 1 regulates lipid homeostasis and drives oncogenic signaling resulting in breast cancer progression (Breast Cancer Research, (2020), 22, 1, (75), 10.1186/s13058-020-01312-8)', Breast Cancer Research, 23, http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/s13058-020-01383-7

Lim SC; Geleta B; Maleki S; Richardson DR; Kovačević Ž, 2021, 'The metastasis suppressor NDRG1 directly regulates androgen receptor signaling in prostate cancer', Journal of Biological Chemistry, 297, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jbc.2021.101414

Geleta B; Park KC; Jansson PJ; Sahni S; Maleki S; Xu Z; Murakami T; Pajic M; Apte MV; Richardson DR; Kovacevic Z, 2021, 'Breaking the cycle: Targeting of NDRG1 to inhibit bi-directional oncogenic cross-talk between pancreatic cancer and stroma', FASEB Journal, 35, http://dx.doi.org/10.1096/fj.202002279R

Park KC; Paluncic J; Kovacevic Z; Richardson DR, 2020, 'Pharmacological targeting and the diverse functions of the metastasis suppressor, NDRG1, in cancer', Free Radical Biology and Medicine, 157, pp. 154 - 175, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.freeradbiomed.2019.05.020

Lim SC; Jansson PJ; Assinder SJ; Maleki S; Richardson DR; Kovacevic Z, 2020, 'Unique targeting of androgen-dependent and -independent AR signaling in prostate cancer to overcome androgen resistance', FASEB Journal, 34, pp. 11511 - 11528, http://dx.doi.org/10.1096/fj.201903167R

Fouani L; Huang MLH; Cole L; Jansson PJ; Kovacevic Z; Richardson DR, 2020, 'During mitosis ZEB1 “switches” from being a chromatin-bound epithelial gene repressor, to become a microtubule-associated protein', Biochimica Et Biophysica Acta Molecular Cell Research, 1867, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.bbamcr.2020.118673

Maqbool SN; Lim SC; Park KC; Hanif R; Richardson DR; Jansson PJ; Kovacevic Z, 2020, 'Overcoming tamoxifen resistance in oestrogen receptor-positive breast cancer using the novel thiosemicarbazone anti-cancer agent, DpC', British Journal of Pharmacology, 177, pp. 2365 - 2380, http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/bph.14985

Park KC; Geleta B; Leck LYW; Paluncic J; Chiang S; Jansson PJ; Kovacevic Z; Richardson DR, 2020, 'Thiosemicarbazones suppress expression of the c-Met oncogene by mechanisms involving lysosomal degradation and intracellular shedding', Journal of Biological Chemistry, 295, pp. 481 - 503, http://dx.doi.org/10.1074/jbc.RA119.011341

Gamell C; Bandilovska I; Gulati T; Kogan A; Lim SC; Kovacevic Z; Takano EA; Timpone C; Agupitan AD; Litchfield C; Blandino G; Horvath LG; Fox SB; Williams SG; Russo A; Gallo E; Paul PJ; Mitchell C; Sandhu S; Keam SP; Haupt S; Richardson DR; Haupt Y, 2019, 'E6AP Promotes a Metastatic Phenotype in Prostate Cancer', Iscience, 22, pp. 1 - 15, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.isci.2019.10.065

Anjum R; Palanimuthu D; Kalinowski DS; Lewis W; Park KC; Kovacevic Z; Khan IU; Richardson DR, 2019, 'Synthesis, Characterization, and in Vitro Anticancer Activity of Copper and Zinc Bis(Thiosemicarbazone) Complexes', Inorganic Chemistry, 58, pp. 13709 - 13723, http://dx.doi.org/10.1021/acs.inorgchem.9b01281

Menezes SV; Kovacevic Z; Richardson DR, 2019, 'Erratum: The metastasis suppressor NRDRG1 down-regulates the epidermal growth factor receptor via a lysosomal mechanism by up-regulating mitogen-inducible gene 6 (Journal of Biological Chemistry (2019) 294 (4045–4064)DOI: 10.1074/jbc.RA118.006279', Journal of Biological Chemistry, 294, pp. 11675, http://dx.doi.org/10.1074/jbc.AAC119.010021

Yunus M; Jansson PJ; Kovacevic Z; Kalinowski DS; Richardson DR, 2019, 'Tumor-induced neoangiogenesis and receptor tyrosine kinases – Mechanisms and strategies for acquired resistance', Biochimica Et Biophysica Acta General Subjects, 1863, pp. 1217 - 1225, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.bbagen.2019.04.017

Sahni S; Park KC; Kovacevic Z; Richardson DR, 2019, 'Two mechanisms involving the autophagic and proteasomal pathways process the metastasis suppressor protein, N-myc downstream regulated gene 1', Biochimica Et Biophysica Acta Molecular Basis of Disease, 1865, pp. 1361 - 1378, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.bbadis.2019.02.008

Menezes SV; Kovacevic Z; Richardson DR, 2019, 'The metastasis suppressor NDRG1 down-regulates the epidermal growth factor receptor via a lysosomal mechanism by up-regulating mitogen-inducible gene 6', Journal of Biological Chemistry, 294, pp. 4045 - 4064, http://dx.doi.org/10.1074/jbc.RA118.006279

Moussa RS; Park KC; Kovacevic Z; Richardson DR, 2019, 'Ironing out the role of the cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor, p21 in cancer: Novel iron chelating agents to target p21 expression and activity', Free Radical Biology and Medicine, 133, pp. 276 - 294, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.freeradbiomed.2018.03.027

Merlot AM; Kalinowski DS; Kovacevic Z; Jansson PJ; Sahni S; Huang MLH; Lane DJR; Lok H; Richardson DR, 2019, 'Exploiting cancer metal metabolism using anti-cancer metal- binding agents', Current Medicinal Chemistry, 26, pp. 302 - 322, http://dx.doi.org/10.2174/0929867324666170705120809

Fouani L; Kovacevic Z; Richardson DR, 2019, 'Targeting oncogenic nuclear factor kappa B signaling with redox-active agents for cancer treatment', Antioxidants and Redox Signaling, 30, pp. 1096 - 1123, http://dx.doi.org/10.1089/ars.2017.7387

Menezes S; Fouani L; Huang M; Geleta B; Maleki S; Richardson A; Richardson D; Kovacevic Z, 2018, 'The Metastasis Suppressor, NDRG1 Attenuates Oncogenic TGF-β and NF-ĸB Signaling to Enhance Membrane E-Cadherin Expression in Pancreatic Cancer Cell', Carcinogenesis, http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/carcin/bgy178

Park KC; Menezes SV; Kalinowski DS; Sahni S; Jansson PJ; Kovacevic Z; Richardson DR, 2018, 'Identification of differential phosphorylation and sub-cellular localization of the metastasis suppressor, NDRG1', Biochimica Et Biophysica Acta Molecular Basis of Disease, 1864, pp. 2644 - 2663, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.bbadis.2018.04.011

Moussa RS; Kovacevic Z; Bae DH; Lane DJR; Richardson DR, 2018, 'Transcriptional regulation of the cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor, p21CIP1/WAF1, by the chelator, Dp44mT', Biochimica Et Biophysica Acta General Subjects, 1862, pp. 761 - 774, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.bbagen.2017.10.009

Menezes SV; Kovacevic Z; Richardson D, 2018, 'Abstract A165: Novel thiosemicarbazone, Dp44mT, promotes NDRG1 to downregulate oncogenic signaling pathways in cancer', Molecular Cancer Therapeutics, 17, pp. a165 - a165, http://dx.doi.org/10.1158/1535-7163.targ-17-a165

Menezes S; Kovacevic Z; Richardson D, 2018, 'P-106 The redox-active thiosemicarbazone, Dp44mT promotes NDRG1 to down-regulate oncogenic signaling pathways in cancer', Free Radical Biology and Medicine, 120, pp. s76 - s77, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.freeradbiomed.2018.04.253

Menezes SV; Sahni S; Kovacevic Z; Richardson DR, 2017, 'Interplay of the iron-regulated metastasis suppressor NDRG1 with epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and oncogenic signaling', Journal of Biological Chemistry, 292, pp. 12772 - 12782, http://dx.doi.org/10.1074/jbc.R117.776393

Xi R; Pun IHY; Menezes SV; Fouani L; Kalinowski DS; Huang MLH; Zhang X; Richardson DR; Kovacevic Z, 2017, 'Novel thiosemicarbazones inhibit lysine-rich carcinoembryonic antigen-related cell adhesion molecule 1 (CEACAM1) coisolated (LYRIC) and the LYRIC-induced epithelial-mesenchymal transition via upregulation of N-Myc downstream-regulated gene 1 (NDRG1)', Molecular Pharmacology, 91, pp. 499 - 517, http://dx.doi.org/10.1124/mol.116.107870

Kovacevic Z; Sahni S; Lok H; Davies MJ; Wink DA; Richardson DR, 2017, 'Regulation and control of nitric oxide (NO) in macrophages: Protecting the “professional killer cell” from its own cytotoxic arsenal via MRP1 and GSTP1', Biochimica Et Biophysica Acta General Subjects, 1861, pp. 995 - 999, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.bbagen.2017.02.021

Fouani L; Menezes SV; Paulson M; Richardson DR; Kovacevic Z, 2017, 'Metals and metastasis: Exploiting the role of metals in cancer metastasis to develop novel anti-metastatic agents', Pharmacological Research, 115, pp. 275 - 287, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.phrs.2016.12.001

Lok HC; Sahni S; Jansson PJ; Kovacevic Z; Hawkins CL; Richardson DR, 2016, 'A nitric oxide storage and transport system that protects activated macrophages from endogenous nitric oxide cytotoxicity', Journal of Biological Chemistry, 291, pp. 27042 - 27061, http://dx.doi.org/10.1074/jbc.M116.763714

Cahill MA; Jazayeri JA; Catalano SM; Toyokuni S; Kovacevic Z; Richardson DR, 2016, 'The emerging role of progesterone receptor membrane component 1 (PGRMC1) in cancer biology', Biochimica Et Biophysica Acta Reviews on Cancer, 1866, pp. 339 - 349, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.bbcan.2016.07.004

Guo ZL; Richardson DR; Kalinowski DS; Kovacevic Z; Tan-Un KC; Chan GCF, 2016, 'The novel thiosemicarbazone, di-2-pyridylketone 4-cyclohexyl-4-methyl-3-thiosemicarbazone (DpC), inhibits neuroblastoma growth in vitro and in vivo via multiple mechanisms', Journal of Hematology and Oncology, 9, http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/s13045-016-0330-x

Park KC; Fouani L; Jansson PJ; Wooi D; Sahni S; Lane DJR; Palanimuthu D; Lok HC; Kovačević Z; Huang MLH; Kalinowski DS; Richardson DR, 2016, 'Copper and conquer: Copper complexes of di-2-pyridylketone thiosemicarbazones as novel anti-cancer therapeutics', Metallomics, 8, pp. 874 - 886, http://dx.doi.org/10.1039/c6mt00105j

Cahill MA; Jazayeri JA; Kovacevic Z; Richardson DR, 2016, 'PGRMC1 regulation by phosphorylation: Potential new insights in controlling biological activity!', Oncotarget, 7, pp. 50822 - 50827, http://dx.doi.org/10.18632/oncotarget.10691

Gutierrez EM; Seebacher NA; Arzuman L; Kovacevic Z; Lane DJR; Richardson V; Merlot AM; Lok H; Kalinowski DS; Sahni S; Jansson PJ; Richardson DR, 2016, 'Lysosomal membrane stability plays a major role in the cytotoxic activity of the anti-proliferative agent, di-2-pyridylketone 4,4-dimethyl-3-thiosemicarbazone (Dp44mT)', Biochimica Et Biophysica Acta Molecular Cell Research, 1863, pp. 1665 - 1681, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.bbamcr.2016.04.017

Merlot AM; Shafie NH; Yu Y; Richardson V; Jansson PJ; Sahni S; Lane DJR; Kovacevic Z; Kalinowski DS; Richardson DR, 2016, 'Mechanism of the induction of endoplasmic reticulum stress by the anti-cancer agent, di-2-pyridylketone 4,4-dimethyl-3-thiosemicarbazone (Dp44mT): Activation of PERK/eIF2α, IRE1α, ATF6 and calmodulin kinase', Biochemical Pharmacology, 109, pp. 27 - 47, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.bcp.2016.04.001

Sahni S; Kovacevic Z; Kalinowski DS; Huang M; Menezes S; Krishan S; Lane DJ; Jansson PJ; Richardson DR, 2016, 'Targeting autophagy in antitumor agent design: Furthering the 'lysosomal love' strategy', Future Medicinal Chemistry, 8, pp. 727 - 729, http://dx.doi.org/10.4155/fmc-2016-0066

Wangpu X; Lu J; Xi R; Yue F; Sahni S; Park KC; Menezes S; Huang MLH; Zheng M; Kovacevic Z; Richardson DR, 2016, 'Targeting the metastasis suppressor, n-myc downstream regulated gene-1, with novel di-2-pyridylketone thiosemicarbazones: Suppression of tumor cell migration and cell-collagen adhesion by inhibiting focal adhesion kinase/paxillin signaling', Molecular Pharmacology, 89, pp. 521 - 540, http://dx.doi.org/10.1124/mol.115.103044

Kalinowski DS; Stefani C; Toyokuni S; Ganz T; Anderson GJ; Subramaniam NV; Trinder D; Olynyk JK; Chua A; Jansson PJ; Sahni S; Lane DJR; Merlot AM; Kovacevic Z; Huang MLH; Lee CS; Richardson DR, 2016, 'Redox cycling metals: Pedaling their roles in metabolism and their use in the development of novel therapeutics', Biochimica Et Biophysica Acta Molecular Cell Research, 1863, pp. 727 - 748, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.bbamcr.2016.01.026

Paluncic J; Kovacevic Z; Jansson PJ; Kalinowski D; Merlot AM; Huang MLH; Lok HC; Sahni S; Lane DJR; Richardson DR, 2016, 'Roads to melanoma: Key pathways and emerging players in melanoma progression and oncogenic signaling', Biochimica Et Biophysica Acta Molecular Cell Research, 1863, pp. 770 - 784, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.bbamcr.2016.01.025

Lane DJR; Saletta F; Rahmanto YS; Kovacevic Z; Richardson DR, 2016, 'Correction: N-myc Downstream Regulated 1 (NDRG1) is regulated by eukaryotic initiation factor 3a (eIF3a) during cellular stress caused by iron depletion', Plos One, 11, http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0149922

Kovacevic Z; Menezes SV; Sahni S; Kalinowski DS; Bae DH; Lane DJR; Richardson DR, 2016, 'The metastasis suppressor, N-MYC downstream-regulated gene-1 (NDRG1), down-regulates the ErbB family of receptors to inhibit downstream oncogenic signaling pathways', Journal of Biological Chemistry, 291, pp. 1029 - 1052, http://dx.doi.org/10.1074/jbc.M115.689653

Al-Eisawi Z; Stefani C; Jansson PJ; Arvind A; Sharpe PC; Basha MT; Iskander GM; Kumar N; Kovacevic Z; Lane DJR; Sahni S; Bernhardt PV; Richardson DR; Kalinowski DS, 2016, 'Novel Mechanism of Cytotoxicity for the Selective Selenosemicarbazone, 2-Acetylpyridine 4,4-Dimethyl-3-selenosemicarbazone (Ap44mSe): Lysosomal Membrane Permeabilization', Journal of Medicinal Chemistry, 59, pp. 294 - 312, http://dx.doi.org/10.1021/acs.jmedchem.5b01399

Kovacevic Z; Sahni S; Richardson DR, 2016, 'Copper that cancer with lysosomal love!', Aging, 8, pp. 210 - 211, http://dx.doi.org/10.18632/aging.100910

Chiang S; Kovacevic Z; Sahni S; Lane DJR; Merlot AM; Kalinowski DS; Huang MLH; Richardson DR, 2016, 'Frataxin and the molecular mechanism of mitochondrial iron-loading in Friedreich's ataxia', Clinical Science, 130, pp. 853 - 870, http://dx.doi.org/10.1042/CS20160072

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