Chemistry and Biology of Retinoids

“Chemical mutagenesis” of retinal(ol) to provide tools for biological evaluation through stereoselective palladium-catalyzed cross-coupling reactions. These analogues are then used on collaborations to help understand:

a) Retinal and retinoid metabolism

b) Metabolism, transport, biological functions of zaxinone as hormone candidate and regulator of plant growth and its potential applications in Agriculture

c) Vision in vertebrates

d) Bacterial photopigments

e) Nuclear receptor biology through the design and synthesis of selective modulators

 

Stereocontrolled Synthesis of Carotenoids and Related Polyenes

Convergent approaches to both the side-chain and the rings of complex carotenoids decorated with functional groups and stereocenters including allene axis

 

Design and Synthesis of Epigenetic Modulators Based on Natural Products

Development of novel epigenetic drugs targeting HDACs, HATs, PRMTs and DNMTs using two structure-based general approaches to drug design and development:

a) virtual ligand screening (VLS) of large libraries of drug-like molecules following modeling of the receptor-ligand interaction complexes and selection of leads

b) focused-library development of libraries based on VS or in privileged structures inspired in natural products already reported as epigenetic modulators

 

Computational Analysis of Pericyclic and Other Concerted Reactions

Characterization of pericyclic and pseudopericyclic electrocyclic ring closure reactions, in particular of charged species (carbocations, carbanions) and the mechanism of the chirality transfer

 

Computational Analysis of Organometallic Catalytic Processes

TheStille Reaction

The Pd-catalyzed and Zn-promoted intramolecular propargylation of carbonyl compounds

 

Polysaccharide copolymers for biomedical applications 

a) Synthesis and self-assembly unusual copolymer architectures by end-on modification of polysaccharides (graft and block copolymers)

b) Synthesis proteoglycan mimic copolymers for cartilage tissue regeneration

c) Grafted glycosaminoglycans as multivalent ligands of proteins overexpressed in cancer