About
Specializing in Medicinal Chemistry, Drug Design, and Molecular Modeling. Committed to advancing life sciences through innovative drug development and optimizing compounds to address unmet medical needs. Passionate about collaborative research and translating discoveries into therapeutic breakthroughs.
Research
Publications
Featured Publications
Tumor Targeting with Novel 6‑Substituted Pyrrolo [2,3‑d] Pyrimidine Antifolates with Heteroatom Bridge Substitutions via Cellular Uptake by Folate Receptor α and the Proton-Coupled Folate Transporter and Inhibition of de Novo Purine Nucleotide Biosynthesis
Golani L, Wallace-Povirk A, Deis S, Wong J, Ke J, Gu X, Raghavan S, Wilson M, Li X, Polin L, de Waal P, White K, Kushner J, O’Connor C, Hou Z, Xu H, Melcher K, Dann C, Matherly L, Gangjee A. Tumor Targeting with Novel 6‑Substituted Pyrrolo [2,3‑d] Pyrimidine Antifolates with Heteroatom Bridge Substitutions via Cellular Uptake by Folate Receptor α and the Proton-Coupled Folate Transporter and Inhibition of de Novo Purine Nucleotide Biosynthesis. Journal Of Medicinal Chemistry 2016, 59: 7856-7876. PMID: 27458733, PMCID: PMC5018213, DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.6b00594.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchAnimalsAntineoplastic AgentsCell Line, TumorCrystallography, X-RayDrug Screening Assays, AntitumorFemaleFolate Receptor 1Folic Acid AntagonistsHeterograftsHumansMice, SCIDMolecular Docking SimulationNeoplasm TransplantationPhosphoribosylglycinamide FormyltransferaseProton-Coupled Folate TransporterPurine NucleotidesPyrimidinesPyrrolesStructure-Activity RelationshipDesign, synthesis and biological evaluation of novel pyrrolo[2,3-d]pyrimidine as tumor-targeting agents with selectivity for tumor uptake by high affinity folate receptors over the reduced folate carrier
Golani L, Islam F, O’Connor C, Dekhne A, Hou Z, Matherly L, Gangjee A. Design, synthesis and biological evaluation of novel pyrrolo[2,3-d]pyrimidine as tumor-targeting agents with selectivity for tumor uptake by high affinity folate receptors over the reduced folate carrier. Bioorganic & Medicinal Chemistry 2020, 28: 115544. PMID: 32503687, PMCID: PMC7327796, DOI: 10.1016/j.bmc.2020.115544.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchAnimalsAntineoplastic AgentsBinding SitesCatalytic DomainCell Line, TumorCHO CellsCricetinaeCricetulusDrug DesignFolate Receptor 1Folate Receptor 2Folic AcidFolic Acid AntagonistsHumansMolecular Docking SimulationPhosphoribosylglycinamide FormyltransferasePyrimidinesPyrrolesStructure-Activity Relationship8-Substituted Triazolobenzodiazepines: In Vitro and In Vivo Pharmacology in Relation to Structural Docking at the α1 Subunit-Containing GABAA Receptor
Golani L, Platt D, Rüedi-Bettschen D, Edwanker C, Huang S, Poe M, Furtmüller R, Sieghart W, Cook J, Rowlett J. 8-Substituted Triazolobenzodiazepines: In Vitro and In Vivo Pharmacology in Relation to Structural Docking at the α1 Subunit-Containing GABAA Receptor. Frontiers In Pharmacology 2021, 12: 625233. PMID: 33959005, PMCID: PMC8094182, DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2021.625233.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchRationalizing the binding and α subtype selectivity of synthesized imidazodiazepines and benzodiazepines at GABAA receptors by using molecular docking studies
Golani L, Yeunus Mian M, Ahmed T, Pandey K, Mondal P, Sharmin D, Rezvanian S, Witkin J, Cook J. Rationalizing the binding and α subtype selectivity of synthesized imidazodiazepines and benzodiazepines at GABAA receptors by using molecular docking studies. Bioorganic & Medicinal Chemistry Letters 2022, 62: 128637. PMID: 35218882, DOI: 10.1016/j.bmcl.2022.128637.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchMetabolism, pharmacokinetics, and anticonvulsant activity of a deuterated analog of the α2/3‐selective GABAkine KRM‐II‐81
Golani L, Divović B, Sharmin D, Pandey K, Mian Y, Cerne R, Zahn N, Meyer M, Tiruveedhula V, Smith J, Ping X, Jin X, Lippa A, Schkeryantz J, Arnold L, Cook J, Savić M, Witkin J. Metabolism, pharmacokinetics, and anticonvulsant activity of a deuterated analog of the α2/3‐selective GABAkine KRM‐II‐81. Biopharmaceutics & Drug Disposition 2022, 43: 66-75. PMID: 35194800, PMCID: PMC12990634, DOI: 10.1002/bdd.2313.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchStructure–Activity Profiles of Novel 6‑Substituted Pyrrolo[2,3‑d]pyrimidine Thienoyl Antifolates with Modified Amino Acids for Cellular Uptake by Folate Receptors α and β and the Proton-Coupled Folate Transporter
Golani L, George C, Zhao S, Raghavan S, Orr S, Wallace A, Wilson M, Hou Z, Matherly L, Gangjee A. Structure–Activity Profiles of Novel 6‑Substituted Pyrrolo[2,3‑d]pyrimidine Thienoyl Antifolates with Modified Amino Acids for Cellular Uptake by Folate Receptors α and β and the Proton-Coupled Folate Transporter. Journal Of Medicinal Chemistry 2014, 57: 8152-8166. PMID: 25234128, PMCID: PMC4191586, DOI: 10.1021/jm501113m.Peer-Reviewed Original Research
2025
KRM-II-81, a β3-Preferring GABAA Receptor Potentiator, Blocks Handling-Induced Seizures in Theiler’s Murine Encephalomyelitis Virus-Infected Mice
Sharmin D, Pandey K, Golani L, Rezvanian S, Mian Y, Fisher J, Lippa A, Cook J, Radin D, Smith J, Witkin J, Shafique H, Cerne R. KRM-II-81, a β3-Preferring GABAA Receptor Potentiator, Blocks Handling-Induced Seizures in Theiler’s Murine Encephalomyelitis Virus-Infected Mice. Future Pharmacology 2025, 5: 25. DOI: 10.3390/futurepharmacol5020025.Peer-Reviewed Original Research
2024
Evaluation of the sedative-motor effects of novel GABAkine imidazodiazepines using quantitative observation techniques in rhesus monkeys
Sharmin D, Rüedi-Bettschen D, Berro L, Cook J, Reeves-Darby J, Pareek T, Mian Y, Rashid F, Golani L, da Cruz Moreira-Junior E, Platt D, Cook J, Rowlett J. Evaluation of the sedative-motor effects of novel GABAkine imidazodiazepines using quantitative observation techniques in rhesus monkeys. Journal Of Psychopharmacology 2024, 38: 1157-1169. PMID: 39385515, PMCID: PMC12966987, DOI: 10.1177/02698811241286760.Peer-Reviewed Original Research(R)-(-)-Ketamine: The Promise of a Novel Treatment for Psychiatric and Neurological Disorders
Shafique H, Demers J, Biesiada J, Golani L, Cerne R, Smith J, Szostak M, Witkin J. (R)-(-)-Ketamine: The Promise of a Novel Treatment for Psychiatric and Neurological Disorders. International Journal Of Molecular Sciences 2024, 25: 6804. PMID: 38928508, PMCID: PMC11203826, DOI: 10.3390/ijms25126804.Peer-Reviewed Reviews, Practice Guidelines, Standards, and Consensus StatementsNew Imidazodiazepine Analogue, 5‑(8-Bromo-6-(pyridin-2-yl)‑4H‑benzo[f]imidazo[1,5‑a][1,4]diazepin-3-yl)oxazole, Provides a Simplified Synthetic Scheme, High Oral Plasma and Brain Exposures, and Produces Antiseizure Efficacy in Mice, and Antiepileptogenic Activity in Neural Networks in Brain Slices from a Patient with Mesial Temporal Lobe Epilepsy
Sharmin D, Divović B, Ping X, Cerne R, Smith J, Rezvanian S, Mondal P, Meyer M, Kiley M, Arnold L, Mian Y, Pandey K, Jin X, Mitrović J, Djorović D, Lippa A, Cook J, Golani L, Scholze P, Savić M, Witkin J. New Imidazodiazepine Analogue, 5‑(8-Bromo-6-(pyridin-2-yl)‑4H‑benzo[f]imidazo[1,5‑a][1,4]diazepin-3-yl)oxazole, Provides a Simplified Synthetic Scheme, High Oral Plasma and Brain Exposures, and Produces Antiseizure Efficacy in Mice, and Antiepileptogenic Activity in Neural Networks in Brain Slices from a Patient with Mesial Temporal Lobe Epilepsy. ACS Chemical Neuroscience 2024, 15: 517-526. PMID: 38175916, PMCID: PMC12931607, DOI: 10.1021/acschemneuro.3c00555.Peer-Reviewed Original Research
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West Campus Molecular Innovations Center
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