Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41963347›Full record

ArticleNature communications2026

Massive barcode-free chemical screenings enable the discovery of bioactive macrocycles with passive membrane permeability.

J Miguel Mata, Jingming Liu, Sean M McKenna, Edith van der Nol, Marije Havermans, Ruud Delwel, Mike Filius, Chirlmin Joo, Maura Vallaro, Giulia Caron and 1 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Nature communications, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

11 authors.

J Miguel Mata *LACDR, Leiden University, Leiden, 2333 CC, The Netherlands.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-9884-0184
Jingming Liu *LACDR, Leiden University, Leiden, 2333 CC, The Netherlands.
Sean M McKennaLACDR, Leiden University, Leiden, 2333 CC, The Netherlands.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-9197-5089
Edith van der NolLACDR, Leiden University, Leiden, 2333 CC, The Netherlands.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-0597-8185
Marije HavermansOncode Institute, Utrecht, 3521 AL, The Netherlands.ORCID http://orcid.org/0009-0009-7996-9458
Ruud DelwelOncode Institute, Utrecht, 3521 AL, The Netherlands.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-6903-3271
Mike FiliusLACDR, Leiden University, Leiden, 2333 CC, The Netherlands.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-5434-8358
Chirlmin JooKavli Institute of NanoScience, Department of BioNanoScience, Delft University of Technology, Delft, 2628 CJ, The Netherlands.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-2803-0335
Maura VallaroMolecular Biotechnology and Health Sciences Department., CASSMedChem, University of Torino, via Quarello 15, 10135, Torino, Italy.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-2735-6771
Giulia CaronMolecular Biotechnology and Health Sciences Department., CASSMedChem, University of Torino, via Quarello 15, 10135, Torino, Italy.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-2417-5900
Sebastian J PomplunLACDR, Leiden University, Leiden, 2333 CC, The Netherlands. s.j.pomplun@lacdr.leidenuniv.nl.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-0905-8551

Funding

EC | Horizon 2020 Framework Programme (EU Framework Programme for Research and Innovation H2020) 101039354Nederlandse Organisatie voor Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek (Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research) OCENW.M.21.157
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Synthetic macrocycles offer exceptional potential as therapeutics. However, most high-throughput discovery platforms rely on genetically encoded libraries of large peptide macrocycles, which typically are not optimized for drug like properties. Fully synthetic libraries offer greater flexibility in accessing broader chemical space. Leveraging recent advances in mass spectrometry based library techniques, here we report CycloSEL (Cyclic Self-Encoded Libraries), an end-to-end workflow, that screens synthetic macrocycle libraries enriched in drug-like 'beyond rule of five' features. The workflow relies on affinity selections and hit identification by tandem mass spectrometry, eliminating the need for genetic barcodes. We construct a 16 million-member library and validate the approach against the oncology target carbonic anhydrase IX, achieving robust enrichment and accurate identification of true binders. Applying CycloSEL to the acute myeloid leukemia target WD repeat-containing protein 5 (WDR5) yields a macrocycle with subnamolar affinity, and potent inhibition of the WDR5-Mixed-Lineage Leukemia 1 (MLL1) interaction. Subsequent modifications produce a chameleonic macrocycle with passive membrane permeability, serum stability, and anti-proliferative activity in leukemia cells. Together, these results demonstrate that CycloSEL enables discovery of drug-like macrocycles from fully synthetic libraries for intracellular targets.

Indexed as

Cell Membrane PermeabilityDrug DiscoveryMacrocyclic CompoundsCarbonic Anhydrase IXCell Line, TumorHigh-Throughput Screening AssaysHumansTandem Mass SpectrometryCarbonic Anhydrase IXMacrocyclic Compounds

Identifiers

PMID41963347
PMCPMC13243568

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.