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G-quadruplexes (G4s) are non-canonical nucleic acid secondary structures that have gathered significant interest in medicinal chemistry over the past two decades due to their unique structural features and potential roles in a variety of biological processes and disorders. Traditionally, research efforts have focused on stabilizing G4s, while in recent years, the attention has progressively shifted to G4 destabilization, unveiling new therapeutic perspectives. This review provides an in-depth overview of recent advances in the development of small molecules, starting with the controversial role of TMPyP4. Moreover, we described effective metal complexes in addition to G4-disrupting small molecules as well as good G4 stabilizing ligands that can destabilize G4s in response to external stimuli. Finally, we presented antisense strategies as a promising approach for destabilizing G4s, with a particular focus on 2'-OMe antisense oligonucleotide, peptide nucleic acid, and locked nucleic acid. Overall, this review emphasizes the importance of understanding G4 dynamics as well as ongoing efforts to develop selective G4-unfolding strategies that can modulate their biological function and therapeutic potential.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/molecules29153488 | DOI Listing |
Talanta
September 2025
College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, College of Materials Science and Engineering, Shandong Sino-Japanese Center for Collaborative Research of Carbon Nanomaterials, Qingdao Application Technology Innovation Center of Photoelectric Biosensing for Clinical Diagnosis and Treatment, Instrument
Rational optimization of the pore size and topology of porous nanocarriers is crucial for improving the loading amount of luminophore and enhancing electrochemiluminescence (ECL) performance. In this study, an equimolar linear ligand replacement strategy was employed to synthesize novel mesoporous metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) for encapsulating Ru(bpy) (Ru@Zr MOFs) under room temperature without an acid modulator. Ingenious ligand substitution allows precise control of pore size, enabling encapsulation at the single-molecule level within mesoporous cages.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFChemistryOpen
September 2025
Bone Marrow Transplantation Center, the First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 310003, China.
G protein-coupled receptor family C, group 5, member D (GPRC5D), a member of the G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) family, has recently emerged as a promising target for immunotherapy in hematologic malignancies, particularly multiple myeloma. However, no systematic virtual screening studies have been conducted to identify small-molecule inhibitors targeting GPRC5D. To address this gap, a multistep computational screening strategy is developed that integrates Protein-Ligand Affinity prediction NETwork (PLANET), a GPU-accelerated version of AutoDock Vina (Vina-GPU), molecular mechanics/generalized born surface area (MM/GBSA), and an online tool for Absorption, Distribution, Metabolism, Excretion, and Toxicity (ADMET) property prediction (admetSAR 3.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBiophys J
September 2025
Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Alberta RNA Research and Training Institute, University of Lethbridge, 4401 University Drive, Lethbridge, AB, T1K 3M4, Canada; Li Ka Shing Institute of Virology, University of Alberta, Edmonton T6G 2E1, Alberta, Canada; Department of Microbiology, Immunology
The dengue virus (DENV) poses a significant threat to human health, accounting for approximately 400 million infections each year. Its genome features a circular structure that facilitates replication through long-range RNA-RNA interactions, utilizing cyclization sequences located in the untranslated regions (UTRs). To gain new insights into the organization of the DENV genome, we purified the 5' and 3' UTRs of DENV in vitro and examined their structural and binding properties using various biophysical techniques combined with computational methods.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFNitric Oxide
September 2025
Department of Physics, Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, NC 27109, USA; Translational Science Center, Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, NC 27109, USA. Electronic address:
We recently demonstrated a rapid reaction between labile ferric heme and nitric oxide (NO) in the presence of reduced glutathione (GSH) or other small thiols in a process called thiol-catalyzed reductive nitrosylation, yielding a novel signaling molecule, labile nitrosyl ferrous heme (NO-ferroheme), which we and others have shown can regulate vasodilation and platelet homeostasis. Red blood cells (RBCs) contain high concentrations of GSH, and NO can be generated in the RBC via nitrite reduction and/or RBC endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) so that NO-ferroheme could, in principle, be formed in the RBC. NO-ferroheme may also form in other cells and compartments, including in plasma, where another small and reactive thiol species, hydrogen sulfide (HS/HS), is also present and may catalyze NO-ferroheme formation akin to GSH.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBioorg Med Chem Lett
September 2025
Department of Radiology, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, United States. Electronic address:
Murine double minute 2 (MDM2, also known as human double minute 2 or HDM2) is a negative regulator of the tumor suppressor protein p53 and is overexpressed in many cancers. Over the past two decades, substantial progress has been made in developing inhibitors of the MDM2-p53 interaction, thereby allowing the p53 protein to exert antitumor effects through cell apoptosis and cycle arrest. While there are currently no FDA-approved MDM2 inhibitors available, several small molecule MDM2 inhibitors and a stapled peptide inhibitor of the MDM2-p53 interaction are in clinical development.
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