Target 2035 - an update on private sector contributions

Target 2035, an international federation of biomedical scientists from the public and private sectors, is leveraging ‘open’ principles to develop a pharmacological tool for every human protein. These tools are important reagents for scientists studying human health and disease and will facilitate the development of new medicines. It is therefore not surprising that pharmaceutical companies are joining Target 2035, contributing both knowledge and reagents to study novel proteins. Here, we present a brief progress update on Target 2035 and highlight some of industry's contributions

Target 2035-update on the quest for a probe for every protein

Twenty years after the publication of the first draft of the human genome, our knowledge of the human proteome is still fragmented. The challenge of translating the wealth of new knowledge from genomics into new medicines is that proteins, and not genes, are the primary executers of biological function. Therefore, much of how biology works in health and disease must be understood through the lens of protein function. Accordingly, a subset of human proteins has been at the heart of research interests of scientists over the centuries, and we have accumulated varying degrees of knowledge about approximately 65% of the human proteome. Nevertheless, a large proportion of proteins in the human proteome (∼35%) remains uncharacterized, and less than 5% of the human proteome has been successfully targeted for drug discovery. This highlights the profound disconnect between our abilities to obtain genetic information and subsequent development of effective medicines. Target 2035 is an international federation of biomedical scientists from the public and private sectors, which aims to address this gap by developing and applying new technologies to create by year 2035 chemogenomic libraries, chemical probes, and/or biological probes for the entire human proteome

Cross-Resistance to Medical and Agricultural Azole Drugs in Yeasts from the Oropharynx of Human Immunodeficiency Virus Patients and from Environmental Bavarian Vine Grapes▿

Cross-resistance among Candida albicans isolates from the oropharynges of human immunodeficiency virus-infected patients (n = 16) and environmental yeast strains of various species (n = 54) to medical and agricultural azole drugs was observed. Precautions against the unnecessary widespread use of azoles in the environment and human medicine are strongly recommended to prevent patients from acquiring azole-resistant yeasts

A highly selective chemical probe for activin receptor-like kinases ALK4 and ALK5

The transforming growth factor beta-receptor I/activin receptor-like kinase 5 (TGFBR1/ALK5) and its close homologue ALK4 are receptor protein kinases associated with the development of diverse diseases, including cancer, fibrosis, heart diseases, and dysfunctional immune response. Therefore, ALK4/5 are among the most studied kinases, and several inhibitors have been developed. However, current commercially available inhibitors either lack selectivity or have not been comprehensively characterized, limiting their value for studying ALK4/5 function in cellular systems. To this end, we report the characterization of the 2-oxo-imidazopyridine, TP-008, a potent chemical probe with dual activity for ALK4 and ALK5 as well as the development of a matching negative control compound. TP-008 has excellent cellular potency and strongly abrogates phosphorylation of the substrate SMAD2 (mothers against decapentaplegic homologue 2). Thus, this chemical probe offers an excellent tool for mechanistic studies on the ALK4/5 signaling pathway and the contribution of these targets to disease

Target 2035-update on the quest for a probe for every protein

Twenty years after the publication of the first draft of the human genome, our knowledge of the human proteome is still fragmented. The challenge of translating the wealth of new knowledge from genomics into new medicines is that proteins, and not genes, are the primary executers of biological function. Therefore, much of how biology works in health and disease must be understood through the lens of protein function. Accordingly, a subset of human proteins has been at the heart of research interests of scientists over the centuries, and we have accumulated varying degrees of knowledge about approximately 65% of the human proteome. Nevertheless, a large proportion of proteins in the human proteome (∼35%) remains uncharacterized, and less than 5% of the human proteome has been successfully targeted for drug discovery. This highlights the profound disconnect between our abilities to obtain genetic information and subsequent development of effective medicines. Target 2035 is an international federation of biomedical scientists from the public and private sectors, which aims to address this gap by developing and applying new technologies to create by year 2035 chemogenomic libraries, chemical probes, and/or biological probes for the entire human proteome