Project description
Synthesis of a natural inhibitor for cancer
Magnesium is a vital mineral for cells, playing a key role in many biochemical reactions, protein synthesis and bone health. Regulation of magnesium homeostasis is carried out by TRPM7. Although aberrant TRPM7 activity has been associated with cancer and neuronal diseases, the development of effective inhibitors has been hampered by limited access to potent and selective compounds. Waixenicin A, a naturally occurring molecule with exceptional inhibitory activity against TRPM7, holds considerable therapeutic promise but has remained largely inaccessible for in-depth pharmacological investigation. With the support of the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions programme, the WAIXYN project aims to address this by establishing a scalable method for Waixenicin A synthesis.
Objective
Waixenicin A (WaixA) is an exceptionally potent, selective inhibitor of TRPM7: the key regulator of cellular Mg(II) homeostasis. As such, it holds promise as a lead compound for treating diseases associated with aberrant TRPM7 activity, such as cancer and neuronal disorders. However, limited access to WaixA has prevented in-depth investigation of its mode of action and pharmacology. This proposal addresses these limitations by providing scalable synthetic access to WaixA (WP1), deciphering its mode of action (WP2), and developing analogs of WaixA with improved efficacy (WP3).
WP1 will develop a component-based synthesis of WaixA that constructs the strained (E)-cyclononene via efficient annellation of a linear precursor onto a cyclohexenone fragment using radical or ionic conjugate addition-trapping sequences. WP2 aims to unravel WaixA’s mode of action and binding site through cellular inhibition assays of TRPM7 and cryo-EM structure determination, and proposes an unprecedented, doubly covalent mechanism. WP3 targets second-generation inhibitors of TRPM7 with improved efficacy. These analogs will be synthesised via late-stage diversification in WaixA’s western fragment, or through rigidification of the proposed allylic acetate-pharmacophore or the cyclononene skeleton. Combined, WAIXYN represents the first integrated research effort to study and improve upon the fascinating pharmacophore of WaixA, providing cornerstones for future TRPM7 inhibitor development that can help study and treat diseases associated with aberrant TRPM7 activity in cells and in vivo. A practical synthetic platform to WaixA will enable access to other xenicin natural products and expand the narrow synthetic repertoire for constructing medium-sized carbocycles.
WAIXYN will provide extensive training in complex molecule synthesis, foster project leadership, and thus significantly contribute to the researcher's goal of leading a group at the interface of Chemistry and Biology.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
- medical and health sciences clinical medicine oncology
- medical and health sciences basic medicine physiology homeostasis
- medical and health sciences basic medicine pharmacology and pharmacy
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Keywords
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Programme(s)
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Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
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HORIZON.1.2 - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA)
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Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
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Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
HORIZON-TMA-MSCA-PF-EF - HORIZON TMA MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
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Call for proposal
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(opens in new window) HORIZON-MSCA-2025-PF
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6020 Innsbruck
Austria
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