Drugging the Undruggable: Discovery of Protein-Protein Interaction Modulators Using Diversity-Oriented Synthesis

Objective

This proposal aims to exploit diversity-oriented synthesis in order to lay the scientific and technological foundations for the development of enzyme inhibition by protein-protein interaction (PPI) modulation as a tool for chemical biology and molecular therapeutics. We will deploy diversity-oriented synthesis lead discovery to explore concepts for PPI modulation in important enzyme families. This work will yield new chemical entities with a spectrum of properties directed against candidate macromolecular interactions important in the regulation of enzymes that mediate key biological pathways. The proposed work has the potential to transform current approaches to drug discovery, and to radically extend the repertoire of tools available for chemical biology. It will help to address the problem of identifying small-molecule inhibitors of PPIs, widely accepted to be of major fundamental and practical significance to biomedical science.

Fields of science

• medical and health sciences › basic medicine › pharmacology and pharmacy › drug discovery
• natural sciences › biological sciences › biochemistry › biomolecules › proteins › proteomics
• natural sciences › biological sciences › biochemistry › biomolecules › proteins › enzymes

Programme(s)

• FP7-IDEAS-ERC - Specific programme: "Ideas" implementing the Seventh Framework Programme of the European Community for research, technological development and demonstration activities (2007 to 2013)

Topic(s)

• ERC-SG-PE5 - ERC Starting Grant - Materials and Synthesis

Call for proposal

ERC-2011-StG_20101014
See other projects for this call

Funding Scheme

ERC-SG - ERC Starting Grant

Host institution

THE CHANCELLOR MASTERS AND SCHOLARS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CAMBRIDGE

Address

Trinity Lane The Old Schools
CB2 1TN Cambridge
United Kingdom

Activity type

Higher or Secondary Education Establishments

EU contribution

€ 1 499 723

Principal investigator

David Spring (Dr.)

Administrative Contact

Renata Schaeffer (Ms.)

Beneficiaries (1)

THE CHANCELLOR MASTERS AND SCHOLARS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CAMBRIDGE

United Kingdom

EU contribution

€ 1 499 723

Address

Trinity Lane The Old Schools
CB2 1TN Cambridge

Activity type

Higher or Secondary Education Establishments

Principal investigator

David Spring (Dr.)

Administrative Contact

Renata Schaeffer (Ms.)