Dejan S. Nikolic
Research Associate Professor, Institute for Tuberculosis Research
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About
Research Interests:
A. Analytical chemistry of natural products
Isolation and structure elucidation of natural products;
Studies of gas-phase fragmentation of natural products; development of methods to identify novel chemical entities from mass spectrometric data
Method development for quantitative LC-MS and LC-MS-MS analysis of biologically important natural products.
Quantitative LC-MS-MS method development for standardization of botanical extracts and support of clinical trials of natural products.
B. Natural products drug discovery and development
Pulsed ultrafiltration-mass spectrometry screening of combinatorial libraries and natural product extracts for ligands that bind to specific receptors.
In vitro metabolism of natural products using microsomal and hepatocytes preparations; structural characterization of metabolites using LC-MS-MS.
Bioavailability studies using Caco-2 cell line as a model system for intestinal absorption.
Preclinical lead evaluation: microsomal stability of natural products and drug candidates, studies of inhibition of CYP450 by natural constituents, CYP450 reaction phenotyping. Mechanism-based CYP450 inhibition.
Studies of bioactivation of drug candidates: characterization of glutathione and DNA adducts upon bioactivation by CYP450 and other metabolizing enzymes.
Teaching and Supervision
Spectroscopy in Pharm Sci (PSCI 531), 8/25/2025 – 12/5/2025
Honors Seminar (HON 201), 8/25/2025 – 10/31/2025
Spectroscopy in Pharm Sci (PSCI 531), 8/26/2024 – 12/6/2024
Honors Seminar (HON 201), 8/26/2024 – 11/1/2024
Fundamentals of Drug Action II (PHAR 423), 1/11/2024 – 2/15/2024
Spectroscopy in Pharm Sci (PSCI 531), 8/21/2023 – 12/1/2023
Honors Seminar (HON 201), 8/21/2023 – 12/1/2023
Biomedicinal Chemistry (PHAR 423), 1/9/2023 – 4/28/2023
Biomedicinal Chemistry (PHAR 423), 1/9/2023 – 4/28/2023
Selected Grants
Botanical Dietary Supplements for Women's Health, National Institutes of Health (National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health)., 9/1/2015 - 6/30/2022, Obligated Amount: $9708015; Anticipated Amount: $12588944
Center for Natural Product Technologies at UIC, National Institutes of Health (National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health)., 9/1/2015 - 6/30/2020, Obligated Amount: $1456875; Anticipated Amount: $1456875
Botanical Dietary Supplements For Women's Health, National Institutes of Health (National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health)., 9/1/2010 - 8/31/2015, Obligated Amount: $7418005; Anticipated Amount: $7420771
Cytochrome P4502D6 and monoamine oxidase modulators from black cohosh (Actaea racemosa), UIC/NIH Center for Botanical Dietary Supplements Research, Pilot Project., 4/1/2008 - 3/31/2011, No Obligated Amount Set; No Anticipated Amount Set
Botanical Dietary Supplements for Research, National Institutes of Health (National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health)., 4/1/2005 - 8/31/2010, Obligated Amount: $5411505; Anticipated Amount: $5411505
Selected Publications
Gaisina, Irina N, Argade, Malaika D, Bott, Ryan, Bradley, Sean P, Tomorowicz, Łukasz, Alvarez, Mario, Achi, Jazmin M Galván, Cross, Robert W, Borisevich, Viktoriya, O’Toole, Rachel, Amaya, Moushimi, Zielinski, Christian A, Gaisin, Arsen M, Nikolic, Dejan, Carlier, Paul R, Anantpadma, Manu, Moore, Terry W, Broder, Christopher C, Geisbert, Thomas W, Peet, Norton P, Rong, Lijun. (2026). Discovery and Optimization of First-in-Class Furopyrimidine-Based Inhibitors of Henipaviruses. Journal of Medicinal Chemistry, 69, (2), 1264-1285. doi:10.1021/acs.jmedchem.5c02646.
Thompson, Andrew M, Cheung, Chen-Yi, McNeil, Matthew B, Campbell, Ashley C, Záhorszká, Monika, Korduláková, Jana, Stelitano, Giovanni, Recchia, Deborah, Pasca, Maria Rosalia, Wan, Baojie, Khan, Shahebraj, Nikolic, Dejan S, Shetye, Gauri S, Franzblau, Scott G, Denny, William A, Cook, Gregory M, Krause, Kurt L. (2026). Advancing the antituberculosis activity of nitropicolinic acids and amides. European Journal of Medicinal Chemistry, 302, (Pt 2), 118324. doi:10.1016/j.ejmech.2025.118324.
Ratia, Kiira, Jin, Shengnan, Abad-Zapatero, Celerino, Shetye, Gauri S, Demissie, Robel, Qader, Mallique, Beautrait, Alexandre, Nikolic, Dejan S, Wolf, Nina M, Rubin, Eric J, Krandor, Olga, Serbina, Natalya, Li, Guiying, Pauli, Guido F, Klein, Larry L, Cho, Sanghyun, Franzblau, Scott G, Fotouhi, Nader, Kaneko, Takushi, Lee, Hyun. (2025). Unique Interactions of Novel Rufomycin “Click Chemistry” Analogs with Mtb ClpC1 and Implications. Journal of Medicinal Chemistry, 68, (24), 26298-26310. doi:10.1021/acs.jmedchem.5c02416.
Zhang, Endong, Algarni, Hanan, Zhang, Luyu, Chao, Chih-Jia, He, Shan, Upadhye, Aditi, Bao, Qing, Jung, Dahee, Srivastava, Shubhi, Udofa, Edidiong, Phan, Philana, Nikolic, Dejan S, Lee, Steve Seung-Young, Rehman, Jalees, Zhao, Zongmin. (2025). Nanoparticle-boosted myeloid-derived suppressor cell therapy for immune reprogramming in multiple sclerosis. Science Advances, 11, (42), eady4135. doi:10.1126/sciadv.ady4135.
Argade, Malaika D, Anirudhan, Varada, Bradley, Sean P, Tomorowicz, Łukasz, Bott, Ryan, Sownthirarajan, Boopathi, Zielinski, Christian A, Sloan, John P, Nikolic, Dejan S, Gaisin, Arsen M, Moore, Terry W, Manicassamy, Balaji, Peet, Norton P, Rong, Lijun, Gaisina, Irina N. (2025). Corrigendum to “Refinement of imidazo[2,1-a]pyrimidines in pursuit of potential drug candidates against group 2 influenza A viruses” [Europ. J. Med. Chem. 2925 (2025) 117679]. European Journal of Medicinal Chemistry, 294, 117766. doi:10.1016/j.ejmech.2025.117766.
Argade, Malaika D, Anirudhan, Varada, Bradley, Sean P, Tomorowicz, Łukasz, Bott, Ryan, Sownthirarajan, Boopathi, Zielinski, Christian A, Sloan, John P, Nikolic, Dejan S, Gaisin, Arsen M, Moore, Terry W, Manicassamy, Balaji, Peet, Norton P, Rong, Lijun, Gaisina, Irina N. (2025). Refinement of imidazo[2,1-a]pyrimidines in pursuit of potential drug candidates against group 2 influenza A viruses. European Journal of Medicinal Chemistry, 292, 117679. doi:10.1016/j.ejmech.2025.117679.
Chen, Luying, Nikolic, Dejan, Li, Guannan, Liu, Jialin, van Breemen, Richard B. (2023). In vitro inhibition of human cytochrome P450 enzymes by licoisoflavone B from Glycyrrhiza uralensis Fisch. ex DC. Toxicological Sciences, 196, (1), 16-24. doi:10.1093/toxsci/kfad079.
Hitzman, Ryan, Malca-Garcia, Gonzalo R, Howell, Caitlin, Park, Hyun-Young, Friesen, J Brent, Dong, Huali, Dunlap, Tareisha, McAlpine, James B, Vollmer, Guenter, Bosland, Maarten C, Nikolić, Dejan, Lankin, David C, Chen, Shao-Nong, Bolton, Judy L, Pauli, Guido F, Dietz, Birgit M. (2023). DESIGNER fraction concept unmasks minor bioactive constituents in red clover (Trifolium pratense L.). Phytochemistry, 214, 113789. doi:10.1016/j.phytochem.2023.113789.
Tang, Yu, Friesen, J Brent, Lankin, David C, McAlpine, James B, Nikolić, Dejan, Chen, Shao-Nong, Pauli, Guido F. (2023). Geraniol-Derived Monoterpenoid Glucosides from Rhodiola rosea: Resolving Structures by QM-HifSA Methodology. Journal of Natural Products, 86, (2), 256-263. doi:10.1021/acs.jnatprod.2c00836.
Professional Leadership
Short Course Instructor, 11/12/2024 - 11/12/2024
Short Course Instructor, 3/18/2023 - 3/18/2023
Education
Degrees:
Ph.D. in Medicinal Chemistry, University of Illinois at Chicago, United States, 1999
PharmD, University of Belgrade, Serbia, 1993