Daniel Nomura
{{short description|American chemical biologist}}
{{Infobox scientist
| name = Daniel K. Nomura
| fields = Chemical Biology, Chemistry, Molecular and Cell Biology, Drug Discovery, Cancer Biology
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| alma_mater = University of California, Berkeley;
University of California, Berkeley
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| workplaces = {{plainlist|
- UC Berkeley
- Innovative Genomics Institute
- Novartis-Berkeley Translational Chemical Biology Institute
}}
| nationality =
| image = 20230921BP DanNomura82 square800px.jpg
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| birth_date = July 10th, 1981
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}}
Daniel K. Nomura is an American chemical biologist and Professor of Chemical Biology and Molecular Therapeutics at the University of California, Berkeley, in the Departments of Chemistry and Molecular & Cell Biology. His work employs chemoproteomic approaches to develop small molecule therapeutics and therapeutic modalities against traditionally "undruggable" proteins.{{Cite web|title=Novartis and Berkeley researchers team up to tackle the industry's toughest drug targets|url=https://cen.acs.org/pharmaceuticals/drug-discovery/Novartis-Berkeley-researchers-team-tackle/96/i17|access-date=2020-08-27|website=Chemical & Engineering News|language=en}}
He is a member of the scientific advisory committee of the Mark Foundation for Cancer Research, a foundation set up by billionaire Alexander Knaster which funds early-stage cancer research. {{Cite web|url=https://themarkfoundation.org/people/daniel-nomura-phd/|title=Daniel Nomura, PhD|date=26 January 2021}} He is also an Investment Advisory Partner for {{Proper name|a16z}}, an Investment Advisor for Droia Ventures, and an {{Proper name|iPartner}} with The Column Group.{{Cite web |title=Droia Ventures – Investing in Impact – Life Science |url=https://droiaventures.com/ |access-date=2022-11-21 |website=Droia Ventures – Investing in Impact |language=en-US}} Nomura is also the Co-Director of the Molecular Therapeutics Initiative with Professor Roberto Zoncu at UC Berkeley.{{Cite web |title=Molecular Therapeutics Initiative |url=https://moleculartherapeutics.org |access-date=2025-02-11 |website=Molecular Therapeutics Initiative |language=en-GB}}
Research and education
Nomura received his BA in Molecular and Cell Biology in 2003 and PhD in Molecular Toxicology in 2008 from UC Berkeley, studying under the mentorship of John Casida. He went on to perform his postdoctoral research with Ben Cravatt at Scripps Research in La Jolla, California. There he discovered a role for monoacylglycerol lipase in generating oncogenic signaling lipids that promote cancer{{Cite journal|last1=Nomura|first1=Daniel K.|last2=Long|first2=Jonathan Z.|last3=Niessen|first3=Sherry|last4=Hoover|first4=Heather S.|last5=Ng|first5=Shu-Wing|last6=Cravatt|first6=Benjamin F.|date=2010-01-08|title=Monoacylglycerol lipase regulates a fatty acid network that promotes cancer pathogenesis|journal=Cell|volume=140|issue=1|pages=49–61|doi=10.1016/j.cell.2009.11.027|issn=1097-4172|pmc=2885975|pmid=20079333}} and in proinflammatory cascades that impact neurodegenerative disorders.{{Cite journal|last1=Nomura|first1=Daniel K.|last2=Morrison|first2=Bradley E.|last3=Blankman|first3=Jacqueline L.|last4=Long|first4=Jonathan Z.|last5=Kinsey|first5=Steven G.|last6=Marcondes|first6=Maria Cecilia G.|last7=Ward|first7=Anna M.|last8=Hahn|first8=Yun Kyung|last9=Lichtman|first9=Aron H.|last10=Conti|first10=Bruno|last11=Cravatt|first11=Benjamin F.|date=2011-11-11|title=Endocannabinoid hydrolysis generates brain prostaglandins that promote neuroinflammation|journal=Science|volume=334|issue=6057|pages=809–813|doi=10.1126/science.1209200|issn=1095-9203|pmc=3249428|pmid=22021672|bibcode=2011Sci...334..809N}} In 2011, Nomura started his independent research group at UC Berkeley. His work focuses on implementing chemoproteomic platforms to develop small molecule therapeutics against traditionally "undruggable" proteins. These approaches have led to the discovery of novel inhibitors and new ligands that expand the scope of proteolysis targeting chimeras (PROTACS),{{Cite web|last=Jarvis|first=Lisa M.|title=Targeted protein degraders are redefining how small molecules look and act|url=https://cen.acs.org/articles/96/i8/targeted-protein-degraders-are-redefining-how-small-molecules-look-and-act.html|access-date=2020-08-27|website=Chemical & Engineering News|language=en}} which are bifunctional molecules that harness the cells ubiquitin-proteasome system to degrade targets of interest. Notable recent discoveries include an inhibitor of mTORC1,{{Cite journal|last1=Chung|first1=Clive Yik-Sham|last2=Shin|first2=Hijai R.|last3=Berdan|first3=Charles A.|last4=Ford|first4=Breanna|last5=Ward|first5=Carl C.|last6=Olzmann|first6=James A.|last7=Zoncu|first7=Roberto|last8=Nomura|first8=Daniel K.|date=August 2019|title=Covalent targeting of the vacuolar H+-ATPase activates autophagy via mTORC1 inhibition|journal=Nature Chemical Biology|volume=15|issue=8|pages=776–785|doi=10.1038/s41589-019-0308-4|issn=1552-4469|pmc=6641988|pmid=31285595}} a molecular glue between UBR7 and p53 that activates p53 tumor suppressor activity,{{Cite journal|last1=Isobe|first1=Yosuke|last2=Okumura|first2=Mikiko|last3=McGregor|first3=Lynn M.|last4=Brittain|first4=Scott M.|last5=Jones|first5=Michael D.|last6=Liang|first6=Xiaoyou|last7=White|first7=Ross|last8=Forrester|first8=William|last9=McKenna|first9=Jeffrey M.|last10=Tallarico|first10=John A.|last11=Schirle|first11=Markus|date=2020-06-22|title=Manumycin polyketides act as molecular glues between UBR7 and P53|journal=Nature Chemical Biology|volume=16|issue=11|pages=1189–1198|doi=10.1038/s41589-020-0557-2|issn=1552-4469|pmid=32572277|pmc=7572527|s2cid=219976949}} a covalent inhibitor against MYC,{{Cite journal |last1=Boike |first1=Lydia |last2=Cioffi |first2=Alexander G. |last3=Majewski |first3=Felix C. |last4=Co |first4=Jennifer |last5=Henning |first5=Nathaniel J. |last6=Jones |first6=Michael D. |last7=Liu |first7=Gang |last8=McKenna |first8=Jeffrey M. |last9=Tallarico |first9=John A. |last10=Schirle |first10=Markus |last11=Nomura |first11=Daniel K. |date=2021-01-21 |title=Discovery of a Functional Covalent Ligand Targeting an Intrinsically Disordered Cysteine within MYC |journal=Cell Chemical Biology |language=en |volume=28 |issue=1 |pages=4–13.e17 |doi=10.1016/j.chembiol.2020.09.001 |pmid=32966806 |pmc=7854864 |s2cid=221888024 |issn=2451-9456|doi-access=free }} novel covalent recruiters against E3 ubiquitin ligases such as RNF114, RNF4, and FEM1B for targeted protein degradation applications,{{Cite journal|last1=Spradlin|first1=Jessica N.|last2=Hu|first2=Xirui|last3=Ward|first3=Carl C.|last4=Brittain|first4=Scott M.|last5=Jones|first5=Michael D.|last6=Ou|first6=Lisha|last7=To|first7=Milton|last8=Proudfoot|first8=Andrew|last9=Ornelas|first9=Elizabeth|last10=Woldegiorgis|first10=Mikias|last11=Olzmann|first11=James A.|date=July 2019|title=Harnessing the anti-cancer natural product nimbolide for targeted protein degradation|journal=Nature Chemical Biology|volume=15|issue=7|pages=747–755|doi=10.1038/s41589-019-0304-8|issn=1552-4469|pmc=6592714|pmid=31209351}}{{Cite journal |last1=Ward |first1=Carl C. |last2=Kleinman |first2=Jordan I. |last3=Brittain |first3=Scott M. |last4=Lee |first4=Patrick S. |last5=Chung |first5=Clive Yik Sham |last6=Kim |first6=Kenneth |last7=Petri |first7=Yana |last8=Thomas |first8=Jason R. |last9=Tallarico |first9=John A. |last10=McKenna |first10=Jeffrey M. |last11=Schirle |first11=Markus |last12=Nomura |first12=Daniel K. |date=2019-11-15 |title=Covalent Ligand Screening Uncovers a RNF4 E3 Ligase Recruiter for Targeted Protein Degradation Applications |journal=ACS Chemical Biology |language=en |volume=14 |issue=11 |pages=2430–2440 |doi=10.1021/acschembio.8b01083 |issn=1554-8929 |pmc=7422721 |pmid=31059647}}{{Cite journal |last1=Henning |first1=Nathaniel J. |last2=Manford |first2=Andrew G. |last3=Spradlin |first3=Jessica N. |last4=Brittain |first4=Scott M. |last5=Zhang |first5=Erika |last6=McKenna |first6=Jeffrey M. |last7=Tallarico |first7=John A. |last8=Schirle |first8=Markus |last9=Rape |first9=Michael |last10=Nomura |first10=Daniel K. |date=2022-01-19 |title=Discovery of a Covalent FEM1B Recruiter for Targeted Protein Degradation Applications |journal=Journal of the American Chemical Society |language=en |volume=144 |issue=2 |pages=701–708 |doi=10.1021/jacs.1c03980 |issn=0002-7863 |pmc=8928484 |pmid=34994556}} the Deubiquitinase Targeting Chimera (DUBTAC) platform for targeted protein stabilization,{{Cite journal |last1=Henning |first1=Nathaniel J. |last2=Boike |first2=Lydia |last3=Spradlin |first3=Jessica N. |last4=Ward |first4=Carl C. |last5=Liu |first5=Gang |last6=Zhang |first6=Erika |last7=Belcher |first7=Bridget P. |last8=Brittain |first8=Scott M. |last9=Hesse |first9=Matthew J. |last10=Dovala |first10=Dustin |last11=McGregor |first11=Lynn M. |last12=Valdez Misiolek |first12=Rachel |last13=Plasschaert |first13=Lindsey W. |last14=Rowlands |first14=David J. |last15=Wang |first15=Feng |date=April 2022 |title=Deubiquitinase-targeting chimeras for targeted protein stabilization |journal=Nature Chemical Biology |language=en |volume=18 |issue=4 |pages=412–421 |doi=10.1038/s41589-022-00971-2 |pmid=35210618 |s2cid=233745282 |issn=1552-4469|doi-access=free |pmc=10125259 }} and a chemical rational design strategy for developing molecular glue degraders.{{Cite journal |last1=Toriki |first1=Ethan S. |last2=Papatzimas |first2=James W. |last3=Nishikawa |first3=Kaila |last4=Dovala |first4=Dustin |last5=McGregor |first5=Lynn M. |last6=Hesse |first6=Matthew J. |last7=McKenna |first7=Jeffrey M. |last8=Tallarico |first8=John A. |last9=Schirle |first9=Markus |last10=Nomura |first10=Daniel K. |date=2022-11-04 |title=Rational Chemical Design of Molecular Glue Degraders |url=https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.11.04.512693v1 |language=en |pages=2022.11.04.512693 |doi=10.1101/2022.11.04.512693|s2cid=253371370 }} In 2017, Nomura became the Director of the Novartis-Berkeley Translational Chemical Biology Institute,{{Cite news|title=Novartis, UC Berkeley join forces for 'undruggable' targets|url=https://www.fiercebiotech.com/biotech/novartis-uc-berkeley-join-forces-for-undruggable-targets|access-date=2020-08-27|newspaper=Fierce Biotech|date=28 September 2017 |language=en}}{{Cite web|last=Staff|first=Hyunkyu Michael Lee {{!}}|date=2017-10-02|title=UC Berkeley researchers partners with Novartis to develop new cures|url=https://www.dailycal.org/2017/10/01/uc-berkeley-partners-with-major-pharmaceutical-company-novartis-to-target-undruggable-diseases/|access-date=2020-08-28|website=The Daily Californian|language=en-US}} which aims to develop chemical technologies and therapeutics against undruggable targets. Nomura is also co-founder of [https://www.frontiermeds.com Frontier Medicines], [https://vicinitastx.com Vicinitas Therapeutics], and Zenith Therapeutics.{{Cite web|title=C&EN's 2019 10 Start-Ups to Watch|url=https://cen.acs.org/business/start-ups/CENs-2019-10-Start-Ups-Watch/97/i44|access-date=2020-08-27|website=Chemical & Engineering News|language=en}}{{Cite news |date=2022-07-28 |title=Vicinitas Therapeutics Launches With $65 Million in Series A Financing to Advance Precision Medicines to Stabilize Key Proteins |language=en |work=Bloomberg.com |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/press-releases/2022-07-28/vicinitas-therapeutics-launches-with-65-million-in-series-a-financing-to-advance-precision-medicines-to-stabilize-key-proteins |access-date=2022-11-21}} In February 2025, Nomura also became the Editor-in-Chief for Molecular Cancer Therapeutics.{{Cite web |title=Dr. Daniel Nomura Selected as Editor-in-Chief of the AACR Journal Molecular Cancer Therapeutics |url=https://www.aacr.org/about-the-aacr/newsroom/news-releases/dr-daniel-nomura-selected-as-editor-in-chief-of-the-aacr-journal-molecular-cancer-therapeutics/ |access-date=2025-02-11 |website=American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) |language=en}}
Awards
- 2019 Mark Foundation for Cancer Research ASPIRE award {{Cite web|url=https://themarkfoundation.org/people/daniel-nomura-phd/|title=Daniel Nomura, PhD|date=26 January 2021}} {{Cite web|url=https://chemistry.berkeley.edu/news/daniel-nomura-receives-aspire-award-mark-foundation|title = Daniel Nomura receives ASPIRE Award from the Mark Foundation | College of Chemistry}}
- 2022 National Cancer Institute Outstanding Investigator Award {{Cite web |date=2022-11-02 |title=NCI Outstanding Investigator Award Recipients - NCI |url=https://www.cancer.gov/grants-training/grants-funding/funding-opportunities/oia/award-recipients |access-date=2022-12-04 |website=www.cancer.gov |language=en}}
References
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