Events

Discovery of NEK7 and WIZ molecular glue degraders.

Targeted protein degradation has emerged as a promising therapeutic strategy, enabling the removal of disease-driving proteins rather than simply inhibiting their function. Among these approaches, molecular glues represent a unique class of small molecules that induce proximity between an E3 ubiquitin ligase and a target protein, leading to selective ubiquitination and proteasomal degradation. This seminar will explore the design and application of cereblon-based molecular glue degraders, focusing on two interesting targets: WIZ, implicated in fetal hemoglobin induction for the treatment of sickle cell disease, and NEK7, a regulator of NLRP3 inflammasome activation in inflammatory disorders.

Simplify, Simplify: Minimalism in Chemical Biology

Peptides are often viewed as fragments too small and too simple to rival proteins, yet elementary catalysts can perform sophisticated chemistry in living systems. I will describe our recent work demonstrating that a short catalytic peptide can replace an essential enzyme inside a living eukaryotic cell, supporting viability and growth. I will then turn to an even simpler motif: a small-molecule metabolite that catalyzes hydrolysis reactions and could be operating as a cryptic catalyst within human cells. Together, these vignettes define new benchmarks for minimalist biological catalysis and offer a framework for dissecting how molecules far simpler than enzymes can yield enzyme-like activity.

Read more about the Raines Research Group here