Ubiquigent launches DUBprofiler Open Access Initiative

Dundee, UK, 10 December 2024: Ubiquigent Limited (Ubiquigent), a drug discovery and development company harnessing novel deubiquitinase (DUB) modulators as new therapeutics for areas of high unmet medical need, has introduced its new DUBprofiler Open Access Initiative, inviting researchers in the DUB space to submit their non-proprietary compounds for screening via its DUBprofiler assay.

The DUB enzyme family is a hugely promising class of targets that is receiving increasing attention due to its potential to treat a wide range of diseases. The first DUB inhibitors have now reached the clinic, with many molecules currently undergoing preclinical evaluation. Many of the DUB inhibitors in the public domain have insufficiently characterised selectivity, but are employed in cellular and animal models to target specific DUBs, with researchers drawing potentially misleading conclusions.

To counter this, Ubiquigent has launched its DUBprofiler Open Access Initiative, offering scientists the opportunity to submit non-proprietary compounds for characterisation. Using its highly validated DUBprofiler assay, Ubiquigent will characterise the compounds’ potency and selectivity, at no cost to the provider, with resulting data published in the public domain.

As part of the initiative, researchers would provide:
• 1-2mg powdered compound
• Compound ID
• Compound structure
• DUB target
• Reported / observed IC₅₀ value against target DUB

Ubiquigent will provide:
• IC₅₀ for your compound against the target DUB in the DUBprofiler assay
• Selectivity profile across the comprehensive DUBprofiler panel, using a multiple of the determined IC₅₀ value

For more information on the DUBprofiler Open Access Initiative, contact us at services@ubiquigent.com

Dr Sheelagh Frame, Chief Scientific Officer at Ubiquigent, commented: “DUB inhibitor tool compounds are often used in cell-based and animal models to implicate a particular DUB target in a biological or disease process. However, in order for researchers to draw valid conclusions from those studies, they need to be sure of the quality of their tool compounds. This key data is often missing from publications. We have recently characterised a number of tool compounds from the literature that are reported to inhibit key DUBs in a selective manner, and we have found that several of these compounds either do not hit their expected DUB target, or they do so in a non-selective manner. Through our new Open Access programme, we want to encourage researchers to submit their compounds as part of an effort to characterise the selectivity of as many publicly disclosed DUB-targeting compounds as possible. Together, we can propel the DUB field forward and ensure our partners and customers have a strong scientific foundation for their drug discovery programmes by supporting researchers to make informed decisions on their compounds and to elevate the quality of the data being produced in the field.”