The metabotropic glutamate receptor mGluR7 is widely expressed throughout the CNS and has been implicated in numerous CNS disorders.  WuXi AppTec scientists recently contributed to a study which led to the identification, optimization, and characterization of a highly potent, novel mGluR7 allosteric agonist, designated CVN636.  The authors show that CVN636 has high selectivity toward mGluR7, …Read More >

WuXi AppTec scientists recently contributed to a study which led to the discovery and optimization of a novel series of GST inhibitors. The authors used affinity mediated DEL selection against a privileged scaffold to identify a compound with potent inhibition against SjGST and GSTM2. SAR studies, coupled with X-ray crystallography and structural analysis, revealed that …Read More >

Tissue transglutaminase (TG2) is a multifunctional enzyme activated in several pathological conditions, including cancer. WuXi AppTec recently contributed to a study which used a targeted protein degradation strategy to abolish TG2’s myriad of functions. The authors synthesized and characterized a series of VHL-based degraders that reduce TG2 in ovarian cancer cells in a proteasome-dependent manner.

WuXi AppTec scientists contributed to a study which identified a novel, indole-based, selective estrogen receptor degrader (SERD), designated LX-039. The authors show that LX-039 exhibits potent activity in ER degradation and proliferation assays. With favorable ADME/PK properties, LX-039 also exhibits higher efficacy in a tamoxifen-resistant MCF7 CDX model compared to fulvestrant, with up to 90% inhibition …Read More >

WuXi AppTec scientists recently contributed to a research article in Cell Chemical Biology demonstrating the successful conversion of ligands identified from DNA-encoded library (DEL) screening into highly functional, cell-active, bioluminescence resonance energy transfer (BRET) probes. The authors show that analyzing preliminary DEL hits based on target occupancy data generated in live, intact cells is an …Read More >

WuXi AppTec scientists collaborated on a study to characterize a series of pyrroloquinoline derivatives that were designed and synthesized to understand the effect of various substitutions on human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) polymerase activity, antiviral activity, and hERG inhibition.  Results suggest that substitutions can be fine-tuned to reduce hERG inhibition while maintaining HCMV antiviral potency. The abstract …Read More >

WuXi AppTec scientists recently contributed to a research study which utilized an affinity purification mass spectrometry approach to identify nuclear interacting partners of Transcriptional Enhanced Associate Domain (TEAD) proteins.  The authors found a significant enrichment of interacting proteins linked to DNA damage, and they showed that depletion of TEAD transcription factors makes cells more susceptible …Read More >

Macrocyclic peptides are an emerging molecular class for targeting intracellular protein–protein interactions (PPIs) and for providing an oral modality for drug targets. Herein, we use DNA-encoded cyclic peptide libraries to discover a neutral nonapeptide, UNP-6457, that inhibits MDM2–p53 interaction with an IC50 of 8.9 nM. These studies showcase how tailored DEL libraries can directly yield …Read More >

Dual leucine zipper kinase (DLK) and leucine zipper-bearing kinase (LZK) have emerged as key regulators of neuronal degeneration and axon growth.  WuXi AppTec scientists recently contributed to a research article in the Journal of Medicinal Chemistry demonstrating the use of ligand- and structure-based drug design approaches to discover an amino-pyrazine chemical series of DLK and …Read More >