Title:  "Using Small Molecules to Engineer and Explore Human Immunity."

Abstract:

Antibody-based therapeutics have become critical instruments in treating diseases ranging from rheumatoid arthritis to cancer in recent years. However, antibodies and other therapeutic proteins are limited in therapeutic applications by their chemical structures: because they are peptide-based, they require intravenous administration, are often highly immunogenic or allergenic, and treatment regimens are often very costly.

This talk describe recent research efforts in our laboratories toward the design, chemical synthesis, and biological characterization of small molecule antibody recruiting therapeutics against prostate cancer, Staphylococcus aureus, and the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).  These are bifunctional small molecules designed to redirect antibodies already present in the human bloodstream to the surfaces of pathogenic cells, such as cancer cells, bacteria, and virus particles. The ternary complex formed between these agents, endogenous antibodies, and target cells will lead to immune-mediated pathogen destruction.  In theory, this strategy would exploit many of the advantages of biologics, while circumventing the disadvantages, by capitalizing on the chemical properties of small molecules (e.g., high oral bioavailability, facile synthesis, and low cost). 

It is our hope that this small molecule-based strategy will serve as starting point toward entirely novel scientific insights and therapeutic approaches relevant to a wide range of disease states.