Understanding How Nature Builds Drug-Like Molecules
Understanding How Nonheme Iron-Dependent Enzymes Assemble Pharmacophores: Studies of Cyclopropane, Aziridine, and Isonitrile Formation
This project aims to discover how special enzymes in nature create important building blocks for medicines, like those found in many drugs.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | North Carolina State University Raleigh NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Raleigh, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11181497 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
Our bodies and nature use clever ways to build complex molecules, a process called late-stage functionalization, which is also useful in making new drugs. This work focuses on a group of enzymes that use iron and a molecule called 2-oxoglutarate to perform many different chemical changes. By understanding how these enzymes create unique structures like cyclopropanes and aziridines, which are common in medicines, we can learn to design new and better drugs. This knowledge could help us find new ways to create drug components that are currently hard to make.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: This foundational laboratory research does not involve direct patient participation, but its findings could eventually benefit patients needing new drug therapies.
Not a fit: Patients seeking immediate treatment or direct clinical intervention would not receive benefit from this basic science project.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this fundamental understanding could lead to new methods for developing a wider range of effective medications for various conditions.
How similar studies have performed: Preliminary bioinformatics and retro-biosynthetic analyses have successfully identified some of these specific enzymes, suggesting a promising approach.
Where this research is happening
Raleigh, United States
- North Carolina State University Raleigh — Raleigh, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Chang, Wei-Chen — North Carolina State University Raleigh
- Study coordinator: Chang, Wei-Chen
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 below.