Theme 3: Target Validation, Assay Development and Drug Screening & Theme 3.3: High throughput assays for specific viral targets: HBx-DDB1 & HBc-cccDNA

This Theme will focus on validation of previously discovered novel targets at the same time develop new assays against validated or putative targets that can be used for drug screening. Professor Wanjin Hong is the Theme PI for the LCG Theme 3 and 3.3.  Prof Hong’s role is to develop assays for high throughput screening for specific viral targets: HBx-DDB1 and HBc-cccDNA.

The Experimental Drug Development Centre (EDDC) will function as a collaborator at all levels of this theme, from target validation to drug discovery. Starting with early target proposals, EDDC will be able to provide insights regarding the attractiveness, as well as practicability of a target. address the ease of assay development for screening activities including assay validation using industry standards. In addition, we will provide information about the historical success for a given target of interest and extent this to guiding assay development and screening activities, as well as additional steps such as secondary assays, lead optimization activities, and suitable in vivo models. EDDC’s clinical development team will help to address general issues in terms of clinical viability of a project. This will also include hit and lead criteria commonly applied in the drug discovery process for small molecule compounds and based on input from EDDC’s biologists and chemists. We will give advice on which hits and leads should be pursued for further development, based in the attractiveness and patentability of the chemical scaffolds discovered. EDDC would provide advice on how to optimize the interaction of a potential agent with its putative target. EDDC will form an integrated project team comprising key representatives from all relevant parties.

Yee Joo Tan is currently working at the Department of Microbiology and Immunology as well as IMCB as a joint appointee. Her laboratory focuses on molecular virology and uses various cell-based models to study different viruses including hepatitis B and C viruses. In the LCG program, she is a co-investigator under Theme 3. Working closely with Dr Jayantha Guyaratne and other LCG members, she has previously identified novel targets affected by HBV replication but the exact nature of the interaction between the virus and host proteins is unclear. In this LCG, identifying, characterizing and validating previously identified novel targets will be a goal.