Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41796804›Full record

ArticleThe Journal of biological chemistry2026

Structure-based discovery of selective vaccinia-related kinase 1 inhibitors and fluorogenic active-site probes.

Emma K Crowley-Dolen, Rafael Junqueira Borges, Paul S Charifson, N Connor Payne, Ramon Guerra de Oliveira, Micael Rodrigues Cunha, Ralph Mazitschek, Katlin B Massirer, Timothy J Mitchison

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in The Journal of biological chemistry, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors.

Emma K Crowley-DolenProgram in Chemical Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA; Therapeutics Graduate Program, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA. Electronic address: edolen@g.harvard.edu.
Rafael Junqueira BorgesCenter for Molecular Biology and Genetic Engineering (CBMEG), Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP), Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil; Center of Medicinal Chemistry (CQMED), Structural Genomics Consortium (SGC), UNICAMP, Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil.
Paul S CharifsonHarvard Medical School Therapeutics Translator, Blavatnik Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
N Connor PayneDepartment of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA; Center for Systems Biology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
Ramon Guerra de OliveiraCenter for Molecular Biology and Genetic Engineering (CBMEG), Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP), Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil; Center of Medicinal Chemistry (CQMED), Structural Genomics Consortium (SGC), UNICAMP, Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil.
Micael Rodrigues CunhaCenter for Molecular Biology and Genetic Engineering (CBMEG), Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP), Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil; Center of Medicinal Chemistry (CQMED), Structural Genomics Consortium (SGC), UNICAMP, Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil.
Ralph MazitschekCenter for Systems Biology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA; Department of Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
Katlin B MassirerCenter for Molecular Biology and Genetic Engineering (CBMEG), Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP), Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil; Center of Medicinal Chemistry (CQMED), Structural Genomics Consortium (SGC), UNICAMP, Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil.
Timothy J MitchisonDepartment of Systems Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.

Funding

Cell and Chemical Biology of MicrotubulesR35GM131753 · NIGMS · HARVARD MEDICAL SCHOOL · PI Timothy J Mitchison · 2019 to 2026
$6.4M
Training in Pharmacological SciencesT32GM132089 · NIGMS · HARVARD MEDICAL SCHOOL · PI DAVID E. GOLAN, Timothy J Mitchison · 2019 to 2026
$3.7M
Principles of Scientific Citizenship: Ethics, Communication, and Leadership for ScientistsT32GM095450 · NIGMS · HARVARD UNIVERSITY · PI WALKER, SUZANNE · 2011 to 2020
$3.5M
NIGMS NIH HHS R35 GM131753NIGMS NIH HHS T32 GM095450NIGMS NIH HHS T32 GM132089
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Vaccinia-related kinase 1 (VRK1) is a promising therapeutic target in gliomas and glioblastomas where VRK2 is silenced by promoter methylation, rendering VRK1 essential for accurate nuclear envelope reassembly following mitosis. Small-molecule ATP-site drug discovery for VRK1 has been hindered by the absence of robust and reproducible biochemical assays. Through virtual screening, we identified previously unreported VRK1-binding scaffolds and validated them in biochemical kinase assays, yielding an 82 nM inhibitor with high selectivity for VRK1 over VRK2. During characterization of this compound, we found that a commonly used commercial time-resolved fluorescence resonance energy transfer VRK1 activity assay is dependent on purification tag-mediated VRK1 dimerization. Leveraging the new inhibitor, we developed fluorogenic tool compounds that increase in fluorescence intensity upon binding to the active site of VRK1 and do not require artificial dimerization of VRK1. The top probe exhibits a K

Indexed as

Drug DiscoveryFluorescent DyesIntracellular Signaling Peptides and ProteinsProtein Kinase InhibitorsProtein Serine-Threonine KinasesCatalytic DomainFluorescence Resonance Energy TransferHumansMolecular StructureStructure-Activity RelationshipFluorescent DyesIntracellular Signaling Peptides and ProteinsProtein Kinase InhibitorsProtein Serine-Threonine KinasesVRK1 protein, humancancercancer biologycancer therapydockingdrug screeningenzyme inhibitorfluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET)inhibitorserine/threonine protein kinasevirtual screening

Identifiers

PMID41796804
PMCPMC13140042

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.