Assoc.Prof. Dr. Alessio Terenzi/ UNIPA, University of Palermo, Italy: Multimeric DNA G-quadruplex structures: a promising target for anticancer drugs

When: Monday, 22.05.2023, 16:00

Where: Joseph Loschmidt lecture hall (LH2), Faculty of Chemistry, Währinger Straße 42, 1090 Vienna

G-quadruplexes (G4s) are unique structures in DNA (and RNA) that play a key role in regulating genes and differentiating cells. They are commonly found in cancer-related gene promoters and are considered valuable targets for anticancer drugs. However, most G-rich domains in humans contain multiple adjacent G4 units within long sequences, and current understanding of G4 structures is based on single G4 units derived from short truncated sequences. This could pose a challenge to drug discovery efforts. We (and others) have discovered a clear link between the three G4 units of the KIT promoter, a gene that encodes a tyrosine kinase receptor implicated in multiple malignancies. Our group develops metal complexes to specifically target G4s with a special focus on multimeric quadruplexes.