Making medicines that target specific forms of Casein Kinase 1
Official title: Computer-aided design and development of isoform selective inhibitors of Casein Kinase 1
Funded at Queens College · NIH-11322635 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Researchers are using computer design and chemistry to create drugs that block specific forms of Casein Kinase 1 to help people with diseases linked to abnormal CK1 activity.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Queens College NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Flushing, United States) |
| Project start | May 22, 2023 |
| Project end | April 30, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $154,000 |
| NIH project number | 5R16GM149489-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11322635 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
People with cancers or other conditions thought to be driven by abnormal CK1 signaling would be the most likely candidates for future trials stemming from this work.
✕Less likely to help
Patients without CK1-related conditions or those seeking immediate treatment are unlikely to benefit from this early laboratory research.
What this research studies
This project will use computer models to design molecules that fit particular CK1 enzyme forms, then chemists will make those molecules in the lab. The compounds will be tested in biochemical assays and cell-based experiments to see how well they bind and block each CK1 isoform. Promising candidates will be optimized for greater selectivity and fewer off-target effects. The work is preclinical, focused on finding tool compounds that could lead to future patient therapies or trials.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lead to more precise drugs that target disease-related CK1 forms with fewer side effects than broad kinase inhibitors.
How similar studies have gone: Computer-aided drug design has produced selective kinase drugs before, but truly isoform-selective inhibitors for CK1 are rare, so this is a promising yet relatively novel approach for CK1.
Where this research is happening
-
Queens College
Flushing, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Choi, Jun-Yong — Queens College
- Study coordinator: Choi, Jun-Yong
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.