Off-target toxic effects of drugs on happyhour - Mitochondria and Cell Death Regulation Group, MRC Toxicology Unit

Started Nov 2021. Ongoing

happyhour is a protein whose downregulation results in increased alcohol intake in Drosophila melanogaster (fruit flies) and is associated with alcoholism in humans. We hypothesise that small molecules, i.e. drugs, could interfere with the kinase domain of happyhour, leading to decreased activity.

This project plans to use in silico and in vivo techniques: machine learning, molecular docking, molecular dynamics and assays in fruit flies.

In progress…