A team of scientists from UCSF and colleagues have identified a new potential drug target for the herpes virus that causes Kaposi’s sarcoma. Their research reopens the possibility of using a class of drugs called protease inhibitors, against diseases ranging from cancer to Alzheimer's Disease. This research was published online in Nature Chemical Biology, July 26, 2009. The lead author is Tina Shahian, UCSF Graduate Group in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. Authors from the UCSF School of Pharmacy, Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, are senior author Charles S. Craik, PhD, Gregory Lee, and Ana Lazic. Other authors are colleagues from St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.

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UCSF researchers identify new drug target for Kaposi’s Sarcoma

Research paper

Inhibition of a viral enzyme by a small-molecule dimer disruptor, Nature Chemical Biology, July 26, 2009