Churchill Group | Chemical Tools and Drugs Discovery

We are interested in small molecules that either are  in cells to control function or can be added to alter function. We focus on two areas: first, basic biology related to calcium signalling with emphasis on the messengers NAADP, cyclic ADP-ribose and inositol phosphates; second, applied research in which we exploit findings from basic biology to identify novel drug targets for which we discover and develop new drugs.

We delight in addressing basic biological questions with small molecules through techniques such as measurement, radioactive labelling, synthesis and computational chemistry. Chemical tools that we have developed include cell-permeant, caged and radioactive forms of cyclic ADP-ribose and NAADP as well as the NAADP inhibitor Ned-19. We are gratified that these chemical tools are widely adopted and several are commercially available.

We are exploiting our expertise in basic cellular signalling to identify niche areas of opportunity not being pursued by industry. For example, we identified ebselen through repurposing as a lithium mimetic, and have progressed it from drug target, through mouse into man. Ebselen is now being taken into a phase 2 clinical trail for efficacy in bipolar disorder through a licensing deal with the biotech Sound Pharmaceuticals. Additionally, to facilitate translation of our research into treatments, in collaboration with colleagues in Pharmacology, we now have formed a start-up company, IntraBio.