According to the Institute for Scientific Information in Philadelphia (ISI), a study published in 1995 by three of the Unit's PIs (Dario Alessi, Ana Cuenda and Philip Cohen) in collaboration with David Dudley and Alan Saltiel of the Parke-Davis Pharmaceutical Company (now part of Pfizer) was the UK's most highly cited original research paper over the past ten years in the field of Biology and Biochemistry. The paper, published in the Journal of Biological Chemistry 270, 27489-27494, has been cited 1968 times by other scientists. It identified the mechanism action of PD 98059, a specific inhibitor of the classical MAP kinase cascade, PD 98059 has been used very widely to block signalling through this pathway. More potent drugs that act in a similar way are undergoing human clinical trials as anti-cancer agents.
With 1016 citations, another paper published in 1995 by three of the Unit's PIs (Ana Cuenda, John Rouse and Philip Cohen) in collaboration with John Lee and Peter Young at SmithKlineBeecham (now GlaxoSmithKline) was the UK's fourth most quoted original research paper in Biology and Biochemistry over the past ten years. Published in FEBS Letters 364, 229-233, it showed that the compound SB 203580 is a potent and specific inhibitor of the protein kinase now termed p38 MAP kinase. At least four pharmaceutical companies have inhibitors of p38 MAP kinase in human clinical trials for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis and other chronic inflammatory diseases. The discovery of p38 MAP kinase itself by John Rouse and Philip Cohen in 1994 in collaboration with Angel Nebreda and Tim Hunt at the ICRF, London (Cell 78, 1027-1037) was cited 971 times, making it the UK's 8th most quoted paper in the field of Molecular Biology and Genetics.
A further paper in 1995 published by Darren Cross, Dario Alessi and Philip Cohen in collaboration with Brian Hemmings at the Friedrich-Miescher Institute, Basel, Switzerland (Nature 378, 785-789) was the UK's sixth most cited paper in the field of Biology and Biochemistry with 962 citations. It identified PKB/Akt as the protein kinase that mediates the insulin-induced inhibition of GSK3 and consequent stimulation of glycogen synthesis. Small molecule inhibitors of GSK3 developed subsequently by several pharmaceutical companies have been shown to normalise the level of blood glucose in animal models of Type II diabetes. The 1997 paper by Dario Alessi and Philip Cohen identifying PDK1 as the protein kinase that activates PKB/Akt has so far been cited 588 times, making it Scotland's fifth most cited paper of the past ten years. Overall, the Unit's PIs co-authored three of the top ten UK papers in Biology and Biochemistry and five of the Scotland's seven most cited papers in this field over the past decade.
Tricia Cohen and Carol MacKintosh, two other PIs in the MRC Unit were also ranked in the top 1% of most cited scientists in their fields, Tricia in 'Molecular Biology and Genetics' and Carol in 'Plant and Animal Siences'.
The Unit is affiliated to the School of Life Sciences at Dundee which, in terms of citations per paper, came out as the number one University in Europe in the fields of Biology and Biochemistry and the number two in Europe (after the University of Geneva) in the field of Molecular Biology and Genetics.
According to the latest information from ISI, Philip Cohen is now the world's third most highly cited scientist over the past 10 years in the field of Biology and Biochemsitry, while Dario Alessi moved up from number 44 in the list to number 30 over the past two months.
With 1016 citations, another paper published in 1995 by three of the Unit's PIs (Ana Cuenda, John Rouse and Philip Cohen) in collaboration with John Lee and Peter Young at SmithKlineBeecham (now GlaxoSmithKline) was the UK's fourth most quoted original research paper in Biology and Biochemistry over the past ten years. Published in FEBS Letters 364, 229-233, it showed that the compound SB 203580 is a potent and specific inhibitor of the protein kinase now termed p38 MAP kinase. At least four pharmaceutical companies have inhibitors of p38 MAP kinase in human clinical trials for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis and other chronic inflammatory diseases. The discovery of p38 MAP kinase itself by John Rouse and Philip Cohen in 1994 in collaboration with Angel Nebreda and Tim Hunt at the ICRF, London (Cell 78, 1027-1037) was cited 971 times, making it the UK's 8th most quoted paper in the field of Molecular Biology and Genetics.
A further paper in 1995 published by Darren Cross, Dario Alessi and Philip Cohen in collaboration with Brian Hemmings at the Friedrich-Miescher Institute, Basel, Switzerland (Nature 378, 785-789) was the UK's sixth most cited paper in the field of Biology and Biochemistry with 962 citations. It identified PKB/Akt as the protein kinase that mediates the insulin-induced inhibition of GSK3 and consequent stimulation of glycogen synthesis. Small molecule inhibitors of GSK3 developed subsequently by several pharmaceutical companies have been shown to normalise the level of blood glucose in animal models of Type II diabetes. The 1997 paper by Dario Alessi and Philip Cohen identifying PDK1 as the protein kinase that activates PKB/Akt has so far been cited 588 times, making it Scotland's fifth most cited paper of the past ten years. Overall, the Unit's PIs co-authored three of the top ten UK papers in Biology and Biochemistry and five of the Scotland's seven most cited papers in this field over the past decade.
Tricia Cohen and Carol MacKintosh, two other PIs in the MRC Unit were also ranked in the top 1% of most cited scientists in their fields, Tricia in 'Molecular Biology and Genetics' and Carol in 'Plant and Animal Siences'.
The Unit is affiliated to the School of Life Sciences at Dundee which, in terms of citations per paper, came out as the number one University in Europe in the fields of Biology and Biochemistry and the number two in Europe (after the University of Geneva) in the field of Molecular Biology and Genetics.
According to the latest information from ISI, Philip Cohen is now the world's third most highly cited scientist over the past 10 years in the field of Biology and Biochemsitry, while Dario Alessi moved up from number 44 in the list to number 30 over the past two months.