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

本项目拟开发和探索硒核酸在长核酸及其蛋白复合物的三维结构研究和药物发现，特别是药物靶点表征方面的潜在价值。核酸及其蛋白复合物已被认为是癌症治疗的重要药物靶点。dna是许多具有抗癌活性的小分子药物的常见靶点。dna及其配体复合物的高分辨率结构在药物设计、发现和机制研究中至关重要。x射线晶体学是测定这些大分子和复合物结构的最直接和最有力的工具之一。而晶体学是提供这些大分子高分辨率结构信息的最佳策略之一。研究小组正在开发新的硒策略，以提高核酸及其配体复合物（包括蛋白质和小分子）的结构分辨率，用于药物靶点研究和药物开发。本提案的总体目标是开发和商业化SeNA策略，用于确定核酸及其与小分子药物（或潜在药物）和蛋白质复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。硒核酸的研究将提供对核酸化学和生物化学、结构和功能特性的深入了解，这是科学界和公众非常感兴趣的。硒核酸可能导致新的材料和应用。此外，这个拟议的项目将使这些有价值的新材料得到广泛的利用。这些潜在的发现可能会鼓励它们的广泛使用，并允许更广泛地利用这些独特的材料进行功能和结构研究。

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.