I-Corps: Selenium Nucleic Acids for Structure Determination, Drug Discovery and Commercialization

本项目计划开发和探索硒核酸在三维结构研究和较长核酸及其蛋白质络合物的药物发现，特别是药物靶标表征方面的潜在价值。核酸及其蛋白质复合体已被认为是治疗癌症的重要药物靶点。DNA是许多具有抗癌活性的小分子药物的常见靶点。DNA及其配体络合物的高分辨结构在药物设计、发现和机制研究中具有重要意义。X射线结晶学是确定这些大分子及其络合物结构的最直接、最有力的工具之一。此外，结晶学是提供高分辨率大分子结构信息的最佳手段之一。该研究小组正在开发新的硒策略，以提高核酸及其与配体(包括蛋白质和小分子)的络合物的结构分辨率，用于药物靶标研究和药物开发。这项建议的总体目标是开发和商业化SENA战略，以确定核酸及其与小分子药物(或潜在药物)和蛋白质络合物的高分辨率晶体结构，用于疾病研究(如癌症研究)和药物开发。因此，核酸研究将提供对核酸化学和生物化学以及结构和功能性质的见解，这是科学界和公众非常感兴趣的。硒核酸可能会带来新的材料和应用。此外，这个拟议的项目将使人们能够广泛获得这些有价值的新材料。这些潜在的发现可能会鼓励它们的广泛使用，并允许更广泛地获得这些独特的材料，用于功能和结构研究。

This project plans to develop and explore potential value of selenium nucleic acids in 3D structure studies and drug discovery of the longer nucleic acids and their protein complexes, especially drug target characterization. Nucleic acids and their protein complexes have been recognized as important drugs targets in cancer treatments. DNAs are frequent targets of many small-molecule drugs with anticancer activities. High-resolution structures of DNAs and their ligand complexes are critical in drug design, discovery, and mechanism study. X-ray crystallography is one of the most direct and powerful tools for structure determination of these macromolecules and complexes. Moreover, crystallography is one of the best strategies to provide structure information of these macromolecules with high resolutions. The research team is developing novel selenium strategies to increase structure resolutions of nucleic acids and their complexes with ligands (including proteins and small molecules) for drug target study and drug development. The overall goal of this proposal is to develop and commercialize the SeNA strategies for determining high-resolution crystal structures of nucleic acids and their complexes with small molecule drugs (or potential drugs) and protein complexes for disease study (such as cancer research) and drug development.Se-nucleic acid research will provide insights into nucleic acid chemistry and biochemistry, and the structural and functional properties, which are of great interest to scientific community as well as to the general public. Se-nucleic acids may lead to novel materials and applications. Furthermore, this proposed project will allow the widespread access to these valuable new materials. These potential discoveries could encourage their widespread use and allow broader access to these unique materials for function and structure studies.