Overview
Dr. Lori Ferrins’s research is focused on the discovery of drugs for rare and neglected diseases, often disregarded by the for-profit pharmaceutical sector. These encompass a spectrum of diseases, including parasitic neglected tropical diseases, pathogenic free-living amoebae, and the development of antifungal agents for multidrug resistant fungi. Collaborating with industry, public-private partnerships, government agencies, and academic institutions, our mission is to expedite the delivery of improved treatments to patients in need.
The lab adopts a comprehensive approach with emphasis on understanding the therapeutic requirements unique to each disease. Leveraging advanced cheminformatics tools, we prioritize the synthesis of compounds in the lab that are predicted to have a profile consistent with a therapeutic agent. Our strategy encompasses a multifaceted evaluation, not only assessing potency but also emphasizing the crucial “drug-like” properties of compounds. This is facilitated by invaluable contributions from pharmaceutical companies within our network.
Acknowledging the collaborative essence of medicinal chemistry and drug discovery, the lab operates at the convergence of diverse disciplines. This environment provides students with invaluable exposure to a spectrum of scientific fields, fostering interdisciplinary interactions. Students and trainees in the lab undergo formal training in synthetic organic and medicinal chemistry, equipping them with essential skills for future study in graduate, or medical school, and careers in the pharmaceutical industry and academia.
Research Interests
Drug discovery, medicinal chemistry, infectious diseases
Selected Publications
Sanders, B. C.; Pokhrel, S.; Labbe, A. D.; Mathews, I. I.; Cooper, C. J.; Davidson, R. B.; Phillips, G.; Weiss, K. L.; Zhang, Q.; O’Neill, H.; Kaur, M.; Schmidt, J. G.; Reichard, W.; Surendranathan, S.; Parvathareddy, J.; Phillips, L.; Rainville, C.; Sterner, D. E.; Kumaran, D.; Andi, B.; Babnigg, G.; Moriarty, N. W.; Adams, P. D.; Joachimiak, A.; Hurst, B. L.; Kumar, S.; Butt, T. R.; Jonsson, C. B.; Ferrins, L.; Wakatsuki, S.; Galanie, S.; Head, M. S.; Parks, J. M., Potent and selective covalent inhibition of the papain-like protease from SARS-CoV-2. Nature Communications 2023, 14 (1), 1733.
Ferrins, L.;* Buskes, M. J.;Δ Kapteyn, M. M.; Engels, H. N.; Enos, S. E.; Lu, C.; Klug, D. M.; Singh, B.; Quotadamo, A.;^ Bachovchin, K.; Tear, W. F.; Spaulding, A. E.; Forbes, K. C.;† Bag, S.; Rivers, M.; LeBlanc, C.; Burchfield, E.; Armand, J. R.; Diaz-Gonzalez, R.; Ceballos-Perez, G.; García-Hernández, R.; Pérez-Moreno, G.; Bosch-Navarrete, C.; Ruiz-Pérez, L. M.; Gamarro, F.; González-Pacanowska, D.; Navarro, M.; Mensa-Wilmot, K.; Pollastri, M. P.; Kyle, D. E.; Rice, C. A., Identification of novel anti-amoebic pharmacophores from kinase inhibitor chemotypes. Frontiers in Microbiology 2023, 14. DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2023.1149145
The Covid Moonshot Consortium; Achdout, H.; Aimon, A.; Bar-David, E.; Barr, H.; Ben-Shmuel, A.; Bennett, J.; Boby, M. L.; Borden, B.; Bowman, G. R.; Brun, J.; Bvnbs, S.; Calmiano, M.; Carbery, A.; Cattermole, E.; Chernyshenko, E.; Chodera, J. D.; Clyde, A.; Coffland, J. E.; Cohen, G.; Cole, J.; Contini, A.; Cox, L.; Cvitkovic, M.; Dias, A.; Donckers, K.; Dotson, D. L.; Douangamath, A.; Duberstein, S.; Dudgeon, T.; Dunnett, L.; Eastman, P. K.; Erez, N.; Eyermann, C. J.; Fairhead, M.; Fate, G.; Fearon, D.; Fedorov, O.; Ferla, M.; Fernandes, R. S.; Ferrins, L.; Foster, R.; Foster, H.; Gabizon, R.; Garcia-Sastre, A.; Gawriljuk, V. O.; Gehrtz, P.; Gileadi, C.; Giroud, C.; Glass, W. G.; Glen, R.; Glinert, I.; Godoy, A. S.; Gorichko, M.; Gorrie-Stone, T.; Griffen, E. J.; Hart, S. H.; Heer, J.; Henry, M.; Hill, M.; Horrell, S.; Hurley, M. F. D.; Israely, T.; Jajack, A.; Jnoff, E.; Jochmans, D.; John, T.; Jonghe, S. D.; Kantsadi, A. L.; Kenny, P. W.; Kiappes, J. L.; Koekemoer, L.; Kovar, B.; Krojer, T.; Lee, A. A.; Lefker, B. A.; Levy, H.; London, N.; Lukacik, P.; Macdonald, H. B.; MacLean, B.; Malla, T. R.; Matviiuk, T.; McCorkindale, W.; McGovern, B. L.; Melamed, S.; Michurin, O.; Mikolajek, H.; Milne, B. F.; Morris, A.; Morris, G. M.; Morwitzer, M. J.; Moustakas, D.; Nakamura, A. M.; Neto, J. B.; Neyts, J.; Nguyen, L.; Noske, G. D.; Oleinikovas, V.; Oliva, G.; Overheul, G. J.; Owen, D.; Psenak, V.; Pai, R.; Pan, J.; Paran, N.; Perry, B.; Pingle, M.; Pinjari, J.; Politi, B.; Powell, A.; Puni, R.; Rangel, V. L.; Reddi, R. N.; Reid, S. P.; Resnick, E.; Ripka, E. G.; Robinson, M. C.; Robinson, R. P.; Rodriguez-Guerra, J.; Rosales, R.; Rufa, D.; Schofield, C.; Shafeev, M.; Shaikh, A.; Shi, J.; Shurrush, K.; Singh, S.; Sittner, A.; Skyner, R.; Smalley, A.; Smilova, M. D.; Solmesky, L. J.; Spencer, J.; Strain-Damerell, C.; Swamy, V.; Tamir, H.; Tennant, R.; Thompson, W.; Thompson, A.; Thompson, W.; Tomasio, S.; Tumber, A.; Vakonakis, I.; van Rij, R. P.; Vangeel, L.; Varghese, F. S.; Vaschetto, M.; Vitner, E. B.; Voelz, V.; Volkamer, A.; von Delft, F.; von Delft, A.; Walsh, M.; Ward, W.; Weatherall, C.; Weiss, S.; White, K. M.; Wild, C. F.; Wittmann, M.; Wright, N.; Yahalom-Ronen, Y.; Zaidmann, D.; Zidane, H.; Zitzmann, N., Open Science Discovery of Oral Non-Covalent SARS-CoV-2 Main Protease Inhibitor Therapeutics. Science 2023, 382 (6671), eabo7201. DOI: 10.1126/science.abo7201
Bachovchin, K. A.; Sharma, A.; Bag, S.; Klug, D. M.; Schneider, K. M.; Singh, B.; Jalani, H. B.; Buskes, M. J.; Mehta, N.; Tanghe, S.; Momper, J. D.; Sciotti, R. J.; Rodriguez, A.; Mensa-Wilmot, K.; Pollastri, M. P.; Ferrins, L.*, Improvement of Aqueous Solubility of Lapatinib-Derived Analogues: Identification of a Quinolinimine Lead for Human African Trypanosomiasis Drug Development. Journal of Medicinal Chemistry 2019, 62, 665-687. DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.8b01365
Dahlin, J. L.; Auld, D. S.; Rothenaigner, I.; Haney, S.; Sexton, J. Z.; Nissink, J. W. M.; Walsh, J.; Lee, J. A.; Strelow, J. M.; Willard, F. S.; Ferrins, L.; Baell, J. B.; Walters, M. A.; Hua, B. K.; Hadian, K.; Wagner, B. K., Nuisance compounds in cellular assays. Cell Chemical Biology, 2021,28(3), 356-370. DOI: 10.1016/j.chembiol.2021.01.021
Selected Grants
National Institutes of Health, R01AI152092, Repurposing kinase inhibitor chemotypes as antimalarials
National Institutes of Health, 2R01AI114685, Repurposing human kinase inhibitor chemotypes for Neglected Tropical Diseases
National Institutes of Health, 2R01 AI124046, Optimization and Modes of Action of NEU-4438, a New Anti-trypanosome Lead Drug
National Institutes of Health, Developmental Project via AViDD, Development of covalent SARS-CoV-2 papain-like protease inhibitors
Courses Taught
CHEM4456 Organic Chemistry 3
CHEM5672 Organic Synthesis 2
CHEM5501 Chemical Safety
PHSC5400 Principles of Drug Design
PHSC4502 Pharmacology/Medicinal Chemistry 2
