The world's first wiki where authorship really matters (Nature Genetics, 2008). Due credit and reputation for authors. Imagine a global collaborative knowledge base for original thoughts. Search thousands of articles and collaborate with scientists around the globe.

wikigene or wiki gene protein drug chemical gene disease author authorship tracking collaborative publishing evolutionary knowledge reputation system wiki2.0 global collaboration genes proteins drugs chemicals diseases compound
Hoffmann, R. A wiki for the life sciences where authorship matters. Nature Genetics (2008)
 
 
 
 
 

G-Quadruplex DNA as a target for drug design.

Telomeres are structures on the ends of chromosomes that are required for chromosomal stability. Telomeric DNA contains a single-stranded G-rich DNA overhang, which may adopt a G-quadruplex structure. Telomere shortening has been implicated in cellular senescence. Telomerase is an enzyme which synthesizes the G-rich strand of telomere DNA. Telomerase activity is highly correlated with cancer and may allow cancer cells to escape senescence. Based on these observations, telomerase has been proposed as a potential target for anticancer drug design. The targeting of telomerase is associated with potential problems, including the existence in some cancer cells of telomerase-independent mechanisms for telomere maintenance, and the long delay time between telomerase inhibition and effects on proliferation. One promising approach for inhibiting telomerase involves targeting the G-quadruplex DNA structures thought to be involved in telomere and telomerase function. Compounds that specifically bind G-quadruplex DNA may interact directly with telomeres, in addition to inhibiting telomerase, and produce more immediate antiproliferative effects. The diamidoanthraquinones, porphyrins, and perylene diimides have all been shown to bind G-quadruplex DNA and inhibit telomerase. Most of these compounds also bind double-stranded DNA and are cytotoxic at the concentrations required to inhibit telomerase; however, certain perylene diimides appear to be non-cytotoxic, G-quadruplex selective telomerase inhibitors. Biological characterization of such compounds may provide validation for the concept of the G-quadruplex as a target in drug design.[1]

References

  1. G-Quadruplex DNA as a target for drug design. Kerwin, S.M. Curr. Pharm. Des. (2000) [Pubmed]
 
WikiGenes - Universities