NYBC's Laboratory of Molecular Modeling and Drug Design Lauded for Efforts to Combat HIV

NEW YORK, Sept. 2, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The cover story of the September 2014 edition of Chemical and Engineering News, titled "Aiming for HIV's Weak Spot," cites work by NYBC's Asim Debnath, Ph.D., and his Laboratory of Molecular Modeling and Drug Design for their work to identify small molecules that prevent HIV from entering T cells.

Here's a link to the story:
http://cen.acs.org/articles/92/i35/Aiming-HIVs-Weak-Spot.html

Dr. Debnath's lab was the first to discover the two inhibitors, known as NBD-556 and NBD-557.   High-throughput screening was used to identify the HIV-blocking molecules, which came to be known as gp 120 targeted entry inhibitors.

Since this discovery in 2005, the lab has deepened its HIV investigations, as have research colleagues from Harvard, the University of Pennsylvania, Johns Hopkins, Drexel, and others.

Debnath's team recently developed a small molecule based on what they've gleaned from NBD-556 and related compounds over the years. "It has extraordinary breadth of antiviral activity among inhibitors of this class reported so far," and it does not promote HIV entry to cells, he says. Debnath hopes to publish the work in the next few months.

The Laboratory of Molecular Modeling and Drug Design's current work on inhibitors is supported by a five-year grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

About Lindsley F. Kimball Research Institute:  Since 1964, LFKRI has led the way in blood research, breaking new ground in transfusion medicine and disease treatment and prevention. The institute is committed to furthering research efforts that support the discovery of new blood-related products, techniques, and therapies. LFKRI's work has dramatically impacted global health, improved blood banking, nurtured a generation of scientists, and added significantly to the world's store of biomedical knowledge. From the beginning, LFKRI has supported basic research to understand blood and disease at the molecular level as well as translational research that transforms the findings into major breakthroughs. With 17 state-of-the-art laboratories and close to 100 researchers, LFKRI brings world-class research to life every day. For further information, visit http://www.nybloodcenter.org/lfkri.do?sid0=64

About New York Blood Center: New York Blood Center (NYBC) is one of the nation's largest non-profit, community-based blood centers. For 50 years, NYBC has been providing blood, transfusion products and services to hospitals serving more than 20 million people in New York City, Long Island, the HudsonValley, New Jersey, and parts of Connecticut and Pennsylvania. NYBC is also home to the Lindsley F. Kimball Research Institute and the National Cord Blood Program, the world's largest public cord blood bank. NYBC provides medical services and programs (Clinical, Transfusion, and Hemophilia Services) through our medical professionals along with consultative services in transfusion medicine. Please visit us on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/newyorkbloodcenter. Follow us on Twitter: @NY_BloodCenter. Website:  www.nybloodcenter.org.

Contact: Victoria O'Neill, 212-683-8100, [email protected]  

SOURCE New York Blood Center