Chemistry breakthrough that advances drug discovery is ‘stuff of dreams’

Issued by University of Leicester Press Office on 24 September 2014

Scientists lend Mother Nature a helping hand in fight against cancer and Alzheimer’s

Leicester team develops new, more effective way to make amino acids that can be used to make more effective drugs with fewer side effects

Toxin from sea snail could provide hope for new pain killer

Research group is at forefront of drug discovery



Contact pressoffice@le.ac.uk to request images



Chemists at the University of Leicester have reported a breakthrough in techniques to develop new drugs in the fight against diseases such as cancer and Alzheimer’s.



The team has developed an innovative process allowing them to generate a particular type of synthetic amino acid – and a particular type of designer protein - that has not been done before.



The advance is announced by the Jamieson Research Group in the Department of Chemistry at the University of Leicester. Their work, funded by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC), is published in the Royal Society of Chemistry journal Organic and Biomolecular Chemistry.



Dr Andrew Jamieson, lead scientist, said: “We are very proud of this research, it has taken several years of hard work to master the chemistry techniques to create these new building blocks but now that we have conquered it we have access to new building blocks that people have only ever dreamed of before!”



Amino acids are Mother Nature’s building blocks. They are used to make all proteins and so are essential for life, however Mother Nature only uses twenty of these building blocks. The Leicester research involves the chemical synthesis of unnatural amino acids that can be used to make unnatural mini-proteins with new 3D structures and importantly new functions.



Dr Jamieson said: “We are particular interested in using our new building blocks to develop innovative new protein drugs for the treatment of cancer and Alzheimer's disease.



“Unnatural amino acids, the building blocks, are described as chiral, meaning they have “handedness”. A robust synthesis to selectively produce molecules with a particular handedness has not previously been reported.



“Our new practical method allows us to selectively synthesise only the “right handed molecules”.



“This new research is important because it has uncovered a new, easier and quicker way to make these building blocks which can be used to make new drugs. We now have access to new building blocks to develop innovative new protein drugs for the treatment of disease.



“We are actively using these building blocks to develop new treatments for cancer and Alzheimer's disease. We have also had a summer student use the building blocks to synthesise a toxin produced by a sea snail, and hope to develop this as a new pain killer.”



Dr Jamieson said innovative new strategies are required for drug discovery that can provide highly potent drugs with no side-effects. Access to these new building blocks is the first step in developing their innovative new protein drug strategy.

Robust Asymmetric Synthesis of Unnatural Alkenyl Amino Acids for Conformationally Constrained a-Helix Peptides

Organic & Biomolecular Chemistry , 2014, DOI: 10.1039/C4OB01832J

, 2014, DOI: 10.1039/C4OB01832J Download the Accepted Manuscript PDF

Ends

Notes to editors:



Dr Jamieson is available for interview on:



andrew.jamieson@le.ac.uk

Skype: andjam1

www.le.ac.uk/jamiesongroup





The Engineering and Physical Sciences research Council (EPSRC) is the UK’s main agency for funding research in engineering and physical sciences. EPSRC invests around £850m a year in research and postgraduate training, to help the nation handle the next generation of technological change.



The areas covered range from information technology to structural engineering, and mathematics to materials science. This research forms the basis for future economic development in the UK and improvements for everyone’s health, lifestyle and culture. EPSRC also actively promotes public awareness of science and engineering. EPSRC works alongside other Research Councils with responsibility for other areas of research. The Research Councils work collectively on issues of common concern via research Councils UK.

