2018 - maintenantDNA and RNA represent strategic molecular targets to apprehend and combat pathological disorders. Beyond canonical duplex DNA and RNA structures, there are now evidences that the formation of unusual nucleic acid structures, such as G-quadruplex (G4), profoundly influence normal and pathological cell regulation. Presently, hundreds of thousands of such structures are suspected to form in key regulatory regions of human cells and their occurrences have been associated with various human diseases (cancer, virus & degenerative disorders).
To better understand and selectively inhibit the biological functions of these unusual DNA structures, we are now facing the need to identify new molecules that will recognize and bind to those structures with high affinity and specificity.
With this PhD project, we ambition to identify novel molecular ligands with unprecedented ability to specifically recognize G4 of biological interest. Those ligands will then be used, in collaboration, to learn and affect key biological processes.
