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Yanming Du, PhD Professor

Yanming Du

Yanming Du, PhD

Professor

Phone: (215) 589-6579             Email: yanming.du@bblumberg.org

Training: Ph.D. (2002) The University of Iowa

Post doctorate (2004) Johnson & Johnson Pharmaceutical Research and Development

Appointment at the Baruch S. Blumberg Institute: Dr. Du is director and professor of medicinal chemistry division in The Baruch S. Blumberg Institute.

 

RESEARCH OVERVIEW

Research interest: My current research focuses on the design and synthesis of novel compounds that can be effective against viral hemorrhagic fevers, and diseases related to the liver including Hepatitis B and liver cancer.  My goal is to deliver compounds that are not only potent in in-vitro assays but are also efficacious in in-vivo models with good absorption, distribution, metabolism, excretion, and toxicity (ADMET) profiles.

I have training in organic chemistry and more than eighteen years of expertise in medicinal chemistry and drug discovery. My experience spans both industry and academia and ranges from natural product modification to rationally designed molecules. At current position, I have been working with collaborators in biology to optimize the hit compounds that they discovered through library screening. We have successfully demonstrated that we can carry out hit-to-lead, lead optimization, and preclinical development where several projects have received financial support for further development and a number of lead series have been licensed out with one lead compound having completed human phase 1 clinical trial (AB-423). Prior to Blumberg Institute, I worked in two biopharmaceutical companies, Fox Chase Chemical Diversity Center and Rib-X Pharmaceuticals, in the fields of anticonvulsants and antibiotics.

Research staff:

Ms. Nicky Hwang

Dr. Anil Karampoori

 

RECENT PUBLICATIONS

  1. Pei, Y.; Hwang, N.; Lang, F.; Zhou, F.; Wong, J. H-Y.; Singh, R. K.; Jha, H. C.; El-Deiry, W. S.; Du, Y. & Robertson, E. S., Quassinoid analogs with enhanced efficacy for treatment of hematologic malignancies target the PI3Kγ isoform, COMMUNICATIONS BIOLOGY | (2020) 3:267 | https://doi.org/10.1038/s42003-020-0996-z | www.nature.com/commsbio

  2. Zhang, X.; Liu, B.; Tang, L.; Su, Q.; Hwang, N.; Sehgal, M.; Cheng, J.; Ma, J.; Zhang, X.; Tan, Y.; Zhou, Y.; Duan, Z.; DeFilippis, V. R.; Viswanathan, U.; Kulp, J.; Du, Y.; Guo, J-T; and Chang, J. Discovery and Mechanistic Study of a Novel Human-Stimulator-of-Interferon-Genes Agonist, ACS Infect. Dis. 2019, 5, 1139-1149.

  3. Zhang, X.; Cheng, J.; Ma, J.; Hu, Z.; Wu, S.; Hwang, N.; Kulp, J.; Du, Y.; Guo, J-T; and Chang, J. Discovery of Novel Hepatitis B Virus Nucleocapsid Assembly Inhibitors, ACS Infect. Dis. 2019, 5, 759-768.

  4. Ma, J.; Zhang, X.; Soloveva, V.; Warren, T.; Guo, F.; Wu, S.; Lu, H.; Guo, J.; Su, Q.; Shen, H.; Solon, E.; Comunale, M.; Mehta, A.; Guo, J.-T.; Bavari, S.; Du, Y.; Block, T. M.; Chang, J. Enhancing the antiviral potency of ER α-glucosidase inhibitor IHVR-19029 against hemorrhagic fever viruses in vitro and in vivo, Antiviral Res. 2018, 150, 112–122.

  5. Wu, S.; Zhao, Q.; Zhang, P.; Kulp, J.; Hu, L.; Hwang, N.; Zhang, J.; Block, TM.; Xu, X.; Du, Y.; Chang, J.; Guo, J-T. Discovery and mechanistic study of benzamide derivatives that modulate hepatitis B virus capsid assembly. J Virol 2017, 91, e00519-17.

  6. Ma, J.; Wu, S.; Zhang, X.; Guo, F.; Yang, K.; Guo, J.; Su, Q.; Lu, H.; Lam, P.; Li, Y.; Yan, Z.; Kinney, W.; Guo, JT.; Block, T. M.; Chang, J.; Du, Y. Ester Prodrugs of IHVR-19029 with Enhanced Oral Exposure and Prevention of Gastrointestinal Glucosidase Interaction. ACS Med. Chem. Letts. 2017, 8, 157-162.

  1. Liu, B.; Tang, L.; Zhang, X.; Ma, J.; Sehgal, M.; Cheng, J.; Zhang, X.; Zhou, Y.; Du, Y.; Kulp, J.; Guo, J-T.; Chang, J. A cell-based high throughput screening assay for the discovery of cGAS-STING pathway agonists. Antiviral Res., 2017, 147, 37 – 46. 

  2. Guo, F.; Zhao, Q.; Sheraz, M.; Cheng, J.; Qi, Y.; Su, Q.; Cuconati, A.; Wei, L.; Du, Y.; Li, W.; Chang, J.; Guo, J-T.HBV core protein allosteric modulators differentially alter cccDNA biosynthesis from de novo infection and intracellular amplification pathways PLoS Pathog 13(9): e1006658

  3. Lu, ; Rogowskyj, J.; Yu, W.; Venkatesh, A.; Khan, N.; Nakagawa, S.; Goossens, N.; Koh, A. P.; Higashi, T.; Gunasekaran, G.; Schwarz, M. E.; Hiotis, S. P.; Xu, X.; Kinney, W.; Hoshida, Y.; Block, T.; Cuconati, A.; Du, Y. Novel substituted aminothiazoles as potent and selective anti-hepatocellular carcinoma agents. Bioorg. Med. Chem. Lett. 2016, 26, 5819-5824.

  4. Guo F, Wu S, Julander J, Ma J, Zhang X, Kulp J, Cuconati A, Block T, Du Y, Guo JT, Chang J. A novel benzodiazepine compound inhibits Yellow Fever virus infection by specifically targeting NS4B protein. Journal of Virology, 2016, 90(23):10774-788. (Spotlight article)

  5. Guo, F.; Zhao, X.; Gill, T.; Zhou, Y.; Campagna, M.; Wang, L.; Liu, F.; Zhang, P.; Di Paolo, L.; Du, Y.; Xu, X.; Jiang, D.; Wei, L.; Cuconati, A.; Block, T. M.; Guo, J.-T.; Chang, J. An interferon-​beta promoter reporter assay for high throughput identification of compounds against multiple RNA viruses Antiviral Res. 2014, 107, 56-65.

  1. Smith, G. R.; Brenneman, D. E.; Zhang, Y.; Du, Y.; Reitz, A. B. Small-​Molecule Anticonvulsant Agents with Potent In Vitro Neuroprotection and Favorable Drug-​Like Properties of Mol. Neurosci. 2014, 52, 446-458.

  2. Chang, J.; Guo, J.-T.; Du, Y.; Block, T.  Imino sugar glucosidase inhibitors as broadly active anti-​filovirus agents. Emerg. Microbes & Infect. 2013, 2, e77.

  3. Du, Y.; Ye, H.; Guo, F; Wang, L.; Gill, T.; Khan, N.; Cuconati, A.; Guo, J-T.; Block, T. M.; Chang, J.; Xu, X. Design and synthesis of N-alkyldeoxynojirimycin derivatives with improved metabolic stability as inhibitors of BVDV and Tarcaribe virus. Med. Chem. Lett. 2013, 23, 4258-4262.

  4. Du, Y.; Ye, H.; Gill, T.; Wang, L.; Guo, F.; Cuconati, A.; Guo, J-T.; Block, T. M.; Chang, J.; Xu, X. N-Alkyldeoxynojirimycin derivatives with novel terminal tertiary amide substitution for treatment of bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV), Dengue, and Tarcaribe virus infections. Med. Chem. Lett. 2013, 23, 2172-2176.

  5. Chang, J.; Warren, T. K.; Zhao, X.; Gill, T.; Guo, F.; Wang, L.; Comunale, M. A.;Du, Y.; Alonzi, D. S.; Yu, W.; Ye, H.; Liu, F.; Guo, J.-T.; Mehta, A.;  Cuconati, A.; Butters, T. D.; Bavari, S.; Xu, X.; Block, T. M. Antiviral Res., 2013, 98, 432-440.

  6. Yu, W.; Gill, T.; Wang, L.; Du, Y.; Ye, H.; Qu, X.; Guo, J.; Cuconati, A.; Zhao, K.; Block, T. M.; Xu, X.; Chang, J. Design, Synthesis, and Biological Evaluation of N-Alkylated Deoxynojirimycin (DNJ) Derivatives for the Treatment of Dengue Virus Infection. Med. Chem. 2012, 55, 6061-6075.

  7. Brenneman, D. E.; Smith, G. R.; Zhang, Y.; Du, Y.; Kondaveeti, S. K.; Zdilla, M. J.; Reitz, A.B. Small Molecule Anticonvulsant Agents with Potent In Vitro Neuroprotection. of Mol. Neurosci. 2012, 47, 368-379.

  8. Lu, C.; Wonsidler J. L.; Li, J.; Du, Y.; Block, T.; Haab,B.; Chen, S. Chemically Block Antibody Microarray for Multiplexed High-Throughput Profiling of Specific Protein Glycosylation in Complex Samples. Journal of Visualized Experiments, 2012, 63, e3791.

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