Final Activity Report Summary - DRUG DESIGN (Drug design by structural thermodynamics)
The main goal of this project was to attract and retain a young scientist working in the USA to return and establish a research laboratory in Lithuania. As a result of the project, the laboratory of Biothermodynamics and Drug Design was established at the Institute of Biotechnology, Vilnius, Lithuania. The scientist, Daumantas Matulis, has returned to Europe, brought extensive experience from his work at Johnson&Johnson Pharmaceutical Research and Development, and doctoral-postdoctoral experience from University of Minnesota. The Marie Curie grant enabled the researcher to start a new research theme - drug design by structural thermodynamics. The institute did not carry out research in this field prior to the scientist's return. Together with the help of EU structural funds and Lithuanian Science and Studies Foundation, new equipment and research reagents were purchased. Twelve permanent staff positions were established and supported by Lithuanian state budget. One of the main tasks of this project was to design novel inhibitors that may become drug candidates with anticancer activities. As a result of the project, a group of novel inhibitors were rationally designed by structural thermodynamics, synthesised and biophysically tested to be active against human body target proteins. Patent application was submitted for this group of inhibitors. Though numerous testing will be necessary before a drug candidate may be made in the laboratory, the beginning was successful, largely due to Marie Curie International Reintegration grant.