Dr Stephen Wren
Faculties, departments and locations
- Faculty of Health, Science, Social Care and Education
- Department of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences
- School of Life Sciences, Pharmacy and Chemistry
- Penrhyn Road
Senior Lecturer in Organic and Pharmaceutical Chemistry
- Email:
- [email protected]
About
I am highly experienced in medicinal chemistry and have worked on a diverse set of biological targets over many disease areas in several organisations (Xenova, Argenta Discovery and Summit plc). I have an extensive track record in project and team management, intellectual property, drug discovery in many therapeutic areas and helped lead the chemistry effort directed towards the identification of SMTC1100 (Summit's Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy drug, currently undergoing clinical evaluation).
I have also conducted research at the Alzheimer's Research UK Oxford Drug Discovery Institute and taught at Oxford University (organic chemistry, pharmaceutical chemistry and biomedical sciences). I was a fellow of St Hilda's College, Oxford, between 2015 and 2018. I joined Kingston University London in September 2018, as a lecturer, and became a senior lecturer in 2020.
Qualifications
- PhD (Cambridge University)
- BSc (Hons)
- FHEA
Domains
- Organic and medicinal chemistry.
- Chemical and biosensors for medical and environmental applications.
Publications
3-(diphenylamino)-4-ethoxycyclobut-3-ene-1,2-dione
Long, Nathan, Paval, Emanuela, Bear, Joseph C., Cockcroft, Jeremy K. and Wren, Stephen P., 2026, MolBank (2026), 3, Published
Fair and square: design, synthesis and biological evaluations of squaric acid derivatives as novel HDAC8 inhibitors
Long, Nathan, Meyer‐Almes, Franz‐Josef, Kopranovic, Aleksandra and Wren, Stephen P., 2026, ChemMedChem (21), 8, Published
KISS1R antagonism as a promising anti-cancer approach: an overview on function, molecular mechanisms and therapeutic potential
Scanlon, James J, Bristow, Aidan P, Chioni, Athina-Myrto and Wren, Stephen P, 2024, Journal on Oncology, Published
Design and preparation of a fluorescent molecularly imprinted membrane for the selective detection of pepsin enzyme as a biomarker for gastroesophageal reflux disease
Mostafa, Aya M., Barton, Stephen J., Wren, Stephen P. and Barker, James, 2024, Talanta Open, E-pub ahead of print
Suramin: effectiveness of analogues reveals structural features that are important for the potent trypanocidal activity of the drug
Steverding, Dietmar, Tinson, Ryan A.J., Piras, Monica, Wren, Stephen P., Rushworth, Stuart A., Searcey, Mark and Troeberg, Linda, 2024, Experimental Parasitology (260), Published
Development of highly sensitive fluorescent sensors for separation-free detection and quantitation systems of pepsin enzyme applying a structure-guided approach
Mostafa, Aya M., Barton, Stephen J., Wren, Stephen P. and Barker, James, 2024, Biosensors (14), 3, Published
Synthesis and evaluation of druglike parameters via 'in silico' techniques for a series of heterocyclic monosquarate-amide derivatives as potential carboxylic acid bioisosteres
Long, N., Le Gresley, A., Wozniak, A., Brough, S. and Wren, S. P., 2024, Bioorganic and Medicinal Chemistry (98), Published
Suramin analogues protect cartilage against osteoarthritic breakdown by increasing levels of tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases 3 (TIMP-3) in the tissue
Green, Jonathan, Tinson, Ryan A.J., Betts, Jacob H.J., Piras, Monica, Pelut, Aylin, Steverding, Dietmar, Wren, Stephen P., Searcey, Mark and Troeberg, Linda, 2023, Bioorganic and Medicinal Chemistry (92), Published
Synthesis of squaric acid monoamides as building blocks for drug discovery
Long, Nathan, Le Gresley, Adam, Solomonsz, Arran, Wozniak, Antony, Brough, Steve and Wren, Stephen Paul, 2023, SynOpen, Accepted/In press
Development of magnetic molecularly imprinted polymers for the extraction of salivary pepsin prior to analysis by a novel HPLC-SEC method
Mostafa, Aya M., Barton, Stephen J., Wren, Stephen P. and Barker, James, 2022, Polymer (261), Published
A computational chemistry-driven hypothesis on the mode of action of hipposudoric acid and related analogs
Araar, Islam M. and Wren, Stephen P., 2022, Future Medicinal Chemistry, E-pub ahead of print
Fructose malabsorption: causes, diagnosis and treatment
Benardout, Miles, Le Gresley, Adam, Elshaer, Amr and Wren, Stephen P., 2022, British Journal of Nutrition (127), 4pp 481-489, Published
Review on molecularly imprinted polymers with a focus on their application to the analysis of protein biomarkers
Mostafa, Aya M., Barton, Stephen J., Wren, Stephen P. and Barker, James, 2021, TrAC - Trends in Analytical Chemistry (144), Published
Enzyme inhibition as a potential therapeutic strategy to treat COVID-19 infection
Paulsson-Habegger, Lukas, Snabaitis, Andrew K. and Wren, Stephen P., 2021, Bioorganic and Medicinal Chemistry (48), Published
Thiazolidinediones: an in depth study of their synthesis and application to medicinal chemistry in the treatment of diabetes mellitus
Long, Nathan, Le Gresley, Adam and Wren, Stephen P., 2021, ChemMedChem (16), 11pp 1717-1736, Published
In silico design of bioisosteric modifications of drugs for the treatment of diabetes
Vink, Guillaume, Nebel, Jean Christophe and Wren, Stephen P., 2021, Future Medicinal Chemistry (13), 8pp 691-700, Published
Unearthing novel thiazolidinone building blocks as carboxylic acid bioisosteres
Scanlon, James J. and Wren, Stephen P., 2020, Future Medicinal Chemistry (12), 20pp 1855-1864, Published
Immuno-oncology: the next generation of breakthrough therapies. Highlights from The Society for Medicines Research Symposium. Oxford, UK - June 21, 2019
Ritchie, James, Sykes, Andy, Weber, Peter and Wren, Stephen P., 2019, Drugs of the Future (44), 7pp 599-604, Published
Suramin inhibits osteoarthritic cartilage degradation by increasing extracellular levels of chondroprotective tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases 3
Chanalaris, Anastasios, Doherty, Christine, Marsden, Brian D., Bambridge, Gabriel, Wren, Stephen P., Nagase, Hideaki and Troeberg, Linda, 2017, Molecular Pharmacology (92), 4pp 459-468, Published
Computational design and fabrication of optical fibre fluorescent chemical probes for the detection of cocaine
Wren, Stephen P., Piletsky, Sergey A., Karim, Kal, Gascoine, Paul, Lacey, Richard, Sun, Tong and Grattan, Kenneth T.V., 2015, Journal of Lightwave Technology (33), 12pp 2572-2579, Published
Silver@graphene oxide nanocomposite-based optical sensor platform for biomolecules
Zangeneh Kamali, Khosro, Pandikumar, Alagarsamy, Sivaraman, Gandhi, Lim, Hong Ngee, Wren, Stephen Paul, Sun, Tong and Huang, Nay Ming, 2015, RSC Advances (5), 23pp 17809-17816, Published
Preparation of novel optical fibre-based cocaine sensors using a molecular imprinted polymer approach
Wren, Stephen P., Nguyen, T. Hien, Gascoine, Paul, Lacey, Richard, Sun, Tong and Grattan, Kenneth T.V., 2014, Sensors and Actuators B: Chemical (193)pp 35-41, Published
Tricyclic systems: central carbocyclic ring with fused five- and six-membered rings
Wren, Stephen P. (2022). In: Aldabbagh, Fawaz, (eds.), Amsterdam:pp 1003-1019 [Published]