Catalytic antibodies in trieste

Our interest in antibody catalysis goes back to 1992. Together with the Organic Chemistry group of prof. Paolo Linda at the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences of our University, and the Immunology group of prof. Alfonso Colombatti at the University of Udine and at CRO-IRCSS of Aviano, we have been members of the former TMR Network ENABC (European Network on Antibody Catalysis) from 1992 to 1996 and we are currently members of COSSAC, the TMR network on Catalysis of Sequence Selective Amide Bond Cleavage with Antibodies and Enzymes. Our research activity in the field of antibody catalysis is focused on the following topics:

Hydrolysis of the amide bond

Selective modification of aminoacid and peptide side chains

Development of new screening strategies for antibody catalysis

Stereoselective reduction of carbonyl compound

And within these topics we are particulary interested in the use of thetrahedral sulphur compounds (sulphonamides, sulphoxides and sulphones) as transition state analogues.