John Matson

Synopsis

Using techniques and tools from organic chemistry, polymer chemistry, and supramolecular chemistry, the Matson group seeks to develop chemical tools for biology and medicine, with a particular focus on understanding the roles and therapeutic potential of reactive sulfur species.

Description

Hydrogen sulfide (H₂S) is known primarily as a foul-smelling, toxic pollutant. However, H₂S is also a vital biological signaling gas, produced by enzymes in our bodies. In fact, along with carbon monoxide (CO) and nitric oxide (NO), H₂S is recognized as the third member of the class of signaling gases known as gasotransmitters. The physiological roles of H₂S are still being discovered, and it is of interest as a potential therapeutic in a wide variety of diseases and conditions. However, the majority of biological studies on H₂S have been carried out with systemically administered small molecule H₂S donors, primarily Na₂S and NaHS, which have little tissue specificity and the potential for off-target effects. As a result, delivering H₂S to a desired site of action at therapeutic dosages remains difficult, and new methods to control the dosage, rate, location, and timing of H₂S delivery are needed. We develop chemical tools to enable this delivery control. Beyond H₂S, other reactive sulfur species, such as persulfides (RSSH), play biological roles in the larger web of sulfur signaling species. We also develop small molecules and materials that allow us to study and compare the biological roles of persulfides and other related reactive sulfur species.