题 目：Targeting Protein-protein interactions in Receptor Complexes

主 讲：Kristian Strømgaard 教授

时 间：2025年2月10日（周一）下午16:00-17:30

地 点：琳恩图书馆111报告厅

报告摘要：

Protein-protein interactions (PPIs) are essential to vital cellular processes and serve as potential targets for therapeutic intervention. We are particularly interested in the PPIs between integral membrane protein receptors and their intracellular protein partners, so-called ‘receptor complexes’ and examine how modulation of PPIs of such receptor complexes can provide novel biological insight and new therapeutics. We have developed peptide-based inhibitors of the PSD-95/glutamate receptor interaction, as potential treatment for acute conditions such as acute ischemic stroke. Specifically, we have exploited that PSD-95 contains a tandem PDZ1-2 domain and have designed and synthesized dimeric peptides with low nanomolar affinities and have demonstrated that these ligands are potential treatment for ischemic stroke. The lead compound AVLX-144 was recently successfully examined in a Phase I clinical trial. The last part of the talk will cover very recent studies, where we have explored the potential of interrogating both PSD-95 and glutamate receptors as potential means to alleviate obesity.

个人简介：

Kristian Strømgaard obtained an MSc degree in Chemical Research from University College London, and a PhD degree in medicinal chemistry, part-time at H. Lundbeck. He did a post doc at Columbia University (New York). In 2006, he was appointed H. Lundbeck Professor at the age of 36 to establish research in Chemical Biology. He won the 'Teacher of the Year' award from the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Science (Univ. Cph.) in 2009.

From 2014-18, he was founding Director of Center for Biopharmaceuticals, where he headed a research center on peptide and protein engineering. From 2016-17 he was visiting professor at Harvard Medical School (Boston) to explore medical research and innovation. A particular focus has been on research management, including studies at Harvard Business School and he is a speaker on research management, including lecturing at Copenhagen Business School Executive program.

In 2021 he was awarded the University of Copenhagen Innovation Award and appointed Novo Nordisk Foundation Distinguished Innovator. In 2023 he was awarded the Danish Academy of Natural Sciences Industrial Prize.

In 2012, he co-founded Avilex Pharma, and as CEO/CSO he drove the lead compound successfully through Phase 1 clinical studies and secured a regional license deal worth $175M. He has filed 19 patent applications, several of which have been outlicensed and provided the foundation for three start-up companies (incl. Avilex Pharma). He is currently leading Neurophase, a Biostudio (3-year spin-out) program at the BioInnovation Institute.