Dr John Skidmore University positionChief Scientific Officer DepartmentsDepartment of Medical Genetics InstitutesAlzheimer’s Research UK Cambridge Drug Discovery Institute and Cambridge Institute for Medical Research (CIMR) Home pagehttp://www.ch.cam.ac.uk/person/... (personal home page) Research ThemeInterestsI am a medicinal chemist and drug discovery leader interested in working collaboratively with academics and industry in order to translate basic neurodegeneration research into potential new treatments. The Alzheimer’s Research UK Cambridge Drug Discovery Institute seeks to generate new validated targets for neurodegenerative disorders and to identify chemical probes and lead compounds for drug development. Our overall objective is to fast-track promising academic science into benefits for people with dementia as quickly as possible. We are focusing on neurodegenerative diseases that cause dementia. These may include Alzheimer’s, vascular dementia, dementia with Lewy bodies, frontotemporal dementia, Parkinson’s dementia and Huntington’s disease. We may also research diseases that share some of the fundamental biological changes involved in particular dementias e.g. motor neurone disease. Research Focus
EquipmentCell culture Computational modelling Confocal microscopy Enzyme assays Fluorescence microscopy Immunohistochemistry Medicinal chemistry Protein purification X-ray crystallography Collaborators
Associated News Items
Publications2014Ladbury JE, Hall A, Skidmore J (2014), “The toolbox is open, but who should pay for the job?” Nat Rev Drug Discov 13(7):479-80 Details Skidmore J, Heer J, Johnson CN, Norton D, Redshaw S, Sweeting J, Hurst D, Cridland A, Vesey D, Wall I, Ahmed M, Rivers D, Myatt J, Giblin G, Philpott K, Kumar U, Stevens A, Bit RA, Haynes A, Taylor S, Watson R, Witherington J, Demont E, Heightman TD (2014), “Optimization of sphingosine-1-phosphate-1 receptor agonists: effects of acidic, basic, and zwitterionic chemotypes on pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic profiles.” J Med Chem 57(24):10424-42 Details 2012Skidmore J, Atcha Z, Boucherat E, Castelletti L, Chen DW, Coppo FT, Cutler L, Dunsdon RM, Heath BM, Hutchings R, Hurst DN, Javed S, Martin S, Maskell ES, Norton D, Pemberton DJ, Redshaw S, Rutter R, Sehmi SS, Scoccitti T, Temple HE, Theobald P, Ward RW, Wilson DM (2012), “The discovery of 2-fluoro-N-(3-fluoro-4-(5-((4-morpholinobutyl)amino)-1,3,4-oxadiazol-2-yl)phenyl)benzamide, a full agonist of the alpha-7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor showing efficacy in the novel object recognition model of cognition enhancement.” Bioorg Med Chem Lett 22(10):3531-4 Details Skidmore J, Atcha Z, Boucherat E, Castelletti L, Chen DW, Coppo FT, Cutler L, Dunsdon RM, Heath BM, Hutchings R, Hurst DN, Javed S, Martin S, Maskell ES, Norton D, Pemberton DJ, Redshaw S, Rutter R, Sehmi SS, Scoccitti T, Temple HE, Theobald P, Ward RW, Wilson DM (2012), “Identification of a series of 1,3,4-oxadiazol-2-amines as potent alpha-7 agonists with efficacy in the novel object recognition model of cognition.” Bioorg Med Chem Lett 22(10):3560-3 Details 2011Kyle AF, Jakubec P, Cockfield DM, Cleator E, Skidmore J, Dixon DJ (2011), “Total synthesis of (-)-nakadomarin A.” Chem Commun (Camb) 47(36):10037-9 Details 2010Dobbs AP, Guesné SJ, Parker RJ, Skidmore J, Stephenson RA, Hursthouse MB (2010), “A detailed investigation of the aza-Prins reaction.” Org Biomol Chem 8(5):1064-80 Details Nichols PL, Brand J, Briggs M, D'Angeli M, Farge J, Garland SL, Goldsmith P, Hutchings R, Kilford I, Li HY, MacPherson D, Nimmo F, Sanderson FD, Sehmi S, Shuker N, Skidmore J, Stott M, Sweeting J, Tajuddin H, Takle AK, Trani G, Wall ID, Ward R, Wilson DM, Witty D (2010), “Potent oxadiazole CGRP receptor antagonists for the potential treatment of migraine.” Bioorg Med Chem Lett 20(4):1368-72 Details 2009Swarbrick ME, Beswick PJ, Gleave RJ, Green RH, Bingham S, Bountra C, Carter MC, Chambers LJ, Chessell IP, Clayton NM, Collins SD, Corfield JA, Hartley CD, Kleanthous S, Lambeth PF, Lucas FS, Mathews N, Naylor A, Page LW, Payne JJ, Pegg NA, Price HS, Skidmore J, Stevens AJ, Stocker R, Stratton SC, Stuart AJ, Wiseman JO (2009), “Identification of [4-[4-(methylsulfonyl)phenyl]-6-(trifluoromethyl)-2-pyrimidinyl] amines and ethers as potent and selective cyclooxygenase-2 inhibitors.” Bioorg Med Chem Lett 19(15):4504-8 Details 2008Beswick P, Charrier N, Clarke B, Demont E, Dingwall C, Dunsdon R, Faller A, Gleave R, Hawkins J, Hussain I, Johnson CN, MacPherson D, Maile G, Matico R, Milner P, Mosley J, Naylor A, O'Brien A, Redshaw S, Riddell D, Rowland P, Skidmore J, Soleil V, Smith KJ, Stanway S, Stemp G, Stuart A, Sweitzer S, Theobald P, Vesey D, Walter DS, Ward J, Wayne G (2008), “BACE-1 inhibitors part 3: identification of hydroxy ethylamines (HEAs) with nanomolar potency in cells.” Bioorg Med Chem Lett 18(3):1022-6 Details Lightfoot AP, Kew JN, Skidmore J (2008), “Alpha7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor agonists and positive allosteric modulators.” Prog Med Chem 46:131-71 Details |