ChemComm is publishing its 60th volume in 2024. Over the past 60 years, ChemComm has been the RSC’s most cited journal, and one of the most trusted venues for rapid publication of short communications. In our anniversary year, we recognise the important contributions ChemComm has made, and continues to make, in advancing the chemical sciences.
As part of our anniversary celebrations, we’ve brought together a collection featuring the latest research from some of our most loyal and dedicated authors. From those marking the beginning of their independent academic career by publishing their first article with us, to the rising stars and established leaders publishing in our yearly ‘Emerging Investigators’ and ‘Pioneering Investigators’ collections, this collection champions the contributions of our worldwide author community. We are proud many authors choose to support our journal by regularly publishing their best work with us. This collection also features papers from our ChemComm Emerging Investigator Lectureship winners, and our Outstanding Reviewer awardees, whose invaluable feedback has shaped our published content through the years.
To accompany the collection, we’ll be publishing interviews with contributing authors where they provide further insight into their research and reflect on their journey with ChemComm.
Check out our interview with Professor Hang Hubert Yin (Tsinghua University) below!
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Professor Hang Hubert Yin was born in Beijing in 1976. After studying for a bachelor’s degree at Peking University, he received his PhD from Yale University in 2004 under the supervision of Professor Andrew Hamilton and then spent a post-doctoral period at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine with Professor William DeGrado. In 2018, Professor Yin joined the School of Pharmaceutical Sciences at Tsinghua University as a founding Deputy Dean. Prior to joining Tsinghua, he was a tenured faculty member of the University of Colorado Boulder.
His research interests lie at the interface of chemistry, biology, and engineering with particular focuses on structure-based drug design, extracellular vesicles, cell signaling biochemistry, biotechnology development, and membrane protein simulations. Professor Yin is a recipient of many accolades for his research in chemical biology and drug discovery, including the Wu Jieping-Paul Janssen Medical & Pharmaceutical Award, American Chemical Society David W. Robertson Award for Excellence in Medicinal Chemistry, OKeanos-CAPA Senior Investigator Award, National Science Fund for Distinguished Young Scholars, Beijing Outstanding Young Scientist, CAPA Distinguished Junior Faculty Award, NSF CAREER Award, AACR Gertrude B. Elion Cancer Research Award, Sidney Kimmel Scholars Award, and HHMI Collaborative Innovation Award among others. Professor Yin’s is currently serving as a member of the Academic Committee of Tsinghua University, a Senior Advisor to the ISEV Board, the Editor-in-Chief of Bioorganic and Medicinal Chemistry Letters, and a Deputy Editor of the Journal of Extracellular Vesicles. |
How have you seen ChemComm evolve over the years, and what aspects do you find most noteworthy?
I feel that the ChemComm definitely has been growing with the filed, becoming notably more interdisciplinary. Over these years, ChemComm has also strengthened its status as a primary venue for Chemistry, the central science in general.
What is your favourite thing about ChemComm?
I like it as a timely reporter to the general field of chemistry. If you want to keep us with the most exciting frontiers of chemistry, ChemComm provides a nice handle.
In what ways do you think ChemComm stands out among other journals in your field?
The journal is indeed quite international and interdisciplinary.
How would you describe the peer review process and interaction with the editorial team at ChemComm?
Simply put, this is one of the most pleasant review process I had recently. It literally took less than two months from the initial submission to the publication of the paper, demonstrating the high efficiency of the editorial and production team.
Are there ways in which the journal can further support and engage with future generations of scientists?
To implement new technologies will be helpful. With the help of AI, new directions of scientific publishing is emerging on the horizon.
Could you provide a brief summary of your recent ChemComm publication?
In this recent study, we have identified pyridine-based small molecule inhibitors capable of mitigating cell death triggered by SARM1’s NADase activity. These inhibitors operate non-competitively by binding to NAD+ and forming an in situ inhibitory complex, thus inhibiting SARM1’s enzymatic function. Through meticulous structure-activity relationship (SAR) studies, we have optimized a potent SARM1 inhibitor, TH-408, which offers significant protection against cell death caused by SARM1’s NADase activity. This study deepens our insight into SARM1 inhibition and highlights its therapeutic potential for neurodegenerative disorders by inhibiting SARM1 activation.
In your opinion, what are the next steps or potential areas of research that could build upon the findings in this paper?
Further exploration of SARM1 inhibitors in neurodegenerative disease models is crucial for assessing the therapeutic potential of TH-408 and validating the effectiveness of inhibiting SARM1 activation as a strategy to maintain healthy neurons. In-vivo studies will assess the efficacy and safety of these inhibitors across various neurodegenerative models, with emphasis on diseases associated with NAD+ depletion or metabolic disorders. The targeted exploration will extend to evaluating the application of these inhibitors in various neurodegenerative disease models, which will help expand the scope of SARM1-targeted therapies and assist in validating the critical scientific question of NAD+ metabolic dysregulation in the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative diseases. Given the current limited application of SARM1 small molecule inhibitors in multiple neurodegenerative disease models and the lack of specific research on the role of NAD+ deficiency in the onset and progression of these diseases, the next steps will involve leveraging the in vitro efficacy of TH-408 to establish its effectiveness in different neurodegenerative disease models.
Be sure to read Hubert’s full communication, “Pyridine-based small molecule inhibitors of SARM1 alleviate cell death caused by NADase activity” to learn more!
