Research
Studying/Targeting Advanced Lung Cancer and Cancer-Related Pain
The Konrad laboratory has established an interdisciplinary research program that encompasses chemistry and biology-oriented segments, which are highly interconnected. Our key goal is the development of covalent chemical probes and drug candidates that specifically target advanced non-small cell lung cancer and cancer-related pain. Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related mortality worldwide and 85% of all cases are Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC). The death toll of lung cancer is a result the high adaptability and evasiveness of NSCLC which leads to the development of therapy-resistance when treated. This is complemented by a late discovery of the disease, where the advanced cancer has metastasized and is resistant to currently available therapeutics. As such, it is important to develop new therapeutic approaches that specifically target advanced lung cancers. To identify small molecules that engage proteins which constitute vulnerabilities ("weaknesses") in these cancers, we are using (chemo)proteomics analyses. These small molecules are then used as chemical probes to study the underlying biological mechanism and as lead structures for medicinal chemistry. Since medicinal chemistry studies are extensively time-consuming endeavors, it is a key focus of our research to accelerate structure-activity relationship studies and be able to quickly access structures with high potencies and low off-target engagement. For this purpose, we are working on chemical methodologies for late-stage functionalizations that harness high-throughput experimentation and machine learning.
Publications:
- ORCID: 0000-0001-5718-8081
- PubMed
