Stockholm university

Research group Pål Stenmark's research group

The botulinum neurotoxins are the most toxic substances known. Despite this, their therapeutic properties are becoming increasingly evident. We study these toxins using a variety of methods, including X-ray crystallography, to understand their mechanism of action, thereby enabling the development of their therapeutic properties. 

Dual binding Pål Stenmark

Group description

These are the two main projects that our group is currently working on:

- The botulinum neurotoxins

The botulinum neurotoxins are one million times more toxic than the cobra toxin. In spite of their extreme toxicity there has been a rapid expansion of the medical applications for the botulinum neurotoxins, with new applications constantly being discovered. This line of treatment is becoming the standard procedure for many conditions. The toxins are possible agents for bioterrorism and the development of countermeasures and vaccines are of high priority. We are studying the toxins using a wide variety of methods, including X-ray crystallography, to understand toxins basic mechanism and to improve their therapeutic properties. 

- Structure based drug design

We also study enzymes involved in the nucleotide metabolism. One example is MTH1, this protein is important for clearing oxidative damage from the nucleotide pool. Many types of cancer cells have high levels of oxidative damage and depend on MTH1 for survival. We use X-ray crystallography to study the binding of MTH1 to natural substrates and potent inhibitors that we are developing in an interdisciplinary research collaboration. We use structural based drug design to refine these inhibitors into novel cancer drugs.

Group members

Group managers

Pål Stenmark

Professor of Biochemistry

Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics
Pål Stenmark

Members

Maria Nowakowska

Postdoc

Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics

Ellen Walse

Student

Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics

Julian Marius Ludäscher

PhD student

Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics
profile_picture_JML

Saher Shahid

Researcher

Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics

Annica Saaret

Postdoc

Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics

Ajda Krc

PhD student

Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics
Ajda Krc

Sara Persson Kosenina

Postdoc

Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics
sara

Geoffrey Masuyer

Researcher

Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics
Geoffrey Masuyer

Emma Rose Scaletti

Researcher

Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics
Emma Rose Scaletti

Research projects

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