Research project
Small-Molecule Modulators of the Activity of the Nucleotide Kinase, dCK
Summary of the research project
The aim of this application is to obtain a 10-month Imera Fellowship to spend a sabbatical period in the laboratories of Profs. P. Dubreuil and X. Morelli, at Marseille’s Institut Paoli Calmette, and expand a collaborative effort centering on the development of innovative therapies to treat diverse cancerous and viral diseases, including AIDS.The proposed research is based on noteworthy preliminary results obtained with a small-molecule compound conceived by Dubreuil and Morelli, and synthesized in Ciufolini’s laboratories, at the University of British Columbia, Canada. The results obtained so far point the way to the development of novel combination therapies that are expected to increase the efficacy of many anticancer and antiviral drugs, while greatly diminishing their problematic side effects. The benefit to patients suffering from cancerous and viral diseases is anticipated to be significant.
Biography
B. 1956, Rome, Italy; BS 1978 String Hill College, Mobile, AL, PhD 1981, Univ. of Michigan (M. Koreeda); Postdoc, 1982-84 Yale University (S. Danishefsky); Assistant (1984-89), Associate (1989-97), Full Professor (1997-98), Rice University, Houston, TX; Professor of Organic Chemistry, Univ. Claude Bernard Lyon 1 and ESCPE Lyon (1997-2004); Professor and Canada Research Chair, Univ. of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada, 2004-present. More than 150 peer-reviewed publications, 1 monograph, 30 patents applications, several invited book chapters and publications in general science journals; more than 6000 citations, H-index = 42, top 5% of all cited authors in chemistry; contributed to the development of a number of drugs, 2 of which are currently on the market (Masitinib and Patisiran)
