Katherine Seley-Radtke

A pioneer of the "fleximer" class of nucleoside analogs,[4] Seley-Radtke has designed, synthesized and developed a broad range of enzyme inhibitors that have applications as potential therapeutics in treatment of cancer and of infections with viruses. parasites and bacteria. Her lab has identified a series of flexible acyclic nucleosides with prodrug forms which demonstrate activity against coronoviruses, including SARS and MERS,[5] the first known nucleoside analog inhibitors of these viruses. The flexibility of these inhibitors enables binding of the active site as well as amino acid residues out side of the active site which is believed to help reduce emergence of resistance.

A world renowned leader in nucleoside chemistry and in the application of nucleoside analogs to therapeutics, Seley-Radtke has been active in the International Society for Antiviral Research (ISAR), and has organized and chaired a number of Gordon Research Conferences. In addition she actively reviews grant applications for the NIH and has served as co-chair for NIH study sections. Recent roles include:

• 2020-26 President-elect, International Society for Antiviral Research (ISAR)[6]
• 2020-2021       Co-Chair, Gordon Research Conference on Nucleosides, Nucleotides & Oligonucleotides
• 2020                NIH Review panel - Antimicrobial Therapeutics and Resistance - Co-Chair, March 19–20, and July 8-9
• 2020                NIH Review panel: ZRG1 BCMB-A; NIH Transformative Research Awards, April 7
• 2018-2019       Co-Vice Chair, Gordon Research Conference on Nucleosides, Nucleotides & Oligonucleotides, June 23–29, 2019
• 2019                NIH Review panel - Antimicrobial Therapeutics and Resistance - Co-Chair, March 25–26, June 3–4 and Nov 7–8, July 31 (Chair)
• 2019 Session Chair, Gordon Research Conference on Nucleosides, Nucleotides & Oligonucleotides, June 23–29
• 2019 NIH ZRG1 IMM-R(50) U.S.-Brazil Collaborative Biomedical Research Program, ad hoc reviewer, July 16
• 2019                NIH Review panel - Antimicrobial Therapeutics and Resistance - Co-Chair, March 25–26, June 3–4, and Nov 7–8; July 31 (Chair)

Widely published herself (see "Representative Publications" below), Seley-Radtke is a peer-reviewer for manuscripts submitted to a wide variety of scientific publications (Accounts of Chemical Research; ACS Chemical Biology; ACS Chemical Neuroscience; ACS Infectious Diseases; ACS Medicinal Chemistry Letters; ACS Synthetic Biology; Antiviral Research; Archiv der Pharmazie; Asian Journal of Organic Chemistry; Beilstein Journal of Organic Chemistry; Biochemistry; Bioorganic and Medicinal Chemistry; Bioorganic and Medicinal Chemistry Letters; Bioorganic Chemistry; Biotechnology Progress; CCS Chemistry; Canadian Journal of Chemistry; Cancer Group; Carbohydrate Research; Cellular and Molecular Life Sciences; Chemical Biology and Drug Design; ChemComm; ChemMedChem; Chemical Biology and Drug Design; Chemical Papers; Chemical Reviews; Chemistry Open; Collection of the Czech Chemical Communications; Current Drugs; Current Medicinal Chemistry; Current Protocols in Chemical Biology; Eurasian Journal of Medicine and Oncology; European Journal of Medicinal Chemistry; European Journal of Organic Chemistry; European Journal of Pharmacology; Future Medicinal Chemistry; Heterocycles; Heterocyclic Communications; Journal of the American Chemical Society; Journal of Carbohydrate Chemistry; Journal of Heterocyclic Chemistry; Journal of Medicinal Chemistry; Journal of Organic Chemistry; Journal of Physical Chemistry; MedChemComm; Medicinal Chemistry Research; Medicinal Research Reviews; Molecules; Molecular Pharmacology; Nature Communications; Nitric Oxide; Nucleic Acids Research; Nucleosides, Nucleotides and Nucleic Acids; Organic and Bioorganic Chemistry; Organic and Biomolecular Chemistry; Organic Chemistry Frontiers; Organic Chemistry International; Organic Letters; Proceedings of the National Academies (PNAS); Synlett; Synthesis; Synthetic Communications; Tetrahedron; Tetrahedron Asymmetry; Tetrahedron Letters; Virus ).

She has been an Associate Editor of Antiviral Chemistry & Chemotherapy since 2016[7] and has served on the editorial boards of Current Protocols in Chemical Biology (Associate Editor); Research and Reports in Medicinal Chemistry (Editorial Board, 2011-2013); Clinical Medicine Insights, and Therapeutics (Editorial Board).

Growing up in Erie, PA, Seley-Radtke pursued science from an early age. Her high school education included a combined program at Gannon University where carried out a mouse breeding experiment involving over 200 mice in her family home.[8] She graduated form high school at the age of 15. She enrolled in college at Penn State, but only attended college part-time when she married at 18, moved and had two children. She returned to college full-time when her daughters reached junior high, and completed her BA with honors from the University of South Florida in 1992.[9] By then her scientific interests were focused on chemistry and she pursued her Ph.D. in the laboratory of Stewart Schneller,[10] first at USF and then at Auburn University.

1996                Ph.D., Organic Chemistry, Auburn University

1992                B.A. Honors, Chemistry, University of South Florida

1983                A.S. High Honors, Chemistry, St. Petersburg Jr. College

1976-77           Pennsylvania State University

Seley-Radtke has been actively involved in diplomatic efforts between Russia and the US Departments of Health and Human Services and Defense to reduce proliferation threats through scientific collaboration . She served as a Jefferson Fellow of the National Academy of Sciences with a specific assignment in the Office of Cooperative Threat Reduction.[11] Much of her diplomatic work involves addressing scientific issues such as emerging infectious disease threats with Russian leaders.[9]

An active leader of international science efforts, Seley-Radtke has held various positions on the board of the International Society of Antiviral Research (ISAR)[12] where she is the president elect for 2020–2022. She is also the elected Secretary for the International Society of Nucleosides, Nucleotides & Nucleic Acids (IS3NA) from 2019–2023.

• National Academy of Sciences, Jefferson Fellow, 2006-
• U.S. Dept. of State, Embassy Moscow, Senior Science Advisor ("in residence" 7/11-8/11, 7/08-8/08, 8/07-11/07)
• U.S. Dept. of State, Senior Science Analyst, Bureau of Intelligence and Research, 2010
• U.S. Collaborator, HHS/DoD Cooperative Threat Reduction (CTR) Program with Russia, Smallpox projects, 2001-2009[9]

2020                International Society for Antiviral Research (ISAR) Antonín Holý Memorial Award[13]

2017                USM Regents’ Faculty Award for Excellence in Research[14]

2016                Maryland Chemist of the Year, American Chemical Society[15]

2015-2018       UMBC Presidential Research Professor[16]

2015                Outstanding Chemistry Alumni Award, University of South Florida[17]

2011                Outstanding Faculty Member of the Year, UMBC Honors College students

2008-2010       Inaugural Faculty Fellow, UMBC Honors College Program

2006                NAS Jefferson Science Fellow, U.S. Department of State[18]

2006                Distinguished Faculty Award, The National Society of Collegiate Scholars

2003                ACS PROGRESS Lectureship in Chemical Sciences Award

2002                "Class Of 1940 W. Howard Ector Outstanding Teacher" Georgia Institute of Technology ($10,000 prize)

1998                Outstanding Faculty Award, Cardinal Key Honor Society, Auburn University

1997                Sigma Xi Outstanding Dissertation, Auburn University

1997                Carolyn Taylor Carr Award, Auburn University

1. Seley-Radtke K. Discovery, Design, Synthesis, and Application of Nucleoside/Nucleotides. Molecules. 2020;25(7):1526. Published 2020 Mar 27.10.3390/molecules25071526[19]
2. Yates MK, Chatterjee P, Flint M, et al. Probing the Effects of Pyrimidine Functional Group Switches on Acyclic Fleximer Analogues for Antiviral Activity. Molecules. 2019;24(17):3184. Published 2019 Sep 2.[20]
3. Ku T, Lopresti N, Shirley M, et al. Synthesis of distal and proximal fleximer base analogues and evaluation in the nucleocapsid protein of HIV-1. Bioorg Med Chem. 2019;27(13):2883‐2892.[21]
4. Seley-Radtke K, Deval J. Advances in antiviral nucleoside analogues and their prodrugs. Antivir Chem Chemother. 2018 Jan-Dec;26:2040206618781410. doi: 10.1177/2040206618781410. PMID 29890841 [22]
5. Seley-Radtke, Katherine (2018). "Flexibility-Not just for yoga anymore!". Antiviral Chemistry & Chemotherapy. 26:1-12.[5]
6. Temburnikar K, Seley-Radtke KL.Recent advances in synthetic approaches for medicinal chemistry of C-nucleosides. Beilstein J Org Chem. 2018 Apr 5;14:772-785.[23]
7. Khandazhinskaya AL, Alexandrova LA, Matyugina ES, Solyev PN, Efremenkova OV, Buckheit KW, Wilkinson M, Buckheit RW Jr, Chernousova LN, Smirnova TG, Andreevskaya SN, Leonova OG, Popenko VI, Kochetkov SN, Seley-Radtke KL.Molecules. Novel 5'-Norcarbocyclic Pyrimidine Derivatives as Antibacterial Agents.2018 Nov 23;23(12):3069.[24]
8. Eyer L, Nencka R, de Clercq E, Seley-Radtke K, Růžek D. Nucleoside analogs as a rich source of antiviral agents active against arthropod-borne flaviviruses. Antivir Chem Chemother. 2018;26:2040206618761299.[25]
9. Seley-Radtke KL, Yates MK. The evolution of nucleoside analogue antivirals: A review for chemists and non-chemists. Part 1: Early structural modifications to the nucleoside scaffold. Antiviral Res. 2018;154:66‐86.[26]
10. Cawrse BM, Lapidus RS, Cooper B, Choi EY, Seley-Radtke KL. Anticancer Properties of Halogenated Pyrrolo[3,2-d]pyrimidines with Decreased Toxicity via N5 Substitution. ChemMedChem. 2018;13(2):178‐185.[27]
11. Geisman AN, Valuev-Elliston VT, Ozerov AA, et al. 1,6-Bis[(benzyloxy)methyl]uracil derivatives-Novel antivirals with activity against HIV-1 and influenza H1N1 virus. Bioorg Med Chem. 2016;24(11):2476‐2485.[28]
12. Chen Z, Jochmans D, Ku T, Paeshuyse J, Neyts J, Seley-Radtke KL. Bicyclic and Tricyclic "Expanded" Nucleobase Analogues of Sofosbuvir: New Scaffolds for Hepatitis C Therapies. ACS Infect Dis. 2015;1(8):357‐366.[29]
13. Chen Z, Ku TC, Seley-Radtke KL. Thiophene-expanded guanosine analogues of Gemcitabine. Bioorg Med Chem Lett. 2015;25(19):4274‐4276.[30]
14. Babkov DA, Valuev-Elliston VT, Paramonova MP, et al. Scaffold hopping: exploration of acetanilide-containing uracil analogues as potential NNRTIs. Bioorg Med Chem. 2015;23(5):1069‐1081.[31]
15. Novikov MS, Ivanova ON, Ivanov AV, et al. 1-[2-(2-Benzoyl- and 2-benzylphenoxy)ethyl]uracils as potent anti-HIV-1 agents. Bioorg Med Chem. 2011;19(19):5794‐5802.[32]
16. Novikov MS, Babkov DA, Paramonova MP, Chizhov AO, Khandazhinskaya AL, Seley-Radtke KL. A highly facile approach to the synthesis of novel 2-(3-benzyl-2,4-dioxo-1,2,3,4-tetrahydropyrimidin-1-yl)-N-phenylacetamides. Tetrahedron Lett. 2013;54(6):576‐578.[33]
17. Wauchope OR, Tomney MJ, Pepper JL, Korba BE, Seley-Radtke KL. Tricyclic 2'-C-modified nucleosides as potential anti-HCV therapeutics. Org Lett. 2010;12(20):4466‐4469.[34]
18. Manvilla BA, Wauchope O, Seley-Radtke KL, Drohat AC. NMR studies reveal an unexpected binding site for a redox inhibitor of AP endonuclease 1. Biochemistry. 2011;50(48):10540‐10549.[35]
19. Seley-Radtke KL, Sunkara NK. Carbocyclic thymidine analogues for use as potential therapeutic agents. Nucleosides Nucleotides Nucleic Acids. 2009;28(5):633‐641.[36]
20. O'Daniel PI, Jefferson M, Wiest O, Seley-Radtke KL. A computational study of expanded heterocyclic nucleosides in DNA. J Biomol Struct Dyn. 2008;26(3):283‐292.[37]
21. Katherine L. Seley, Liang Zhang,Asmerom Hagos, and, and Stephen Quirk. Fleximers: design and synthesis of a new class of novel shape-modified nucleosides. Journal of Organic Chemistry, 2002 67 (10), 3365–3373.[4]