Spring Update 2008 - narrative

Update on Progress from the Center for Integrative Chemical Biology and Drug Discovery

Spring 2008

 
It’s been seven months since the initiation of the Center for Integrative Chemical Biology and Drug Discovery (CICBDD) at UNC, and an update on progress seems in order. The CICBDD was created with the mission of bringing dedicated medicinal chemistry expertise to bear on biological targets of therapeutic relevance under investigation by UNC faculty. Synthetic chemists and assay development and compound profiling scientists will work in the Center and create dedicated, multidisciplinary project teams with other groups on campus in order to progress targets through the drug discovery hit-to-lead process. In addition to this collaborative mission to enhance the impact of UNC investigators on small-molecule drug discovery, the CICBDD will initiate a self-sustaining academic program in chemical biology and molecular tool discovery. A strong synergy is anticipated between the drug and tool discovery activities.
 
A key area of focus has been recruitment of staff into the Center and we have been fortunate to have Barbara Dearry join as the administrative assistant in the Center. Barbara has a degree in Botany from the University of Tulsa and has more than 20 years experience in director of operations and facilities management roles in the biotech industry. We have also made good progress in recruitment for four research faculty positions in the Center and anticipate filling them over the next month with highly experienced industry-trained, drug discovery scientists.
 
There was an enthusiastic response from UNC faculty to last November’s request for proposals to collaborate with the Center and four projects are now underway. These are initially being supported by contracted external synthetic chemistry until the Center takes up its home in the new Genetics Medicine Building this summer/fall. The projects cover a number of potential therapies – treatment of acute lymphoblastic leukemia in children, neuropathic pain and autism. In addition to these efforts, the Center is building a collaborative plan with the Structural Genomics Consortium and the NIH National Chemical Genomics Center to discover chemical probes for use in target identification and validation in the field of epigentics. This area is a rapidly advancing field of investigation which is highly relevant to the discovery of the next generation of targeted cancer therapies.
 
As awareness of the Center and its mission has grown, there has been an increasing number of UNC faculty bringing forward potential therapeutics targets for initial discussions and pre-project planning. These discussions will lead to more formal proposals to collaborate as the Center becomes fully staffed and operational upon completion of the Genetics Medicine Building.
 
Please visit http://www.pharmacy.unc.edu/labs/center-for-integrative-chemical-biology-and-drug-discovery  for more details on the Center’s plans, progress and to review a recently developed policy on intellectual property that applies to all Center projects.
 
Stephen
 
 
Stephen V. Frye
Research Professor, Division of Medicinal Chemistry, and Director, Center for Integrative Chemical Biology and Drug Discovery
School of Pharmacy
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Beard Hall
Campus Box 7360
Chapel Hill, NC 27599-7360

svfrye@email.unc.edu
phone: 919 843 5486 fax: 919 966 0204
http://www.pharmacy.unc.edu/labs/center-for-integrative-chemical-biology-and-drug-discovery
 
Administrative Assistant
Barbara Dearry (dearry@email.unc.edu)
phone: 919 843 0766