Amanda E. Hargrove

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Amanda E. Hargrove is a chemist and professor at Duke University (Durham, North Carolina, United States). Hargrove is also the editor-in-chief of Medicinal Research Reviews , [1] and a member of the Scientific Advisory Board of Arrakis Therapeutics. [2] At Duke University, Hargrove directs an interdisciplinary research program in chemical biology that focuses on harnessing the specific interactions between small molecules and RNA, and using those RNA-small molecule interactions to probe the structure, and function of RNA. The long-term goal of the group's research is to identify specific molecule-RNA interactions that may have therapeutic potential in the treatment of viral infection and human disease. She has received numerous awards for her scientific research, teaching, and service in support of diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Contents

Academic career

Hargrove attended Trinity University in San Antonio, Texas and received her B.S. in Chemistry and Spanish in 2004. [3] As an undergraduate student, she conducted research with John D. Spence on the synthesis and Bergman cyclization of meso-tethered enediyne-porphyrins. [4] Hargrove conducted her graduate work with Professors Eric V. Anslyn and Jonathan L. Sessler at the University of Texas, Austin, and earned her Ph.D. in 2010 for her thesis, Combining recognition motifs for improved sensing and biological activity of oligosaccharides and phosphorylated molecules. [5] From 2010 to 2013 she was an NIH Postdoctoral Fellow in Chemistry at California Institute of Technology, where she worked in the lab of Peter B. Dervan [6] and conducted research on DNA-binding polyamides as inhibitors of a prostate-specific response gene in prostate cancer. [7] Her postdoctoral work also focused on optimizing conditions to increase solubility of pyrrole-imidazole polyamide DNA-binding molecules as a strategy to increase their biological activity (these are a class of potential DNA-targeting therapeutics). [8] Hargrove became assistant professor in the department of chemistry at Duke University in Durham, NC in 2013 and earned promotion to associate professor with tenure in 2020. [9] [10]

Research

Hargrove's research program focuses on organic chemical synthesis and screening of small molecules that have specific interactions with different RNA structural motifs. The aim of the research is to identify small molecules that can target the specific RNA structures found in viruses. Hargrove's research program has identified RNA-binding molecules that can inhibit replication of Sars-CoV-2 virus [11] and enterovirus (the virus that causes hand, foot, and mouth disease). [12] The potential application of small molecules to treat various viral infections including enterovirus (Hand, Foot, and Mouth Disease) and SARS-CoV-2 has been discussed in popular media including the New York Times. [13] [14]

Awards and honors

Hargrove has received numerous awards and honors:

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References

  1. ↑ "Meet the Editors". Medicinal Research Reviews. Retrieved June 30, 2022.
  2. ↑ "Arrakis Therapeutics Announces New Scientific Advisory Board Members". Arrakis Therapeutics. Retrieved 2022-07-01.
  3. ↑ "ORCID". orcid.org. Retrieved 2022-07-01.
  4. ↑ Spence, John D.; Hargrove, Amanda E.; Crampton, Hannah L.; Thomas, David W. (2007-01-22). "Porphyrenediynes: synthesis and cyclization of meso-enediynylporphyrins". Tetrahedron Letters. 48 (4): 725–728. doi:10.1016/j.tetlet.2006.10.164. ISSN   0040-4039.
  5. ↑ Hargrove, Amanda E. (August 2010). "Combining recognition motifs for improved sensing and biological activity of phosphorylated molecules". University of Texas Electronic Theses and Dissertations.
  6. ↑ "2022 Priestley Medalist Peter B. Dervan pioneered treating DNA as an organic molecule". cen.acs.org. Retrieved 2022-06-30.
  7. ↑ Hargrove, Amanda E.; Martinez, Thomas F.; Hare, Alissa A.; Kurmis, Alexis A.; Phillips, John W.; Sud, Sudha; Pienta, Kenneth J.; Dervan, Peter B. (2015-11-16). "Tumor Repression of VCaP Xenografts by a Pyrrole-Imidazole Polyamide". PLOS ONE. 10 (11): e0143161. Bibcode:2015PLoSO..1043161H. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0143161 . ISSN   1932-6203. PMC   4646452 . PMID   26571387.
  8. ↑ Hargrove, Amanda E.; Raskatov, Jevgenij A.; Meier, Jordan L.; Montgomery, David C.; Dervan, Peter B. (2012-06-14). "Characterization and Solubilization of Pyrrole–Imidazole Polyamide Aggregates". Journal of Medicinal Chemistry. 55 (11): 5425–5432. doi:10.1021/jm300380a. ISSN   0022-2623. PMC   3375050 . PMID   22607187.
  9. ↑ "Duke Awards Tenure to Faculty Members | Duke Faculty Advancement". facultyadvancement.duke.edu. Retrieved 2022-06-30.
  10. ↑ "Colleges award tenure". www.insidehighered.com. Retrieved 2022-07-01.
  11. ↑ Zafferani, Martina; Haddad, Christina; Luo, Le; Davila-Calderon, Jesse; Chiu, Liang-Yuan; Mugisha, Christian Shema; Monaghan, Adeline G.; Kennedy, Andrew A.; Yesselman, Joseph D.; Gifford, Robert J.; Tai, Andrew W. (2021-11-26). "Amilorides inhibit SARS-CoV-2 replication in vitro by targeting RNA structures". Science Advances. 7 (48): eabl6096. Bibcode:2021SciA....7.6096Z. doi:10.1126/sciadv.abl6096. ISSN   2375-2548. PMC   8626076 . PMID   34826236.
  12. ↑ Davila-Calderon, Jesse; Patwardhan, Neeraj N.; Chiu, Liang-Yuan; Sugarman, Andrew; Cai, Zhengguo; Penutmutchu, Srinivasa R.; Li, Mei-Ling; Brewer, Gary; Hargrove, Amanda E.; Tolbert, Blanton S. (2020-09-22). "IRES-targeting small molecule inhibits enterovirus 71 replication via allosteric stabilization of a ternary complex". Nature Communications. 11 (1): 4775. Bibcode:2020NatCo..11.4775D. doi:10.1038/s41467-020-18594-3. ISSN   2041-1723. PMC   7508794 . PMID   32963221.
  13. ↑ Zimmer, Carl (2021-12-07). "New Covid Pills Offer Hope as Omicron Looms". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved 2022-06-30.
  14. ↑ Zafferani, Martina; Haddad, Christina; Luo, Le; Davila-Calderon, Jesse; Chiu, Liang-Yuan; Mugisha, Christian Shema; Monaghan, Adeline G.; Kennedy, Andrew A.; Yesselman, Joseph D.; Gifford, Robert J.; Tai, Andrew W. (2021). "Amilorides inhibit SARS-CoV-2 replication in vitro by targeting RNA structures". Science Advances. 7 (48): eabl6096. Bibcode:2021SciA....7.6096Z. doi:10.1126/sciadv.abl6096. PMC   8626076 . PMID   34826236.
  15. ↑ Admin. "Rising Star Award". ACS Women Chemists Committee. Retrieved 2022-07-01.
  16. ↑ "Congratulations to the 2021 Cram Lehn Pedersen Prize Winner: Amanda Hargrove – Chemical Communications Blog" . Retrieved 2022-06-30.
  17. ↑ "Fellows Database | Alfred P. Sloan Foundation". sloan.org. Retrieved 2022-07-01.
  18. ↑ "Award Winning Teachers | Trinity College of Arts & Sciences". trinity.duke.edu. Retrieved 2022-07-01.
  19. ↑ "NSF Award Search: Award # 1750375 - CAREER: Shape-based differentiation of RNA elements using small molecules". www.nsf.gov. Retrieved 2022-07-02.
  20. ↑ "Cottrell Scholars Dashboard". Research Corporation for Science Advancement. Retrieved July 2, 2022.
  21. ↑ "Amanda Hargrove". Prostate Cancer Foundation. Retrieved 2022-06-30.
  22. ↑ "The Prostate Cancer Foundation and the Movember Foundation Announce 2018 Challenge Awards Winners". Prostate Cancer Foundation. Retrieved 2022-06-30.
  23. ↑ "Young Investigator Award-Class of 2015". Prostate Cancer Foundation. Retrieved 2022-06-30.
  24. ↑ "2014 Ralph E. Powe Junior Faculty Enhancement Awards". ENP Newswire. 2014-06-02.
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