Drug Modes of Action
Mission Statement
In an interdisciplinary environment that combines analytical chemistry, synthetic chemistry, biology and medicine, we are interested in discovering modes of action of approved drugs, drug candidates and investigational drugs for the treatment of chronic diseases. The mode of action explains the connection of the molecular interaction of the therapeutic molecule with a target and the subsequent sequence of events that impact on physiology. We use mass spectrometry-based proteomics, chemoproteomics and metabolomics to uncover detailed modes of action in preclinical in vitro and in vivo models, as well as in patients.
This is achieved by the close collaboriation with the Gerner-Lab, the Institute of Inorganic Chemistry and the Joint Metabolome Facility. Our strategy is based on target identification, the evaluation of perturbation profiles from appropriate experimental designs, and causal inference-guided data analysis. Our research further focusses on the class of reactive metal-based drugs that were shown to engage with hard-to-drug targets and exhibit unusual activity profiles. We are convinced that a detailed understanding of the mode of action of therapeutic agents enables their precise application for the benefit of patients.
