Huy Van Nguyen’s research while affiliated with University of Birmingham and other places

Iron works: A ferrocene derivative, one of a series of ferronucleosides designed by the Tucker group, shows micromolar toxicity in a range of cancer cell lines. Their latest research shows the importance to activity of having arms in adjacent positions, with the 1,1’‐regioisomer much less active in bone cancer cell lines. On the other hand, N‐ or O‐methylation has much less of an effect; this rules out a conventional mechanism of action for a nucleoside, giving further weight to one that involves the iron centre. More information can be found in the full paper by N. J. Hodges, J. H. R. Tucker et al.

Polymorphisms in the region of the calmodulin-dependent kinase isoform D (CaMK1D) gene are associated with increased incidence of diabetes, with the most common polymorphism resulting in increased recognition by transcription factors and increased protein expression. While reducing CaMK1D expression has a potentially beneficial effect on glucose processing in human hepatocytes, there are no known selective inhibitors of CaMK1 kinases that can be used to validate or translate these findings. Here we describe the development of a series of potent, selective and drug-like CaMK1 inhibitors that are able to provide significant free target cover in mouse models and are therefore useful as in vivo tool compounds. Our results show that a lead compound from this series improves insulin sensitivity and glucose control in the diet-induced obesity mouse model after both acute and chronic administration, providing the first in vivo validation of CaMK1D as a target for diabetes therapeutics.

Four new bis‐substituted ferrocene derivatives containing either a hydroxyalkyl or methoxyalkyl group and either a thyminyl or methylthyminyl group have been synthesised and characterised by a range of spectroscopic and analytical techniques. They were included in a structure‐activity‐relationship (SAR) study probing anticancer activities in osteosarcoma (bone cancer) cell lines and were compared with a known lead compound, 1‐(S,Rp), a nucleoside analogue that is highly toxic to cancer cells. Biological studies using the MTT assay revealed that a regioisomer of ferronucleoside 1‐(S,Rp), which only differs from the lead compound in being substituted on two cyclopentadienyl rings rather than one, was over 20 times less cytotoxic. On the other hand, methylated derivatives of 1‐(S,Rp) showed comparable cytotoxicities to the lead compound. Overall these studies indicate that a mechanism of action for 1‐(S,Rp) cannot proceed through alcohol phosphorylation and that its geometry and size, rather than any particular functional group, are crucial factors in explaining its high anticancer activity.

A new chiral organometallic nucleoside analogue containing ruthenocene is reported, in which alkylthymine and alkylhydroxyl groups are attached in adjacent positions on one cyclopentadienyl ring. The synthetic procedures for this metallocene derivative and two control compounds are described, along with their characterisation that include cyclic voltammetry and X-ray crystallography. Their biological activities in a human pancreatic cancer cell line (MIA-Pa-Ca-2) were significantly lower than those for three previously reported analogous ferrocene compounds, indicating that the choice of metallocene metal atom (Fe or Ru) plays an pivotal role in determining the anticancer properties of these nucleoside analogues, which in turn suggests a different mode of action from that of a conventional nucleoside analogue.

The syntheses of a series of 1‐phenyl‐5‐phosphino 1,2,3‐triazoles are disclosed, within which, the phosphorus atom (at the 5‐position of a triazole) is appended by one, two or three triazole motifs, and the valency of the phosphorus(III) atom is completed by two, one or zero ancillary (phenyl or cyclohexyl) groups respectively. This series of phosphines was compared with tricyclohexylphosphine and triphenylphosphine to study the effect of increasing the number of triazoles appended to the central phosphorus atom from zero to three triazoles. Gold(I) chloride complexes of the synthesised ligands were prepared and analysed by techniques including single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction structure determination. Gold(I) complexes were also prepared from 1‐(2,6‐dimethoxy)‐phenyl‐5‐dicyclohexyl‐phosphino 1,2,3‐triazole and 1‐(2,6‐dimethoxy)‐phenyl‐5‐diphenyl‐phosphino 1,2,3‐triazole ligands. The crystal structures thus obtained were examined using the SambVca (2.0) web tool and percentage buried volumes determined. The effectiveness of these gold(I) chloride complexes to serve as precatalysts for alkyne hydration were assessed. Furthermore, the regioselectivity of hydration of but‐1‐yne‐1,4‐diyldibenzene was probed.

A series of phosphino triazoles are disclosed, within which, the phosphorus atom is appended by one, two or three triazole motifs. Gold(I) chloride complexes of the synthesised ligands were prepared and analysed by techniques including single crystal X-ray diffraction structure determination. SambVca (2.0) was used to determine percentage buried volumes. The effectiveness of these gold(I) chloride complexes to serve as precatalysts for alkyne hydration were assessed.<br

Most metazoan embryos commence development with rapid, transcriptionally silent cell divisions, with genome activation delayed until the mid-blastula transition (MBT). However, a set of genes escapes global repression and gets activated before MBT. Here we describe the formation and the spatio-temporal dynamics of a pair of distinct transcription compartments, which encompasses the earliest gene expression in zebrafish. 4D imaging of pri-miR430 and zinc-finger-gene activities by a novel, native transcription imaging approach reveals transcriptional sharing of nuclear compartments, which are regulated by homologous chromosome organisation. These compartments carry the majority of nascent-RNAs and active Polymerase II, are chromatin-depleted and represent the main sites of detectable transcription before MBT. Transcription occurs during the S-phase of increasingly permissive cleavage cycles. It is proposed, that the transcription compartment is part of the regulatory architecture of embryonic nuclei and offers a transcriptionally competent environment to facilitate early escape from repression before global genome activation.