Steffen Pockes, PhD
Titles
Education
PhD, Medicinal Chemistry, University of Regensburg, Germany, 2015
Study of Pharmacy, University of Regensburg, Germany, 2011
Biography
Steffen Pockes is a Pharmacist and Assistant Professor in Pharmaceutical/Medicinal Chemistry at the Institute of Pharmacy at the University of Regensburg/Germany. His research is oriented on the development of new drugs for neurodegenerative disorders. He has a broad background in organic chemistry, with specific training in all sort of organic synthesis, pharmaceutical analysis, laboratory animal science & animal welfare, radiosynthesis/radioassays, cell culture, and genetic engineering.
The Pockes group focuses on the design, synthesis and biological characterization of novel small molecules, peptidomimetics, and peptides targeting G protein-coupled receptors (histamine, dopamine, orphan GPCRs) and caspases. Since 2019, the Pockes laboratory is collaborating with the groups of Prof. Karen H. Ashe (Department of Neurology) and Prof. Michael A. Walters (Department of Medicinal Chemistry) from the University of Minnesota on developing selective caspase-2 inhibitors. Since April 2022, Dr. Pockes held an Adjunct Professorship appointment in the Department of Medicinal Chemistry at the University of Minnesota.
Awards & Recognition
- Innovation Award Medicinal/Pharmaceutical Chemistry 2022 (GDCh Division Medicinal Chemistry)
- Academic Research Sabbatical Program 2022, University of Barcelona, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biomedicine (Prof. Dr. Rafael Franco)
- DFG Research Fellowship 2020-2021, University of Minnesota, Departments of Neurology & Medicinal Chemistry (Karen H. Ashe, MD, PhD; Michael A. Walters, PhD)
- Editorial Board Member: Archiv der Pharmazie, Medicinal Research Reviews
Professional Associations
- American Chemical Society (ACS)
- German Pharmaceutical Society (DPhG)
- German Chemical Society (GDCh)
Languages
- English
- French
- German
- Spanish
Publications
Selected Publications:
Bresinsky, M.; Strasser, J. M.; Vallaster, B.; Liu, P.; McCue, W. M.; Fuller, J.; Hubmann, A.; Singh, G.; Nelson, K. M.; Cuellar, M. E.; Wilmot, C. M.; Finzel, B. C.; Ashe, K. H.; Walters, M. A.*; Pockes, S.* Structure-Based Design and Biological Evaluation of Novel Caspase-2 Inhibitors Based on the Peptide AcVDVAD-CHO and the Caspase-2-Mediated Tau Cleavage Sequence YKPVD. ACS Pharmacology & Translational Science 2022, 5 (1), 20-40. https://doi.org/10.1021/acsptsci.1c00251.
Rosier, N.; Grätz, L.*; Schihada, H.; Möller, J.; Isbilir, A.; Nagl, M.; Seibel, U.; Lohse, M. J.; Pockes, S.* A Versatile Subnanomolar Fluorescent Ligand Enables NanoBRET Binding Studies and Single-Molecule Microscopy at the Histamine H3 Receptor. Journal of Medicinal Chemistry 2021, 64 (15), 11695-11708. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jmedchem.1c01089.
Tropmann, K.; Bresinsky, M.; Forster, L.; Buschauer, A.; Wittmann, H.J.; Hübner, H.; Gmeiner, P.; Pockes, S.*; Strasser A.* Abolishing Dopamine D2long/D3 Receptor Affinity of Subtype-Selective Carbamoylguanidine-Type Histamine H2R Agonists. Journal of Medicinal Chemistry 2021, 64 (12), 8684-8709. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jmedchem.1c00692.
Biselli, S.; Bresinsky, M.; Tropmann, K.; Forster, L.; Honisch, C.; Buschauer, A.; Bernhardt, G.; Pockes, S.* Pharmacological characterization of a new series of carbamoylguanidines reveals potent agonism at the H2R and D3R. European Journal of Medicinal Chemistry 2021, 214, 113190. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejmech.2021.113190.
Tropmann, K.; Höring, C.; Plank, N.; Pockes, S.* Discovery of a G Protein-Biased Radioligand for the Histamine H2 Receptor with Reversible Binding Properties. Journal of Medicinal Chemistry 2020, 63 (21), 13090-13102. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jmedchem.0c01494.
Grätz, L.; Tropmann, K.; Bresinsky, M.; Müller, C.; Bernhardt, G.; Pockes, S.* NanoBRET Binding Assay for Histamine H2 Receptor Ligands Using Live Recombinant HEK293T Cells. Scientific Reports 2020, 10 (1), 13288. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-020-70332-3.