A Thought Leader Interview with Professor Morten Meldal
Nobel Laureate in Chemistry 2022 | University of Copenhagen
Nobel Laureate in Chemistry 2022 | University of Copenhagen
Professor Morten Meldal shared insights into how click chemistry is redefining therapeutic innovation. Professor Meldal, Professor of Chemistry at the University of Copenhagen and Head of the Center for Evolutionary Chemical Biology, was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 2022 for his pioneering contributions to click chemistry.
Click Chemistry and Targeted Cancer Therapy
Click chemistry has transformed chemical biology by enabling precise, efficient molecular assembly. One of its most impactful applications lies in targeted cancer therapeutics.
Professor Meldal explains that click reactions can be designed to activate specifically within the tumor microenvironment. A molecule first recognizes and binds to characteristics unique to tumor tissue. Once bound, a click reaction triggers the localized release of a cytotoxic agent directly inside the tumor. This approach improves treatment efficiency while reducing systemic side effects — a longstanding challenge in oncology.
Although widespread clinical adoption takes time, the conceptual breakthrough is already influencing drug development globally. Click chemistry enables the combination of multiple functions — targeting, transport, and activation — into a single multifunctional molecule. Such integration significantly enhances therapeutic selectivity.
Expanding Beyond Traditional Drug Models
Conventional drugs primarily function by inhibiting enzymes or blocking specific biological pathways. Professor Meldal highlights the potential for a new generation of catalytic therapeutics — drugs that function as enzymes themselves.
Catalytic systems could selectively degrade disease-related proteins with minimal dosing requirements. When paired with targeted delivery mechanisms, these systems may dramatically improve treatment precision in complex diseases such as cancer and neurodegeneration.
He also points to advancements involving the ubiquitin–proteasome system, including PROTAC technologies. These approaches utilize the body’s intrinsic protein degradation machinery to selectively remove harmful proteins, offering a powerful method to control disease-driving pathways.
Applications in Regenerative Medicine
Beyond oncology, click chemistry is advancing biomaterials and regenerative medicine. Injectable gel systems formed through in vivo click reactions can assemble directly inside the body. These gels enable slow, controlled drug release or provide structural support for tissue regeneration.
Such systems are being explored in wound healing, neural repair, bone regeneration, and skin reconstruction. By mimicking biological condensates, these materials provide controlled microenvironments that enhance therapeutic outcomes.
Toward Programmable Molecular Systems
Professor Meldal emphasizes that the future of medicine lies in multifunctional molecular systems capable of sensing, responding, and acting within specific disease contexts.
Selectivity remains the core principle of effective treatment — whether at the level of tissue targeting, cellular recognition, transport mechanisms, or intracellular action. Click chemistry provides the modular framework necessary to integrate these elements into unified molecular architectures.
In diseases such as cancer, where escape pathways often undermine single-target treatments, multi-target strategies enabled by click chemistry may prove essential.
Translational Challenges
Despite promising advances, clinical translation requires significant time, investment, and collaboration. Professor Meldal notes that partnerships between universities, startups, and pharmaceutical companies are critical. Conceptual innovation often originates in academia, while industrial partners provide the scale and resources necessary for clinical development.
He also underscores the importance of sustained support for fundamental research, which lays the groundwork for future therapeutic breakthroughs.
Looking Ahead
Over the next decade, research is expected to move toward a more holistic understanding of cellular systems — including protein hubs, signaling pathways, and biomolecular condensates. As additional click reactions are developed and refined, increasingly complex and programmable therapeutic architectures will become feasible.
Ultimately, Professor Meldal envisions a pharmaceutical landscape in which biological systems are guided — rather than overridden — to restore health. By harnessing the body’s own mechanisms for regulation and degradation, programmable therapeutics may offer safer and more effective treatments for chronic diseases.
