Overview
Background
Dr. Alex Smith is a Research Fellow at UQ's School of Chemical Engineering. His interests are in understanding structure: function relationships between complex carbohydrates (such as heparan sulphate) and proteins, and how these interactions can inform the development of glycotherapeutic agents to treat a wide variety of injuries and diseases.
Availability
- Dr Alex Smith is:
- Available for supervision
Fields of research
Research interests
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Heparan sulphate and other glycosaminoglycans
Understanding structure: function relationships between complex carbohydrates such as heparan sulphate and the myriad of proteins to which heparan sulphate binds. Specifically, assessing interactions between heparan sulphate and proteins involved in wound healing, inflammation, cell survival, and differentiation.
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Cell membrane engineering
Developing novel strategies for cell membrane engineering using glycoconjugates to influence cell behaviour.
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Glycotherapeutics
Assessing the potential of using heparan sulphate and synthetic heparan sulphate mimetics in the treatment of numerous diseases, injuries, and as media additives in the expansion of therapeutically relevant cell types.
Works
Search Professor Alex Smith’s works on UQ eSpace
Featured
2023
Journal Article
Enhancing BMP-2-mediated osteogenesis with a synthetic heparan sulfate mimetic
Smith, Raymond A. A., Luo, Xiaoman, Lu, Xiaohua, Tan, Tuan Chun, Le, Bach Q., Zubkova, Olga V., Tyler, Peter C., Nurcombe, Victor and Cool, Simon M. (2023). Enhancing BMP-2-mediated osteogenesis with a synthetic heparan sulfate mimetic. Biomaterials Advances, 155 213671, 1-17. doi: 10.1016/j.bioadv.2023.213671
Featured
2020
Journal Article
Heparan sulfate proteoglycans: key mediators of stem cell function
Ravikumar, Maanasa, Smith, Raymond Alexander Alfred, Nurcombe, Victor and Cool, Simon M. (2020). Heparan sulfate proteoglycans: key mediators of stem cell function. Frontiers in Cell and Developmental Biology, 8 581213, 581213. doi: 10.3389/fcell.2020.581213
Featured
2018
Journal Article
Minimum structural requirements for BMP-2-binding of heparin oligosaccharides
Smith, Raymond A.A., Murali, Sadasivam, Rai, Bina, Lu, Xiaohua, Lim, Zophia Xue Hui, Lee, Jaslyn J.L., Nurcombe, Victor and Cool, Simon M. (2018). Minimum structural requirements for BMP-2-binding of heparin oligosaccharides. Biomaterials, 184, 41-55. doi: 10.1016/j.biomaterials.2018.08.056
Featured
2014
Journal Article
Glycocalyx remodeling with proteoglycan mimetics promotes neural specification in embryonic stem cells
Huang, Mia L., Smith, Raymond A. A., Trieger, Greg W. and Godula, Kamil (2014). Glycocalyx remodeling with proteoglycan mimetics promotes neural specification in embryonic stem cells. Journal of the American Chemical Society, 136 (30), 10565-10568. doi: 10.1021/ja505012a
2024
Journal Article
Amphiphilic heparinoids as potent antiviral agents against SARS-CoV-2
Chhabra, Mohit, Shanthamurthy, Chethan D., Kumar, Nanjudaswamy Vijendra, Mardhekar, Sandhya, Vishweshwara, Sharath S., Wimmer, Norbert, Modhiran, Naphak, Watterson, Daniel, Amarilla, Alberto A., Cha, Jonathan S., Beckett, James R., De Voss, James J., Kayal, Yasmin, Vlodavsky, Israel, Dorsett, Lauren R., Smith, Raymond A. A., Gandhi, Neha S., Kikkeri, Raghavendra and Ferro, Vito (2024). Amphiphilic heparinoids as potent antiviral agents against SARS-CoV-2. Journal of Medicinal Chemistry, 67 (14), 11885-11916. doi: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.4c00487
2024
Conference Publication
Preserving clinical efficacy of mesenchymal stem cells with glycosaminoglycan additives
Shokoohmand, A., Srinivasan, A., Ling, L., Silva, F. Rodrigues de Oliveira, Eio, M.Y., Lu, X., Loberas, M., Tao, K., Tan, C., Nurcombe, V., Hui, J., Smith, R. and Cool, S. (2024). Preserving clinical efficacy of mesenchymal stem cells with glycosaminoglycan additives. 30th Annual ISCT Meeting, Vancouver, BC, Canada, 29 May - 1 June 2024. Oxford, United Kingdom: Elsevier. doi: 10.1016/j.jcyt.2024.03.116
2024
Journal Article
Rational synthesis of a heparan sulfate saccharide that promotes the activity of BMP2
Shaffer, Karl J., Smith, Raymond A. A., Daines, Alison M., Luo, Xiaoman, Lu, Xiaohua, Tan, Tuan Chun, Le, Bach Q., Schwörer, Ralf, Hinkley, Simon F. R., Tyler, Peter C., Nurcombe, Victor and Cool, Simon M. (2024). Rational synthesis of a heparan sulfate saccharide that promotes the activity of BMP2. Carbohydrate Polymers, 333 121979, 121979. doi: 10.1016/j.carbpol.2024.121979
2023
Journal Article
Affinity-selected heparan sulfate collagen device promotes periodontal regeneration in an intrabony defect model in Macaca fascicularis
Luo, Xiaoman, Lau, Chau Sang, Le, Bach Quang, Tan, Tuan Chun, Too, Jian Hui, Smith, Raymond Alexander Alfred, Yu, Na and Cool, Simon M. (2023). Affinity-selected heparan sulfate collagen device promotes periodontal regeneration in an intrabony defect model in Macaca fascicularis. Scientific Reports, 13 (1) 11774, 1-15. doi: 10.1038/s41598-023-38818-y
2023
Journal Article
Bioactive polyethylene by ring opening metathesis polymerization for potential orthopaedic applications
Guo, Jiayi, Park, Eun Ju, Teo, Yew Chin, Abbas, Asyraf, Goh, Denise, Smith, Raymond Alexander Alfred, Nie, Yuntong, Nguyen, Hang T. L., Yeong, Joe Poh Sheng, Cool, Simon, Haruyuki, Makio and Teo, Peili (2023). Bioactive polyethylene by ring opening metathesis polymerization for potential orthopaedic applications. Polymer Chemistry, 14 (15), 1743-1751. doi: 10.1039/d2py01545e
2022
Journal Article
Bioactive PCL-peptide and PLA-peptide brush copolymers for bone tissue engineering
Teo, Yew Chin, Park, Eun Ju, Guo, Jiayi, Abbas, Asyraf, Smith, Raymond Alexander Alfred, Goh, Denise, Yeong, Joe Poh Sheng, Cool, Simon and Teo, Peili (2022). Bioactive PCL-peptide and PLA-peptide brush copolymers for bone tissue engineering. ACS Applied Bio Materials, 5 (10), 4770-4778. doi: 10.1021/acsabm.2c00455
2022
Journal Article
Strategies to enhance immunomodulatory properties and reduce heterogeneity in mesenchymal stromal cells during ex vivo expansion
Srinivasan, Akshaya, Sathiyanathan, Padmapriya, Yin, Lu, Liu, Tong Ming, Lam, Alan, Ravikumar, Maanasa, Smith, Raymond Alexander Alfred, Loh, Han Ping, Zhang, Ying, Ling, Ling, Ng, Say Kong, Yang, Yuan Sheng, Lezhava, Alexander, Hui, James, Oh, Steve and Cool, Simon M. (2022). Strategies to enhance immunomodulatory properties and reduce heterogeneity in mesenchymal stromal cells during ex vivo expansion. Cytotherapy, 24 (5), 456-472. doi: 10.1016/j.jcyt.2021.11.009
2022
Journal Article
Variability in the composition of porcine mucosal heparan sulfates
Sargison, Liam, Smith, Raymond A A, Carnachan, Susan M, Daines, Alison M, Brackovic, Amira, Kidgell, Joel T, Nurcombe, Victor, Cool, Simon M, Sims, Ian M and Hinkley, Simon F R (2022). Variability in the composition of porcine mucosal heparan sulfates. Carbohydrate Polymers, 282 119081, 119081. doi: 10.1016/j.carbpol.2021.119081
2021
Journal Article
Application of a BMP2-binding heparan sulphate to promote periodontal regeneration
Le, B. Q., Too, J. H., Tan, T. C., Smith, R. A. A., Nurcombe, , Cool, S. M. and Yu, N. (2021). Application of a BMP2-binding heparan sulphate to promote periodontal regeneration. European Cells and Materials, 42, 139-153. doi: 10.22203/eCM.v042a10
2020
Journal Article
Vascular endothelial growth factor 165-binding heparan sulfate promotes functional recovery from cerebral ischemia
Chan, Su Jing, Esposito, Elga, Hayakawa, Kazuhide, Mandaville, Emiri, Smith, Raymond A. A., Guo, Shuzhen, Niu, Wanting, Wong, Peter Tsun-Hong, Cool, Simon M., Lo, Eng H. and Nurcombe, Victor (2020). Vascular endothelial growth factor 165-binding heparan sulfate promotes functional recovery from cerebral ischemia. Stroke, 51 (9), 2844-2853. doi: 10.1161/STROKEAHA.119.025304
2020
Journal Article
A synthetic heparan sulphate mimetic for enhancing BMP-2-mediated osteogenesis and bone regeneration
Smith, R.A., Lu, X., Tan, T., Luo, X., Le, B.Q., Zubkova, O.V., Cool, S. and Nurcombe, V. (2020). A synthetic heparan sulphate mimetic for enhancing BMP-2-mediated osteogenesis and bone regeneration. Cytotherapy, 22 (5), S32-S32. doi: 10.1016/j.jcyt.2020.03.017
2020
Journal Article
Enhancing the efficacy of stem cell therapy with glycosaminoglycans
Ling, Ling, Ren, Xiafei, Cao, Xue, Hassan, Afizah Binte Mohd, Mah, Sophia, Sathiyanathan, Padmapriya, Smith, Raymond A. A., Tan, Clarissa L. L., Eio, Michelle, Samsonraj, Rebekah M., Van Wijnen, Andre J., Raghunath, Michael, Nurcombe, Victor, Hui, James H. and Cool, Simon M. (2020). Enhancing the efficacy of stem cell therapy with glycosaminoglycans. Stem Cell Reports, 14 (1), 105-121. doi: 10.1016/j.stemcr.2019.12.003
2019
Journal Article
Bringing heparan sulfate glycomics together with proteomics for the design of novel therapeutics: A historical perspective
Nurcombe, Victor, Ling, Ling, Hondermarck, Hubert, Cool, Simon M. and Smith, Raymond A. A. (2019). Bringing heparan sulfate glycomics together with proteomics for the design of novel therapeutics: A historical perspective. Proteomics, 19 (21-22) 1800466, 1800466. doi: 10.1002/pmic.201800466
2019
Conference Publication
Biomimicry of glycosaminoglycans in the bone marrow microenvironment favour the expansion of highly potent human mesenchymal stem cells
Ling, L., Ren, X., Hassan, A. Binte Mohd, Mah, S., Smith, R. A., Tan, C., van Wijnen, A., Raghunath, M., Nurcombe, V., Hui, J. and Cool, S. (2019). Biomimicry of glycosaminoglycans in the bone marrow microenvironment favour the expansion of highly potent human mesenchymal stem cells. ISCT 2019, Melbourne, VIC, Australia, 29 May - 1 June 2019. Oxford, United Kingdom: Elsevier. doi: 10.1016/j.jcyt.2019.03.463
2019
Journal Article
A heparan sulfate device for the regeneration of osteochondral defects
Lee, Jonathan H., Luo, Xiaoman, Ren, Xiafei, Tan, Tuan Chun, Smith, Raymond A.A., Swaminathan, Kunchithapadam, Sekar, Sakthivel, Bhakoo, Kishore, Nurcombe, Victor, Hui, James H. and Cool, Simon M. (2019). A heparan sulfate device for the regeneration of osteochondral defects. Tissue Engineering - Part A, 25 (5-6), 352-363. doi: 10.1089/ten.tea.2018.0171
2018
Journal Article
Dendrimer heparan sulfate glycomimetics: potent heparanase inhibitors for anticancer therapy
Zubkova, Olga V., Ahmed, Yassir A., Guimond, Scott E., Noble, Sophia-Louise, Miller, John Holmes, Smith, Raymond Alexander Alfred, Nurcombe, Victor, Tyler, Peter C., Weissmann, Marina, Vlodavsky, Israel and Turnbull, Jeremy E. (2018). Dendrimer heparan sulfate glycomimetics: potent heparanase inhibitors for anticancer therapy. ACS Chemical Biology, 13 (12), 3236-3242. doi: 10.1021/acschembio.8b00909
Funding
Past funding
Supervision
Availability
- Dr Alex Smith is:
- Available for supervision
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Supervision history
Current supervision
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Doctor Philosophy
Elucidating the effects of potency biomarkers on cellular reprogramming and differentiation in adult stem cells
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Associate Professor Nathan Palpant, Professor Simon Cool
Media
Enquiries
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