Dr David Tetard

Assistant Professor

School: Geography and Natural Sciences

I am an organic chemist who is designing novel powerful metal chelators, with a focus on Fe(III) that can have therapeutic applications, in particular against cancer, neurodegenerative diseases (Parkinson's Disease, Alzheimer's Disease) and as biostatic agents against micro-organisms. My molecules are based on rationale design, trying to optimise metal chelator and other functions such as cell penetration, multiple mode of action, targeting.

Email David

Research Themes and Scholarly Interests

Metal chelators as therapeutic compounds, in particular in cancer, neurodegenerative diseases and as biostatic agents against microorganisms.

We focus on the design of powerful Fe(III) chelators of the hydroxypyridinone family that have been demonstrated by us and others to have activity as:

anticancer drugs, interfering with the biochemical processes involving metals (metalloenzymes, oxidative stress)

drugs against neurodegenerative diseases, preventing oxidative damage to neurons

biostatic agents, reducing the rate of growth of microorganisms.

Key Publications

Please visit the Pure Research Information Portal for further information
Novel Iron Chelator SK4 Drives Cytotoxicity through Inhibiting Mitochondrial Metabolism in Ovarian and Triple Negative Breast Cancer Cell Lines, Abdelaal, G., Carter, A., Cheung, W., Panayiotidis, M., Racey, S., Tétard, D., Veuger, S. 24 Jul 2023, In: Biomedicines
1-Hydroxy-2(1H)-pyridinone-Based Chelators with Potential Catechol O-Methyl Transferase Inhibition and Neurorescue Dual Action against Parkinson’s Disease, Bergin, J., Tan, K., Nelson, A., Amarandei, C., Hubscher-Bruder, V., Brandel, J., Voinarovska, V., Dejaegere, A., Stote, R., Tetard, D. 28 Apr 2022, In: Molecules
Novel iron chelator SK4 demonstrates cytotoxicity in a range of tumour derived cell lines, Abdelaal, G., Carter, A., Panagiotidis, M., Tetard, D., Veuger, S. 23 Sep 2022, In: Frontiers in Molecular Biosciences
Synthesis, physicochemical characterization and neuroprotective evaluation of novel 1-hydroxypyrazin-2(1H)-one iron chelators in an in vitro cell model of Parkinson's disease, Lewis, F., Bird, K., Navarro, J., El Fallah, R., Brandel, J., Hubscher-Bruder, V., Tsatsanis, A., Duce, J., Tetard, D., Bourne, S., Maina, M., Pienaar, I. 1 Mar 2022, In: Dalton Transactions
A novel methylated analogue of L-Mimosine exerts its therapeutic potency through ROS production and ceramide-induced apoptosis in malignant melanoma, Kyriakou, S., Cheung, W., Mantso, T., Mitsiogianni, M., Anestopoulos, I., Veuger, S., Trafalis, D., Franco, R., Pappa, A., Tetard, D., Panayiotidis, M. 1 Aug 2021, In: Investigational New Drugs
Anticancer activity of a novel methylated analogue of L-mimosine against an in vitro model of human malignant melanoma, Kyriakou, S., Mitsiogianni, M., Mantso, T., Cheung, W., Todryk, S., Veuger, S., Pappa, A., Tetard, D., Panagiotidis, M. 1 Jun 2020, In: Investigational New Drugs
Design and evaluation of bi-functional iron chelators for protection of dopaminergic neurons from toxicants, Gutbier, S., Kyriakou, S., Schildknecht, S., Ückert, A., Brüll, M., Lewis, F., Dickens, D., Pearson, L., Elson, J., Michel, S., Hubscher-Bruder, V., Brandel, J., Tetard, D., Leist, M., Pienaar, I. 1 Sep 2020, In: Archives of Toxicology
Novel 1‑hydroxypyridin‑2‑one metal chelators prevent and rescue ubiquitin proteasomal‑related neuronal injury in an in vitro model of Parkinson’s disease, Lewis, F., Farooz, S., Elson, J., Hubscher-Bruder, V., Brandel, J., Soundararajan, M., Smith, D., Dexter, D., Tetard, D., Pienaar, I. 1 Mar 2020, In: Archives of Toxicology
The influence of linkages between 1-Hydroxy-2(1H)-pyridinone Coordinating Groups and a Tris(2-aminoethyl)amine core in a novel series of synthetic Hexadentate Iron(III) Chelators on antimicrobial activity, Workman, D., Hunter, M., Wang, S., Brandel, J., Hubscher, V., Dover, L., Tetard, D. 1 Jan 2020, In: Bioorganic Chemistry
An Overview of Multifunctional Metal Chelators as Potential Treatments for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Lewis, F., Tetard, D. May 2017, Biometals in Neurodegenerative Diseases: Mechanisms and Therapeutics, San Diego, Elsevier

PGR Supervision

Rhiannon Stevens Development of Novel Bacterial Detection Methods Start Date: 01/10/2025 End Date: 17/10/2025
Rhiannon Stevens Design, synthesis and evaluation of novel self-immolative systems as diagnostic substrates for the detection of pathogenic microorganisms via signal amplification. Start Date: 01/10/2025
Darren Gardner Design, synthesis and evaluation of novel siderophore- chromogen conjugates as diagnostic substrates for the detection of antimicrobial resistant pathogens. Start Date: 01/10/2023
Darren Gardner Design, synthesis and evaluation of novel siderophore- chromogen conjugates as diagnostic substrates for the detection of antimicrobial resistant pathogens. Start Date: 01/10/2023 End Date: 17/10/2025