Welcome to the Group of Peptidomimetics

From peptides and proteins to druggable small molecules

The multiple physiological roles played by peptides and proteins support the assumption that small non peptide molecules, able to mimic or to block these roles and to overcome the pharmacokinetic limitations of peptides as drugs, can have therapeutic applications. Peptidomimetics is the term that identifies these molecules in Medicinal Chemistry and to succeed in finding them is the ultimate goal of this group, since the mid-1980s. To this endeavour, rational design and generation of molecular diversity are followed as complementary Medicinal Chemistry strategies. Molecular modelling techniques and different synthetic methodologies, both in solution and solid-phase, are used to the design and synthesis of conformationally restricted amino acids, peptide derivatives, pseudopeptides and peptide secondary structure mimetics, and, in general, of polyfunctionalized chiral scaffolds. Besides finding new leads of utility in the therapeutic areas of our particular interest, the purpose of this group is to develop new scaffolds and new synthetic methodologies of wide application to the search of peptidomimetics. Having in mind the concept of peptidomimetics, our current research is mainly centred on obtaining modulators of therapeutically relevant protein-protein interactions, with particular emphasis in those with incidence in cancer or in ion channel-related diseases. This research provides a suitable framework for a multidisciplinary training in Medicinal Chemistry.