BioCentury
ARTICLE | Tools & Techniques

DuPont sees the light

October 15, 2001 7:00 AM UTC

Scientists at DuPont Pharmaceuticals Inc. have halted development of a family of tumor necrosis factor receptor (TNFRc1) antagonists after structure-activity relationship (SAR) studies showed that the compound was only functional in vitro in the presence of light. The findings suggest that caution should be used when similar compounds are obtained as chemical lead structures.

Researchers at DuPont (Wilmington, Del.), in collaboration with Structural Bioinformatics Inc. (San Diego, Calif.), outlined the mechanism of action of this "photochemically enhanced inhibitor" in last week's Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. ...