RSC Medicinal Chemistry is delighted to introduce our Editor’s choice collection
This collection showcases some of the best articles published in the journal, handpicked by our Associate Editors and Editorial Board members.
Below we have a selection of recent RSC Medicinal Chemistry articles chosen by Associate Editor Maria Duca (Université Côte d’Azur – CNRS, France). Take a look at which articles she chose and why.
Maria Duca’s favourite articles
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Live cell screening to identify RNA-binding small molecule inhibitors of the pre-let-7–Lin28 RNA–protein interaction (Open Access)
Sydney L. Rosenblum, Dalia M. Soueid, George Giambasu, Steve Vander Roest, Alexander Pasternak, Erin F. DiMauro, Vladimir Simov* and Amanda L. Garner* RSC Med. Chem., 2024, 15, 1539-1546 |
Maria’s comments:
“This study, belonging to the journal’s Targeting RNA collection, exemplifies an important advance in RNA-targeted drug discovery by harnessing live-cell high-throughput screening to identify small-molecule disruptors of the oncogenic pre-let-7–Lin28 interaction. This highlights the potential of RiPCA approach in modulating RNA-protein interfaces in disease.”
| Identification of lysosomotropism using explainable machine learning and morphological profiling cell painting data (Open Access)
Aishvarya Tandon, Anna Santura, Herbert Waldmann*, Axel Pahl* and Paul Czodrowski* RSC Med. Chem., 2024, 15, 2677-2691 |
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Maria’s comments:
“This study uses morphological profiling by means of the Cell Painting Assay (CPA) as a reliable surrogate to identify lysosomotropism. It combines Explainable Machine Learning with high-content morphological profiling to describe the physicochemical drivers of lysosomotropism, offering a predictive framework with practical implications for drug discovery and safety assessment.”
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1,5-Disubstituted tetrazoles as PD-1/PD-L1 antagonists (Open Access)
Robin van der Straat, Rosalie Draijer, Ewa Surmiak, Roberto Butera, Lennart Land, Katarzyna Magiera-Mularz, Bogdan Musielak, Jacek Plewka, Tad A. Holak and Alexander Dömling* RSC Med. Chem., 2024, 15, 1210-1215 |
Maria’s comments:
“This impactful study reports a novel class of 1,5-disubstituted tetrazoles as potent small-molecule PD-L1 antagonists, leveraging multicomponent reaction chemistry for rapid scaffold assembly. It opens new avenues in immune checkpoint modulation beyond monoclonal antibodies.”
Meet the Editor
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Maria Duca, RSC Medicinal Chemistry Associate Editor
Université Côte d’Azur – CNRS, France Dr Maria Duca is head of the Targeting of Nucleic Acids research group in the Institute of Chemistry of Nice. She obtained her PhD in Molecular Biochemistry under the supervision of Dr Paola B. Arimondo (National Natural History Museum, Paris) working on topoisomerase II inhibitors. Her post-doctoral training in Sydney Hecht’s lab (University of Virginia, USA) allowed her to pursue the study of nucleic acids working on targeted protein mutagenesis upon chemical modification of tRNAs. Her research activities at CNRS focus on the targeting of non-coding RNAs using synthetic small molecules toward innovative therapeutic approaches for anticancer, antiviral and antimicrobial applications. |
We hope you enjoyed reading these articles. Keep an eye out on our collection webpage for more of our Editors’ favourite articles.
