Phenotypic Drug Discovery With BioLab

Phenotypic Drug Discovery (PDD) has been making a return in the last few years. It is a method more reliable than target-based drug discovery. BioLab, a research lab in the Universidad de La Laguna, started a Phenotypic Drug Discovery initiative with an interest in the therapeutic area of cancer. We interviewed José M. Padr_ó_n one of the founders of BioLab.

Tell us more about you?

My name is José M. Padrón, I’m a native of Puerto de la Cruz and a graduate of the Universidad de La Laguna. I obtained a B.Sc. in Pharmacy (Hons) in 1991. This was followed by Ph.D. research under the supervision of Prof. Víctor S. Martín at the Instituto Universitario de Bio-Orgánica, resulting in 1996 in a thesis on the asymmetric synthesis of a variety of biologically active molecules such as lipidic α-amino acids.

I subsequently moved to the Vrije Universiteit Medisch Centrum in Amsterdam (The Netherlands), for postdoctoral research with Prof. G. J. Peters getting insight into the biological evaluation of anticancer drugs. In 1998, I joined DSM Research in Geleen (The Netherlands) to work for three years on the enantioselective membrane separation of carboxylic acids with Prof. J. G. de Vries. Afterward, I worked from 2001 to 2003 in Almería (Spain) at Deretil in the production of β-lactam antibiotics.

Upon my return to the Canary Islands in 2004, I started a screening program aimed at the discovery of new anticancer substances in the Research Unit of Hospital Universitario NS de Candelaria. In 2006, I moved back to IUBO as Principal Investigator and founded the research group BioLab. In 2011, I was appointed Tenured Full-Time Lecturer in Organic Chemistry at the Universidad de La Laguna. I was appointed Director of ULL’s Technology Transfer Office (OTRI) from April 2013 to June 2015. In 2017, I was promoted to Associate Professor in Organic Chemistry at Universidad de La Laguna.

About your lab, what is its history, its mission?

In 2004, we started at ULL a Phenotypic Drug Discovery (PDD) initiative whose goal is to use cell-based assays directed at the discovery of pharmacologically active small-molecules, trying to establish general bases for ultimately identifying their mechanism of action.

We have clustered a solid and experienced group of multidisciplinary scientists to develop realistic and collaborative research programs on Molecular Pharmacology and Medicinal Chemistry in the Canary Islands. Our group is composed of a multidisciplinary team of Ph.D. students, postdoctoral researchers, and occasionally, highly motivated undergraduates.

What services does your lab offer?

At BioLab we perform the biological evaluation of synthetic and natural compounds against a panel of representative human solid tumor cell lines. From this test, we determine if compounds are active and/or interesting to go into depth. We try to shed light on the mechanism of action by studying the effects of the products at a molecular level. Our ultimate goal is to identify the biological target(s) at which the active compound is directed.

We have established long term collaborations with several groups worldwide and I hope our proposal is interesting for you. We like to work on a fair collaborating basis in which the benefit is intended for all.

If preferred, we could provide this evaluation as a service. Please contact us for a quote.

What sets your expertise apart from others?

Since 2004, our research trajectory based on Lead Generation to Candidate Realization (LGCR) strategy has been linked to the discovery at the preclinical level of new small molecules with special interest in the therapeutic area of