Masad J. Damha (born 1960) is a Canadian academic and nucleic acid researcher. He is Distinguished James McGill Professor of Chemistry at McGill University in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.[1]

Education and career

After growing up in Managua, Nicaragua, Damha moved to Montreal, Quebec, Canada in 1978 for his post-secondary education and received his BSc’83 and PhD’88 degrees from McGill, the latter under the supervision of Prof. Kelvin Ogilvie. He then accepted a position as assistant professor at the University of Toronto's Erindale College (UTM) from 1987–1992, at which point he returned to McGill University where he has been teaching ever since.[1]

Research

Damha's group developed 2'-deoxy-2'-fluoroarabinonucleic acid (2'F-ANA)[2] in 1998, which was the first sugar-modified oligonucleotide to allow cleavage by the enzyme RNase H.[3] A drug candidate made of 2'F-ANA to treat COPD was pursued by Topigen Pharmaceuticals and received approval to start Phase 1 clinical trials in December 2008.[4] His group was the first to synthesize 2'F-ANA using DNA polymerases, an area that has flourished recently with the development of Xeno Nucleic Acids (XNAs) - synthetic alternative to the natural nucleic acids DNA and RNA.

Damha and his research group have also made several contributions to the synthesis of RNA and novel RNA structures. These include the synthesis of branched and lariat RNA structures[5][6] as well as novel acetal levulinyl ester (ALE)-based protecting group strategies that allow RNA to be synthesized directly on glass microarrays (RNA "chips") by eliminating the need for fluoride-mediated deprotection.[7][8]

Honours and awards

Damha received the Chemical Institute of Canada's 2020 Raymond Lemieux and 2007 Bernard Belleau Awards for significant contributions to medicinal and organic chemistry by a Canadian chemist.,[9][10] the Fessenden Professorship in Science Innovation (McGill University; 2010), the David Thomson Award in Graduate Supervision and Teaching (McGill University; 2010), the Leo Yaffe Award for Excellence in Teaching (McGill University; 2011–12), and the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal (The Governor General of Canada; 2012).

Damha is a member of the Nicaraguan Academy of Science (2017–present). He has previously served as President of the International Society of Nucleosides, Nucleotides, Nucleic Acids (IS3NA) (2019-2020) and as President of the Oligonucleotide Therapeutics Society (2012-2014).

References

  1. ^ a b Biography Archived 2011-07-11 at the Wayback Machine as a speaker at the Girindus Leadership in Oligonucleotide Symposium, retrieved 2010-09-12.
  2. ^ Watts, J.K.; Damha, M.J. (2008). "2′F-Arabinonucleic acids (2′F-ANA) — History, properties, and new frontiers". Can. J. Chem. 86 (7): 641–656. doi:10.1139/V08-049.
  3. ^ Damha, M. J.; Wilds, C. J.; Noronha, A.; Brukner, I.; Borkow, G.; Arion, D.; Parniak, M. A. (1998). "Hybrids of RNA and arabinonucleic acids (ANA and 2'F-ANA) are substrates of Ribonuclease H". J. Am. Chem. Soc. 120 (49): 12976–7. doi:10.1021/ja982325.
  4. ^ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2016-03-03. Retrieved 2009-11-04.((cite web)): CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  5. ^ Carriero, S.; Damha, M.J (2003). "Template-Mediated Synthesis of Lariat RNA and DNA". J. Org. Chem. 68 (22): 8328–8338. doi:10.1021/jo035002r. PMID 14575454.
  6. ^ Mitra, D.; Damha, M.J. (2007). "A Novel Approach to the Synthesis of DNA and RNA Lariats". J. Org. Chem. 72 (25): 9491–9500. doi:10.1021/jo701418w. PMID 17979285.
  7. ^ Lackey, J.G.; Sabatino, D; Damha, M.J (2007). "Solid-Phase Synthesis and On-Column Deprotection of RNA from 2'- (and 3'-) O-Levulinated (Lv) Ribonucleoside Monomers". Org. Lett. 9 (5): 789–792. doi:10.1021/ol0629521. PMID 17279762.
  8. ^ Jeremy G. Lackey; Debbie Mitra; Mark M. Somoza; Franco Cerrina; Masad J. Damha (2009). "Acetal Levulinyl Ester (ALE) Groups for 2′-Hydroxyl Protection of Ribonucleosides in the Synthesis of Oligoribonucleotides on Glass and Microarrays". J. Am. Chem. Soc. 131 (24): 8496–8502. doi:10.1021/ja9002074. PMID 19485360.
  9. ^ Canadian Society for Chemistry 2007 award winners, Canadian Chemical News, May 1, 2007.
  10. ^ Belleu Award Recipients Archived 2010-12-27 at the Wayback Machine, Canadian Society for Chemistry, retrieved 2010-09-12.

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