SGC-UNICAMP Protein Kinase Chemical Biology Center - supporting drug development throught open-access research

The SGC-UNICAMP Center funded by FAPESP, UNICAMP  and SGC, is focused on developing molecular probes for protein kinases regulating RNA splicing and chromatin, with strong links to the other SGC laboratories and our network of industrial funders and academic collaborators. In addition to targeting human physiology, we will also utilize the chemical probes to investigate the roles of protein kinases in plants, with an emphasis on promoting resistance to adverse conditions and improving yields of agriculturally-significant crops.

Protein kinases regulate all aspects of life, including growth, development, physiology, memory, and the responses to the environment and to pathogens. Aberrant function of protein kinases is characteristic of most human cancers, and it is increasingly clear that protein kinases drive many other disease processes. The human genome encodes more than 500 protein kinases; however, despite their importance and suitability for drug discovery, most academic and pharmaceutical research has focused on a small fraction of kinases. The “unexplored” kinases represent a rich source of new biology and are the focus of our research.

To evaluate novel proteins as targets for new medicines, it is essential to develop highly specific and potent cell-permeable inhibitors (“chemical probes”). These probes are then used to understand the biology of the target proteins and to evaluate the consequences of inhibiting these proteins in cells and tissues.

By developing such probes for novel kinases and making them openly available, the SGC aims to replicate its success model to promoting target validation and early-stage drug development in academic and industrial laboratories all over the world.

A public-private partnership to unlock the untargeted kinome Nature Chemical Biology Read more

Seeding Collaborations to Advance Kinase Science with the GSK Published Kinase Inhibitor Set (PKIS) Bentham Science Read more

Press release: Primeiro centro de pesquisa no Brasil no modelo "open science" é lançado  Agencia FAPESP (in Portuguese)