April 13, 2023

Dennis C. Liotta, Ph.D. 

Samuel Candler Dobbs Professor, Department of Chemistry at Emory University

 

Dr. Liotta has helped transform HIV/AIDS from a death sentence to a chronic infection in which patients can live active and productive lives. Work on anti-infectives in the Liotta laboratory attempts to build on the prior successes they have had at developing nucleoside analogs for the treatment of HIV and Hepatitis B infections (e.g., the discovery of Epivir and Emtricitabine). The projects being pursued fit into three general categories: (1) the design, synthesis and evaluation on cyclobutyl nucleoside analogs as potential anti-HIV agents; (2) the design, synthesis and evaluation of 2’-fluoro-2’deoxy nucleoside analogs as potential inhibitors of the RNA- dependent RNA polymerase of multiple viruses including the HCV, influenza, RSV, Dengue Fever and West Nile; and (3) the preparation and evaluation of novel, lipid-based prodrugs of nucleoside analogs that can achieve targeted tissue distribution and high intracellular nucleoside triphosphate concentrations.