The Chemical Probes Portal – 2024: update on this public resource to support best-practice selection and use of small molecules in biomedical research
The Chemical Probes Portal (www.chemicalprobes.org) is a free, public resource, based on expert-reviews, that supports the assessment, selection and use of small-molecule compounds that qualify as chemical probes. These high-quality reagents are essential for exploring the function of individual proteins in complex biological systems, such as cells and organisms, and for validating proteins as potential therapeutic targets. The use of reliable chemical probes accelerates protein annotation in basic biological studies and informs drug discovery. However, the use of low-quality compounds has historically led to erroneous conclusions in biomedical research, and experience shows that failure to follow best practice continues, an issue which the Portal aims to address. Here, we describe the latest updates to the Chemical Probes Portal in both content and functionality. The number of chemical probes and human protein targets covered has increased significantly, with improvements in the processes for obtaining expert reviews and user engagement. Moreover, new functionalities and enhanced tools have been introduced to better support biological researchers in selecting and using the best chemical probes for their studies.
Authors
- Paul Workman (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1659-3034)
- Bissan Al‐Lazikani (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3367-2519)
- Alisa Crisp
- A.M. Edwards (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4782-6016)
- Benjamin R. Bellenie (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9987-3079)
- Susanne Müller (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2402-4157)
- Domenico Sanfelice (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8908-0347)
- Albert A. Antolín (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1634-9034)
- Paul E. Brennan (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8950-7646)
- Yi Chen
Institutions
- Goethe University Frankfurt (DE)
- The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center (US)
- Institute of Cancer Research (GB)
- Discovery Centre (CA)
- Structural Genomics Consortium (CA)
- University of Oxford (GB)
- Institut d'Investigació Biomédica de Bellvitge (ES)
- Institut Català d'Oncologia (ES)
- Duran i Reynals Hospital (ES)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Nucleic Acids Research
- Published
- 2024-11-18
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1093/nar/gkae1062
- Citations
- 11
- Primary Topic
- Computational Drug Discovery Methods
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 3.98
Funders
- Wellcome
- Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas
- University of North Carolina
- Lyda Hill Foundation
- Chordoma Foundation
- Bone Cancer Research Trust
- LifeArc
- Ontario Genomics Institute
- Canada Foundation for Innovation
- Cancer Research UK
- Institute of Cancer Research
- Alzheimer’s Research UK
- Generalitat de Catalunya
- Federación Española de Enfermedades Raras
- King Abdulaziz University
- Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación
- Innovative Medicines Initiative
- Harrington Discovery Institute, University Hospitals
- Medical Research Council
- European Regional Development Fund