Irene Preet Bhela recounts the developments of her research group in the field of calcium-dependent pathologies

On April 18, 2023, Ph.D candidate Irene Preet Bhela, affiliated with Professor Tracey Pirali's laboratory, presented a seminar at the Department of Drug Sciences on Store-Operated Calcium Entry (SOCE). 

SOCE is a complex mechanism based on two key proteins, STIM and Orai, which contribute to the regulation of calcium homeostasis. 

Being crucial for numerous cellular functions such as inflammation, platelet activation, and muscle contraction, an alteration in this mechanism is linked to various pathologies. 

Among these, the UPO laboratory is particularly active in researching both ultra-rare diseases, such as tubular aggregate myopathy (TAM) and Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD), and autoimmune conditions like rheumatoid arthritis (RA). 

During this seminar, Dr. Bhela presented the chemical-pharmaceutical contirbution in the design and synthesis of negative modulators of SOCE which led to the identification of a preclinical candidate, in collaboration with the start-up Chemlcare, and prodrugs based on its structure of the latter. 

She then discussed the fortuitous discovery of a promising hit compound with dual inhibitory activity on dihydrooratate dehydrogenase- involved in pyrimidine byosinthesis - and SOCE, as a potential therapeutic approach for treating autoimmune pathologies.