Associate Professor Venkata Maidhar Yenugonda, M.Phil, Ph.D., and Research Associate Ariana Waters from the Drug Discovery and Nanomedicine Laboratory, along with Kesari S, and Allnutt AB, presents a review article in ACS Chemical Neuroscience highlighting the importance of Cdk5 activity and function in the brain and demonstrates how deregulation of Cdk5 can contribute to the development of neurodegenerative conditions such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease. To learn more read the full publication, Physiological and pathological roles of Cdk5: potential directions for therapeutic targeting in neurodegenerative disease.
This article was also selected for ACS Editors’ Choice and the image was featured on the cover!
Yenugonda, V.M.; Nomura, N.; Kouznetsova,V.; Tsigelny, I.; Fogal, V.; Yang, J.; Nurmemmedov, E.; Kesari, S.; and Babic, I. A Novel Small Molecule Inhibitor of Mitochondrial p32. J Transl Med, 2017, 15, 210. PMID. 29047383
Waye, S.; Naeem, A.; Choudhry, M.U.; Parasido, E.; Tricoli, L.; Sivakumar, A.; Mikhaiel, J.P.; Yenugonda, V.; Rodriguez, O.C.; Karam, S.D.; Rood, B.R.; Avantaggiati, M.L and Albanese.C. The p53 tumor suppressor protein protects against chemotherapeutic stress and apoptosis in human human medulloblastoma cells, Aging (Albany NY). 2015, 7, 854-68, PMID: 26540407
Ringer, L.; Sirajuddin,P.; Tricoli, L.; Waye, S.; Choudhry, M.;Parasido, E.; Sivakumar, A.; Heckler, M.; Naeem, A.; Abdelgawad, I.; Liu, X.; Feldman, A.; Lee, R.; Wu, Chin-Lee.; Yenugonda, V.M; Kallakury, B.; Dritschilo, A.; JohnLynch, J.; Schlegel, R.; Rodriguez, O.; Pestell, R.; Avantaggiati, M and Albanese., C. The Induction of the p53 Tumor Suppressor Protein Bridges the Apoptotic and Autophagic Signaling Pathways to Regulate Cell Death in Prostate Cancer Cells, Oncotarget. 2014, 5, 10678-91, PMID: 25296977.
Yenugonda, V. M.; Deb, T. B.; Grindrod, S. C.; Dakshanamurthy, S.; Yang, Y.; Paige, M.; Brown, M. L. Fluorescent cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitors block the proliferation of human breast cancer cells. Bioorg. Med. Chem. 2011, 19, 2714-2725. PMID: 21440449.
Neuroscience
Levin, E. D.; Rezvani, A. H.; Wells, C.; Slade, S.; Yenugonda, V. M.; Liu, Y.; Brown, M. L.; Xiao, Y.; Kellar, K. J., alpha4beta2 Nicotinic receptor desensitizing compounds can decrease self-administration of cocaine and methamphetamine in rats. Eur J Pharmacol 2018.
Kong, H. S.; Song, Jun-ke.; Yenugonda, V.M.; Zhang, Li.; Shuo, T.; Kong, Y.; Du, Guan-hua.; Paige, M.; Brown, M.L. Preclinical studies of the potent and selective nicotinic α4β2 receptor ligand VMY-2-95 Mol Pharm. 2015, 12, 393-402, PMID: 25533629.
Yenugonda, V.M.; Xiao,Y.; Levin,E.D.; Rezvani, A.H.; Tran,T.; Al-Muhtasib, N.; Sahibzada, N.; Xie, T.; Wells, C.; Slade, S.; Johnson, J. E.; Dakshanamurthy, S.; Kong, H. S.; Tomita,Y.; Liu,Y.; Paige,M.; Kellar,K.J.; Brown,M.L. Design, Synthesis and Discovery of Picomolar Selective alpha4beta2 Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptor Ligands. J. Med. Chem. 2013 56(21): 8404-21. PMID: 24047231.
Liu, Y.; Richardson, J.; Tran, T.; Al-Muhtasib, N.; Xie, T.; Yenugonda, V. M.; Sexton, H. G.; Rezvani, A.H.; Levin, E. D.; Sahibzada, N.; Kellar, K. J.; Brown, M. L.; Xiao, Y.; Paige, M. Chemistry and pharmacological studies of 3-alkoxy-2,5-disubstituted-pyridinyl compounds as novel selective α4β2 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor ligands that reduce alcohol intake in rats. J. Med. Chem. 2013, 56, 3000-11. PMID: 23540678.
Nanotechnolgy
Srinivas, R.; Karmali, P. P.; Pramanik, D.; Garu, A.; Yenugonda, V. M.; Majeti, B. K.; Ramakrishna, S.; Srinivas, G.; Chaudhuri, A. Cationic amphiphile with shikimic acid headgroup shows more systemic promise than its mannosyl analogue as DNA vaccine carrier in dendritic cell based genetic immunization. J. Med. Chem. 2010, 53, 1387-1391. PMID: 20050668.
Mukthavaram, R.; Marepally, S.; Yenugonda, V. M.; Vegi, G. N.; Sistla, R.; Chaudhuri, A. Cationic glycolipids with cyclic and open galactose head groups for the selective targeting of genes to mouse liver. Biomaterials. 2009, 30, 2369-2384. PMID: 19157538.
Hwang, S. H.; Rait, A.; Pirollo, K. F.; Zhou, Q.; Yenugonda, V. M.; Chinigo, G. M.; Brown, M. L.; Chang, E. H. Tumor-targeting nanodelivery enhances the anticancer activity of a novel quinazolinone analogue. Mol. Cancer Ther. 2008, 7, 559-568. PMID: 18347143.
Yenugonda, V. M.; Rajesh, M.; Madhavendra, S. S.; Chaudhuri, A. Distance of hydroxyl functionality from the quaternized center influence DNA binding and in vitro gene delivery efficacies of cationic lipids with hydroxyalkyl headgroups. J. Med. Chem. 2004, 47, 5721-5728. PMID: 15509171.
Yenugonda, V. M.; Rajesh, M.; Chaudhuri, A. Spacer-arm modulated gene delivery efficacy of novel cationic glycolipids: design, synthesis, and in vitro transfection biology. J. Med. Chem. 2004, 47, 3938-3948. PMID: 15267233.
