PureTech Ventures (Boston, MA)
The essential enzymes thymidylate synthase (TS) and dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR) are validated drug targets for infectious pathogens. These enyzymes are a single, bifunctional enzyme (TS-DHFR) in parasites, and therefore multiple protein surfaces exist that are absent in the human enzymes. Along with characterizing the effects of non-conserved amino acids at the active site, I am exploring the importance of some of these non-active site regions on enzyme function towards structure-based, species-specific inhibitor design. Cryptosporidium hominis is an intestinal parasite that causes gastrointestinal discomfort in healthy individuals, and a fatal "wasting disease" in immuno-compromised patients. There is currently an unmet need for therapeutics for the parasite.

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Walter (Eddie) Martucci
W. Eddie Martucci
W. Eddie Martucci