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Identification of small molecule therapeutics for neurodegenerative diseases and glioblastoma.
For the past 26 years Dr. D’Mello’s research has focused on understanding the molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying neurodegeneration with the goal of developing therapies to treat diseases of the brain, focusing most on neurodegenerative diseases. Over the years, thelab’s research has been funded by several research grants from the NIH(including six R01, three R21 and two R03 awards) as well as grants from the DOD, NSF and private foundations. One aspect of Dr. D’Mello’s research on neurodegenerative diseases has been a long-standing drug discovery effort aimed at developing novel, small molecule therapeutics for these diseases. Early drug discovery research in Dr. D’Mello’s lab was funded by an R01 grant from the NIH in 2004 entitled “Analysis of the neuroprotective properties of c-Raf inhibitors”. This research led to the development of neuroprotective compounds belonging to two classes of chemical compounds - 3’ substituted indolones and 1,4-benzoxaxines.Dr. D’Mello’s studies on 1, 4-benzoxazines resulted in a patent issued to the University of Texas at Dallas (UTD) and Southern Methodist University (SMU) in2014 entitled “1,4-benzoxazine compounds and derivatives thereof as therapeutic drugs for the treatment of neurodegenerative conditions”. After being at UTDfor 16 years Dr. D’Mello joined SMU in 2014 to chair the Department of Biological Sciences. In 2020, Dr. D’Mello started Neugeneron LLC, an early-stage biotechnology company dedicated to the development of small molecule therapeutics for neurodegenerative diseases and glioblastoma. With regard to glioblastoma, Dr. D’Mello is developing a compound that isa highly-selective inhibitor of DRAK1/STK17A, a serine-threonine kinase involved in promoting glioblastoma. In August 2021 Dr. D’Mello joined Louisiana State University Shreveport where he is in the process of developing a strong, extramurally-funded research program.
Education: B.Sc (1981) Bombay University; M.Sc. (1983) Bombay University; Ph.D. (1989) University of Pittsburgh
ORCID identifier: 0000-0002-7652-1334
MyNCBI Link
Selected Publications
a) Chin PC, Liu L, Morrison B, Bottiglieri T, Ratan RR,D'Mello SR. (2004) The c-Raf inhibitor GW5074 provides neuroprotection in vitroand in an animal model of neurodegeneration through a MEK-ERK andAkt-independent mechanism. J. Neurochem. 90, 595-608. [PMID:15255937]
b) Johnson K, Liu L Majdazeh N, Chavez C, Chin PC, MorrisonB, Wang L, Park J, Chugh P, ChenH-M, D’Mello SR (2005) Inhibition of neuronalapoptosis by the cyclin dependent kinase inhibitor GW8510: Identificationof 3’ substituted indolones as a scaffold for the development ofneuroprotective drugs. J. Neurochem. 93, 538 - 548. [PMID:15836613]
c) Chen HM, Wang L, D'Mello SR. (2008) A chemical compoundcommonly used to inhibit PKR, {8-(imidazol-4-ylmethylene)-6H-azolidino[5,4-g]benzothiazol-7-one}, protects neurons by inhibiting cyclin-dependent kinase.Eur J Neurosci. 28:2003-2016. [PMID:19046382]
d) Wang L, Ankati H, Akubathini S, Balderamos M, Storey C,Patel AV, Kretzschmar D, Biehl ER, D’Mello SR. (2010) 1, 4- benzoxazinecompounds as novel neuroprotective agents. J. Neurosci. Res. 88:1970-1984. [PMID: 20143421]
Topics (Keywords/Tags): Brain, Neurodegeneration, Neurodevelopment, Drug Discovery, Glioblastoma
