- The State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs (SKLNBD) is among the first state key laboratories established in China. In 1985, the founders of the laboratory such as Wang Kui and Zhang Lihe established the first state key laboratory of pharmacy in Beijing Medical University (now merged with Peking University) and clearly outlined the development direction of the SKLNBD. With the support of the national innovation system, the SKLNBD has entered the golden period of development under the leadership of Professor Ye Xinshan. The incumbent director is Zhou Demin. The academic committee consists of 21 scholars, including 12 academicians, with Prof. Kaixian Chen (Academician of CAS) as the director. There are 51 PIs in SKLNBD currently, including 4 Academician of CAS, 12 Distinguished Young Scholars of NSFC, 6 Excellent Young Scholars of NSFC, 6 Cross-century Talents, 4 senior engineers and 15 technicians. Researchers of the Laboratory have formed research groups of synthetic medicinal chemistry, natural drug, pharmacology and pharmaceutics, etc.
- Orientation
The SKLNBD is rooted in Peking University of multidisciplinary and comprehensive advantages. Its academic tradition of free exploration and distinctive development is the motive of laboratory development. Therefore, we are generally oriented to explore new trends, new directions in drug development, and potential sources of therapeutic drugs in the future. With this positioning, the SKLNBD focuses on pharmacy, and is based on related disciplines such as chemistry, biology, basic medicine and clinical medicine. It integrates leading talents and young academic backbones in related fields of Peking University, and undertakes major national scientific projects and cross-disciplinary research. It is aimed to establish new theories, new methods, and new strategies which have a leading role in drug source innovation, and discover lead drugs with exemplary functions in structure and function. Based on this positioning, the SKLNBD is committed to the basic research and source discovery of drug innovation, and combines the goal of building a world-class university/first-class discipline with the major needs of the country, making Peking University the creation and cultivation center that leads the construction and academic development of pharmaceutical discipline. - Main research directions
The research direction of the SKLNBD mainly covers natural and biomimetic drugs, which are the basic scientific topic of the druggability of complex components of natural products and the key scientific topic of endogenous substances that play a therapeutic role. The core scientific aim is to discover and optimize natural products and chemical modification reactions, and realize the precise regulation of the structure and function of endogenous substances, establish new theories, new methods and new strategies for the druggability of natural small molecules and endogenous macromolecules, make a breakthrough in relevant key technologies, and discover potential first in class new drugs.
1. Basic scientific topic of the druggability of complex components of natural products
Natural products are an important source of small molecule drugs. At present, natural medicine research stays in the separation of active ingredients and structural modification, which lacks systematic research on the structure of active ingredients and in-depth research on the target and mechanism of natural product. In addition, traditional Chinese medicine research lacks the means to rapidly discover and separate active ingredients in complex systems. Therefore, the deep excavation of the source, structural diversity, biological activity and biogenetic function of natural products constitutes the basis of the source discovery of the SKLNBD and becomes the key to sustainable development.
Using the discovery of active natural products of characteristic natural resources as the entry point, developing new chemical methods and new reactions, synthesising and optimizing of new skeleton precursors, we obtain chemical entities with high druggability. Based on molecular probe, we realize in-depth analysis of its target and network of active natural material skeleton, which provide a new perspective and method for timely regulation and modification of endogenous substances, and solve the basic scientific problems that plague natural products.
2. Study on the key scientific topics of bionics in the therapeutic role of endogenous substances
Endogenous proteins, nucleic acids, sugars, and lipids form the basis of life activities. Drugs derived from endogenous proteins, such as monoclonal antibodies, vaccines, and biomacromolecule drugs derived from the complex structure and function of endogenous nucleic acids, sugars, and lipids have become the fastest growing, most profitable and most competitive R&D field, representing a new growth point for drug development. Based on new reactions and new methods of chemical modification of biomolecular, the SKLNBD chemically modifies the structure of proteins, nucleic acids, sugars and liposomes to perform their optimal physiological functions, carrying on the research on key technologies of bionic drugs including gene therapy, immunotherapy, and targeted therapy.
- Main research objectives
In view of the overall orientation of the source discovery, the research of the SKLNBD focuses on the basic scientific topics of druggability of natural products and the key scientific topics and technical bottlenecks of endogenous substance in bionic treatment. Through the discovery and optimization of natural products and chemical reaction modification, the precise regulation of the structure and function of endogenous substances can be realized, the druggability of natural products and endogenous substances can be improved, and the SKLNBD becomes the creation and cultivation center that leads pharmaceutical discipline construction and academic development.
Create new theories, new methods, and new strategies for the discovery of drug sources, discover drug-leading molecules with exemplary significance, and make internationally recognized achievements and technological breakthroughs
Promote the transformation of the traditional research mode of “synthesis-screening-pharmacology” to the innovation mode of “chemical-biological cross-drive”, form a number of research teams in the international frontier
Accelerate the development of pharmacy-related interdisciplinary and emerging disciplines through forward-looking research, and improve the high-tech content and global competitiveness of China's pharmaceutical industry through transformational research
Balance academic freedom and major national needs and provide an important reference for the construction of a national innovation system based on universities - Instrument Platform
With the three advantages of project, base and talent, the SKLNBD has strengthened the overall positioning of laboratory source innovation through top-level design and established a complete instrument platform. The instrument platform is open to students and forms a unique instrument sharing system.
1. Biological Instrument Platform
2. Mass Spectrometry Platform
3. NMR Platform
4. X-ray Diffraction platform
copyright 2014 State Key Laboratory Of Natural And Biomimetic Drugs, Peking University