Fundamental method development in all of these directions is the basis for applications and societal impact, with collaboration with sister departments, the AIMMS Research Accelerator and Amsterdam University Medical Center (AUMC) at the core.
Medicinal Chemistry
The research mission of Medicinal Chemistry is to gain a detailed molecular understanding of the binding and mechanism of action of biologically active molecules.
Medicinal Chemistry integrates the design, synthesis, and characterization of biologically active molecules. It explores new concepts such as chemogenomics and molecular signaling networks for more efficient drug discovery. We focus on G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) and Fragment-Based Drug Design (FBDD), particularly on the challenging structure-based FBDD for GPCRs.
Prof. Dr. Martine Smit, full Professor Target and Systems Biochemistry
Prof. Dr. Iwan de Esch, full Professor Drug Design & Synthesis
Prof. Dr. Rob Leurs, full Professor
Medicinal Chemistry consists of two research areas:
G Protein-Coupled Receptors (GPCRs)
GPCRs are key targets in drug development and remain crucial in modern drug discovery. Our group focuses on designing and synthesizing new ligands for various GPCRs, including histamine receptors and chemokine receptors. We integrate modern molecular pharmacological concepts, such as allosteric modulation, to gain deep insights into ligand activity and GPCR function.
In addition to canonical and atypical chemokine receptors, we also study viral (HCMV)-encoded GPCRs, all of which play roles in inflammatory diseases and cancer. To target these GPCRs, we are developing GPCR-directed nanobodies as novel tools for modulating (viral) GPCR functions.
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