Biomedical subjects

Jörg Scheuermann

Publications and source records attributed to Jörg Scheuermann.

8 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2007

Ligand-based vascular targeting of disease.

This review illustrates the basic principles of ligand-based vascular targeting and presents some of the most advanced results obtained in this field, not only in terms of biopharmaceuticals, which are currently being investigated in clinical and preclinical studies, but also in terms of enabling technologies that facilitate target and ligand discovery. Whereas most of the vascular targeting research activities have so far concentrated on tumoral angiogenesis, the development of non-oncological applications has recently gained momentum and is likely to become an important area of modern pharmaceutical research.

Angiogenesis Inhibitors↗

PubMed2006

DNA-encoded chemical libraries.

The discovery and development of novel drugs for the multitude of targets originating from functional genomic research is a challenging task. While antibodies can nowadays be raised against virtually any given target using phage-display methodologies, a similar "selection/amplification" approach for the facile discovery of low-molecular weight compounds capable of specific binding to protein targets of choice has so far been lacking. The development of DNA-encoded chemical libraries, combined with suitable selection and high-throughput sequencing strategies, holds promises to fill this gap. Here, we review the latest developments in the field of DNA-encoded chemical libraries, commenting on the challenges and opportunities for the different experimental strategies in this rapidly evolving research area, which may gain importance for the future drug discovery process.

Animals↗

PubMed2006

On the magnitude of the chelate effect for the recognition of proteins by pharmacophores scaffolded by self-assembling oligonucleotides.

The simultaneous interaction of the binding moieties of a bidentate ligand on adjacent epitopes of a target protein represents an attractive avenue for the discovery of specific, high-affinity binders. We used short DNA fragments in heteroduplex format to scaffold pairs of binding molecules with defined spatial arrangements. Iminobiotin derivates were coupled either via bifunctional linkers or by using various oligonucleotides, thus allowing monovalent or bivalent binding to streptavidin. We determined the binding affinities of the synthesized constructs in solution. We also investigated the efficiency of recovery of superior bidentate ligands in affinity capture experiments, by using both radioactive counts and DNA microarrays as readouts. This analysis confirmed the suitability of the DNA heteroduplex as a scaffold for the identification of synergistic pairs of binding moieties, capable of a high-affinity interaction with protein targets by virtue of the chelate effect.

Base Sequence↗

PubMed2004

Encoded self-assembling chemical libraries.

The isolation of molecules capable of high-affinity and specific binding to biological targets is a central problem in chemistry, biology and pharmaceutical sciences. Here we describe the use of encoded self-assembling chemical (ESAC) libraries for the facile identification of molecules that bind macromolecular targets. ESAC technology uses libraries of organic molecules linked to individual oligonucleotides that mediate the self-assembly of the library and provide a code associated with each organic molecule. After panning ESAC libraries on the biomolecular target of interest, the 'binding code' of the selected compounds can be 'decoded' by a number of experimental techniques (e.g., hybridization on oligonucleotide microarrays). The potential of this technology was demonstrated by the affinity maturation (>40-fold) of binding molecules to human serum albumin and bovine carbonic anhydrase, leading to binders with dissociation constants in the nanomolar range.

Albumins↗

PubMed2004

Diagnostic and therapeutic applications of recombinant antibodies: targeting the extra-domain B of fibronectin, a marker of tumor angiogenesis.

Angiogenesis, the sprouting of new blood vessels from preexisting ones, is a phenomenon associated to several human pathologies, including different potentially blinding ocular disorders, rheumatoid arthritis, and cancer. Indeed, ongoing angiogenesis is a characteristic feature of the majority of aggressive solid tumors, and is also a pre-requisite for the progression towards the metastatic phenotype. One established marker of angiogenesis is represented by an isoform of the oncofoetal fibronectin (FN), containing an additional domain inserted by alternative splicing of the FN pre-mRNA and called extra-domain B (ED-B). This isoform has been found to be present almost exclusively in the modified extra-cellular matrix surrounding newly-formed blood vessels in tumors (and other animal models of ocular pathologies), being completely absent from the normal vasculature in adult organs. This article reviews the recombinant antibodies raised against ED-B and the different methodologies used for the generation of these antibodies. Moreover, new diagnostic and therapeutic applications based on the delivery of bioactive molecules to tumor blood vessels by means of ED-B targeting will be discussed.

Animals↗

PubMed2003

Unexpected observation of concentration-dependent dissociation rates for antibody-antigen complexes and other macromolecular complexes in competition experiments.

The dissociation rate constant of bimolecular complexes between macromolecules (k(off)) is often measured in solution by competition experiments and is generally expected to follow first-order kinetics.When measuring k(off) constants by competition for three complexes of high-affinity recombinant antibody fragments with the cognate antigen and for one calmodulin/peptide complex, a surprising dependence between apparent dissociation rate and concentration of competitor (antigen or calmodulin-binding peptide) was observed. Our results may be characteristic for macromolecules consisting of two domains (such as single-chain Fv fragments) and may reflect a transient opening of the two domains which are involved in the binding reaction, and which are connected by a polypeptide linker.

Antibodies↗

PubMed2002

Affinity-capture reagents for protein arrays.

The simultaneous identification and quantitative measurement of the production levels of thousands of different proteins in a biological specimen remains an unachieved goal of modern proteomic research. Advances in the development of microarray-based platforms for highly parallel detection of proteins have therefore received a considerable impulse during the last few years. Here, we review the existing reagents for affinity capture of protein targets, as well as the techniques used for their immobilization on solid supports and methods for the detection of binding events, underlining the problems and the opportunities in this continuously evolving research field.

Biotechnology↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Selection of streptavidin binders from a DNA-encoded chemical library.

DNA-encoded libraries of small organic molecules facilitate the construction of large, encoded self-assembling chemical libraries for the identification of high-affinity binders to protein targets. We have constructed a library of 477 chemical compounds, coupled to 48mer-oligonucleotides, each containing a unique six-base sequence serving as "bar-code" for the identification of the chemical moiety. The functionality of the library was confirmed by selection and amplification of both high- and low-affinity binding molecules specific to streptavidin.

Animals↗