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Dr. Igor Baburin

Head of Patch Clamp Services

Dr. Igor Baburin

Dr. Igor Baburin

More than 20 years of research on ion channels and in the field of drug discovery. Dr. Baburin served from 2014 - 2019 as CEO of ChanPharm. In addition, he developed new technologies for automated drug screening (Baburin et al. 2006) and made significant contributions to research into the cardiotoxic effects of plant extracts. In particular he discovered and characterized dehydroevodiamine and hortiamine from Evodia rutaecarpa as potent pro-arrhythmic natural products. Dr. Baburin found a new mechanism by which gamma subunits of GABA(A) receptors modulate the properties of this ligand gated ion channel (Baburin et al. 2008). From 2008–2023 he contributed as group leader to the discovery of novel natural product GABA(A) receptor modulators.

Selected Publications

  1. 1.
    Khom S, Baburin I, Timin EN, Hohaus A, Sieghart W, Hering S. Pharmacological properties of GABAA receptors containing gamma1 subunits.
    Mol Pharmacol. 2006 Feb;69(2):640-9. doi: 10.1124/mol.105.017236. Epub 2005 Nov 4. PubMed
  2. 2.
    Baburin I, Beyl S, Hering S. Automated fast perfusion of Xenopus oocytes for drug screening.
    Pflugers Arch. 2006 Oct;453(1):117-23. doi: 10.1007/s00424-006-0125-y. Epub 2006 Sep 5. PubMed PMC
  3. 3.
    Khom S, Baburin I, Timin E, Hohaus A, Trauner G, Kopp B, Hering S. Valerenic acid potentiates and inhibits GABA(A) receptors: molecular mechanism and subunit specificity.
    Neuropharmacology. 2007 Jul;53(1):178-87. doi: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2007.04.018. Epub 2007 May 13. PubMed
  4. 4.
    Trauner G, Khom S, Baburin I, Benedek B, Hering S, Kopp B. Modulation of GABAA receptors by valerian extracts is related to the content of valerenic acid.
    Planta Med. 2008 Jan;74(1):19-24. doi: 10.1055/s-2007-993761. Epub 2007 Dec 19. PubMed
  5. 5.
    Kim HJ, Baburin I, Khom S, Hering S, Hamburger M. HPLC-based activity profiling approach for the discovery of GABAA receptor ligands using an automated two microelectrode voltage clamp assay on Xenopus oocytes.
    Planta Med. 2008 Apr;74(5):521-6. doi: 10.1055/s-2008-1074491. PubMed PMC
  6. 6.
    Baburin I, Khom S, Timin E, Hohaus A, Sieghart W, Hering S. Estimating the efficiency of benzodiazepines on GABA(A) receptors comprising gamma1 or gamma2 subunits.
    Br J Pharmacol. 2008 Oct;155(3):424-33. doi: 10.1038/bjp.2008.271. Epub 2008 Jul 7. PubMed PMC
  7. 7.
    Zaugg J, Baburin I, Strommer B, Kim HJ, Hering S, Hamburger M. HPLC-based activity profiling: discovery of piperine as a positive GABA(A) receptor modulator targeting a benzodiazepine-independent binding site.
    J Nat Prod. 2010 Feb 26;73(2):185-91. doi: 10.1021/np900656g. PubMed PMC
  8. 8.
    Yang X, Baburin I, Plitzko I, Hering S, Hamburger M. HPLC-based activity profiling for GABAA receptor modulators from the traditional Chinese herbal drug Kushen (Sophora flavescens root).
    Mol Divers. 2011 May;15(2):361-72. doi: 10.1007/s11030-010-9297-7. Epub 2011 Jan 5. PubMed PMC
  9. 9.
    Schramm A, Baburin I, Hering S, Hamburger M. HERG channel inhibitors in extracts of Coptidis rhizoma.
    Planta Med. 2011 May;77(7):692-7. doi: 10.1055/s-0030-1270920. Epub 2011 Mar 16. PubMed
  10. 10.
    Zaugg J, Eickmeier E, Ebrahimi SN, Baburin I, Hering S, Hamburger M. Positive GABA(A) receptor modulators from Acorus calamus and structural analysis of (+)-dioxosarcoguaiacol by 1D and 2D NMR and molecular modeling.
    J Nat Prod. 2011 Jun 24;74(6):1437-43. doi: 10.1021/np200181d. Epub 2011 May 12. PubMed PMC
  11. 11.
    Taferner B, Schuehly W, Huefner A, Baburin I, Wiesner K, Ecker GF, Hering S. Modulation of GABAA-receptors by honokiol and derivatives: subtype selectivity and structure-activity relationship.
    J Med Chem. 2011 Aug 11;54(15):5349-61. doi: 10.1021/jm200186n. Epub 2011 Jul 12. PubMed
  12. 12.
    Zaugg J, Khom S, Eigenmann D, Baburin I, Hamburger M, Hering S. Identification and characterization of GABA(A) receptor modulatory diterpenes from Biota orientalis that decrease locomotor activity in mice.
    J Nat Prod. 2011 Aug 26;74(8):1764-72. doi: 10.1021/np200317p. Epub 2011 Jul 27. PubMed
  13. 13.
    Singhuber J, Baburin I, Ecker GF, Kopp B, Hering S. Insights into structure-activity relationship of GABAA receptor modulating coumarins and furanocoumarins.
    Eur J Pharmacol. 2011 Oct 1;668(1-2):57-64. doi: 10.1016/j.ejphar.2011.06.034. Epub 2011 Jul 5. PubMed PMC
  14. 14.
    Zaugg J, Ebrahimi SN, Smiesko M, Baburin I, Hering S, Hamburger M. Identification of GABAA receptor modulators in Kadsura longipedunculata and assignment of absolute configurations by quantum-chemical ECD calculations.
    Phytochemistry. 2011 Dec;72(18):2385-95. doi: 10.1016/j.phytochem.2011.08.014. Epub 2011 Aug 31. PubMed PMC
  15. 15.
    Singhuber J, Baburin I, Kählig H, Urban E, Kopp B, Hering S. GABA(A) receptor modulators from Chinese herbal medicines traditionally applied against insomnia and anxiety.
    Phytomedicine. 2012 Feb 15;19(3-4):334-40. doi: 10.1016/j.phymed.2011.10.009. Epub 2011 Nov 25. PubMed
  16. 16.
    Singhuber J, Baburin I, Khom S, Zehl M, Urban E, Hering S, Kopp B. GABA(A) receptor modulators from the Chinese herbal drug Junci Medulla--the pith of Juncus effusus.
    Planta Med. 2012 Mar;78(5):455-8. doi: 10.1055/s-0031-1298174. Epub 2012 Jan 23. PubMed
  17. 17.
    Kim HJ, Baburin I, Zaugg J, Ebrahimi SN, Hering S, Hamburger M. HPLC-based activity profiling--discovery of sanggenons as GABAA receptor modulators in the traditional Chinese drug Sang bai pi (Morus alba root bark).
    Planta Med. 2012 Mar;78(5):440-7. doi: 10.1055/s-0031-1298229. Epub 2012 Jan 31. PubMed
  18. 18.
    Khom S, Strommer B, Schöffmann A, Hintersteiner J, Baburin I, Erker T, Schwarz T, Schwarzer C, Zaugg J, Hamburger M, Hering S. GABAA receptor modulation by piperine and a non-TRPV1 activating derivative.
    Biochem Pharmacol. 2013 Jun 15;85(12):1827-36. doi: 10.1016/j.bcp.2013.04.017. Epub 2013 Apr 25. PubMed PMC
  19. 19.
    Schramm A, Saxena P, Chlebek J, Cahlíková L, Baburin I, Hering S, Hamburger M. Natural products as potential human ether-a-go-go-related gene channel inhibitors - screening of plant-derived alkaloids.
    Planta Med. 2014 Jun;80(8-9):740-6. doi: 10.1055/s-0034-1368590. Epub 2014 Jun 25. PubMed
  20. 20.
    Schöffmann A, Wimmer L, Goldmann D, Khom S, Hintersteiner J, Baburin I, Schwarz T, Hintersteininger M, Pakfeifer P, Oufir M, Hamburger M, Erker T, Ecker GF, Mihovilovic MD, Hering S. Efficient modulation of γ-aminobutyric acid type A receptors by piperine derivatives.
    J Med Chem. 2014 Jul 10;57(13):5602-19. doi: 10.1021/jm5002277. Epub 2014 Jun 27. PubMed PMC
  21. 21.
    Schramm A, Jähne EA, Baburin I, Hering S, Hamburger M. Natural products as potential human ether-a-go-go-related gene channel inhibitors - outcomes from a screening of widely used herbal medicines and edible plants.
    Planta Med. 2014 Aug;80(12):1045-50. doi: 10.1055/s-0034-1382907. Epub 2014 Aug 4. PubMed
  22. 22.
    Kratz JM, Schuster D, Edtbauer M, Saxena P, Mair CE, Kirchebner J, Matuszczak B, Baburin I, Hering S, Rollinger JM. Experimentally validated HERG pharmacophore models as cardiotoxicity prediction tools.
    J Chem Inf Model. 2014 Oct 27;54(10):2887-901. doi: 10.1021/ci5001955. Epub 2014 Sep 18. PubMed
  23. 23.
    Grienke U, Mair CE, Saxena P, Baburin I, Scheel O, Ganzera M, Schuster D, Hering S, Rollinger JM. Human Ether-à-go-go Related Gene (hERG) Channel Blocking Aporphine Alkaloids from Lotus Leaves and Their Quantitative Analysis in Dietary Weight Loss Supplements.
    J Agric Food Chem. 2015 Jun 17;63(23):5634-9. doi: 10.1021/acs.jafc.5b01901. Epub 2015 Jun 9. PubMed
  24. 24.
    Bernaskova M, Schoeffmann A, Schuehly W, Hufner A, Baburin I, Hering S. Nitrogenated honokiol derivatives allosterically modulate GABAA receptors and act as strong partial agonists.
    Bioorg Med Chem. 2015 Oct 15;23(20):6757-62. doi: 10.1016/j.bmc.2015.08.034. Epub 2015 Aug 28. PubMed
  25. 25.
    Li J, Casteels T, Frogne T, Ingvorsen C, Honoré C, Courtney M, Huber KVM, Schmitner N, Kimmel RA, Romanov RA, Sturtzel C, Lardeau CH, Klughammer J, Farlik M, Sdelci S, Vieira A, Avolio F, Briand F, Baburin I, Májek P, Pauler FM, Penz T, Stukalov A, Gridling M, Parapatics K, Barbieux C, Berishvili E, Spittler A, Colinge J, Bennett KL, Hering S, Sulpice T, Bock C, Distel M, Harkany T, Meyer D, Superti-Furga G, Collombat P, Hecksher-Sørensen J, Kubicek S. Artemisinins Target GABAA Receptor Signaling and Impair α Cell Identity.
    Cell. 2017 Jan 12;168(1-2):86-100.e15. doi: 10.1016/j.cell.2016.11.010. Epub 2016 Dec 1. PubMed PMC
  26. 26.
    Saxena P, Hortigon-Vinagre MP, Beyl S, Baburin I, Andranovits S, Iqbal SM, Costa A, IJzerman AP, Kügler P, Timin E, Smith GL, Hering S. Correlation between human ether-a-go-go-related gene channel inhibition and action potential prolongation.
    Br J Pharmacol. 2017 Sep;174(18):3081-3093. doi: 10.1111/bph.13942. Epub 2017 Aug 11. PubMed PMC
  27. 27.
    Baburin I, Varkevisser R, Schramm A, Saxena P, Beyl S, Szkokan P, Linder T, Stary-Weinzinger A, van der Heyden MAG, Houtman M, Takanari H, Jonsson M, Beekman JHD, Hamburger M, Vos MA, Hering S. Dehydroevodiamine and hortiamine, alkaloids from the traditional Chinese herbal drug Evodia rutaecarpa, are IKr blockers with proarrhythmic effects in vitro and in vivo.
    Pharmacol Res. 2018 May;131:150-163. doi: 10.1016/j.phrs.2018.02.024. Epub 2018 Mar 15. PubMed
  28. 28.
    Baltov B, Beyl S, Baburin I, Reinhardt J, Szkokan P, Garifulina A, Timin E, Kraushaar U, Potterat O, Hamburger M, Kügler P, Hering S. Assay for evaluation of proarrhythmic effects of herbal products: Case study with 12 Evodia preparations.
    Toxicol Rep. 2023 Apr 26;10:589-599. doi: 10.1016/j.toxrep.2023.04.014. PubMed PMC

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