Jonathan L. Chen

Design of an orally bioavailable small molecule that modulates the microtubule-associated protein tau's pre-mRNA splicing

This paper designs an orally bioavailable small molecule that targets RNA to reduce 4R tau protein abundance and alleviate disease phenotypes in a mouse model.

NMR structures and magnetic force spectroscopy studies of small molecules binding to models of an RNA CAG repeat expansion

This paper reports NMR structures and magnetic force spectroscopy studies of small molecules binding to RNA CAG repeat expansions, revealing their binding modes and structural effects.

NMR structures of small molecules bound to a model of an RNA CUG repeat expansion

The paper reports NMR structures of small molecules bound to an RNA CUG repeat expansion motif, revealing binding interactions and conformational changes that inform drug design.

The RNA encoding the microtubule-associated protein tau has extensive structure that affects its biology

The paper identifies structured regions in tau pre-mRNA that influence splicing and stability, potentially offering new therapeutic targets for tauopathies.

Scans of the MYC mRNA reveal multiple stable secondary structures—including a 3′ UTR motif, conserved across vertebrates, that can affect gene expression.

The paper identifies stable secondary structures in MYC mRNA, including a conserved 3′ UTR motif that affects gene expression and offers potential druggable targets.