Nadya I. Tarasova, Ph.D.

The major research goal is the development of new methods in anti-cancer drug discovery. There is a paradoxical decline in the number of new medicines on the market in spite of increasing investment into research and development by pharmaceutical industry (http://www.cbo.gov/ftpdocs/76xx/doc7615/10-02-DrugR-D.pdf). One of the reasons for this phenomenon is the focus of pharmaceutical companies on small molecules for the development of therapeutic agents. Although they can be potent inhibitors of target proteins, small molecules are known for their low selectivity. They are rarely effective in inhibition of protein-protein interactions because they are not able to interfere effectively with multipoint binding involving large protein surfaces. Larger and more complex molecules, such as peptides and peptidomimetics, provide more specific target recognition and are better suited for inhibition of protein-protein interactions. However, peptides are susceptible to degradation and require additional design of cellular delivery mechanisms. We make peptides more druggable by developing metabolically stable cell-permeable peptidomimetics with rigid and predictable structures amendable to rational drug design. External funding of the projects includes: CDMRP Prostate Cancer Research Award PC08116 'Self-assembling peptide nanoparticles targeting prostate tumors' CRADA with Calidris Therapeutics 'Development of Peptidomimetic Cancer Therapeutics Platform Based upon NCI Lipopeptide Inhibitors of Molecular Targets and Self- Assembling Nanoparticle Drug Delivery System'.