Biophosphorus Chemistry in Medicine Workshop

From its early discovery over three centuries ago, phosphorus has excited medical interest, initially (and misguidedly) in its elemental form, and in our own times as a key building block of molecules essential to life... [ view full abstract ]

From its early discovery over three centuries ago, phosphorus has excited medical interest, initially (and misguidedly) in its elemental form, and in our own times as a key building block of molecules essential to life processes, such as DNA, RNA, ATP and hydroxyapatite, the key inorganic constituent of bone mineral. The unique manifold roles of phosphate and its derivatives in biology have inspired chemists to create biomimetic phosphorus compounds to solve diagnostic and therapeutic problems in medicine, notably in the creation of imaging or therapeutic agents targeting bone, as well as the design of unnatural nucleotide analogues designed to block replication of infectious viruses. Research in these and related areas is progressing with increasing momentum due to an accelerated heuristic interplay of mechanistic insights, synthetic chemistry and ever more effective computational modeling tools guided by crystallographic structural data.

In this workshop, an overview presentation of the theme topics by Prof. Charles McKenna citing several interesting recent developments in the field will be followed by a panel discussion in which Prof. McKenna is joined by Dr. Vishwa D Tripathi and Dr. Helena Henke.