Carston R Wagner

Carston R Wagner is a Professor and Head of the Department of Medicinal Chemistry at the University of Minnesota, with extensive affiliations in the College of Pharmacy, Cellular Mechanisms of Cancer, Institute for Molecular Virology, and Center for Immunology. He has been a leading figure in medicinal chemistry research since 1986, contributing significantly to drug design, cancer immunotherapy, and antiviral therapies.

His research interests include:

• Medicinal Chemistry and Prodrug Design
• Nanotechnology-based Drug Delivery (especially Chemically Self-Assembled Nanorings)
• Immunotherapy and Immune Cell Targeting
• Antiviral ProTides for Zika and Dengue
• Molecular Imaging using 19F NMR
• HINT1 as a therapeutic target in pain and cancer

Analysis of his recent publications (2023–2025) reveals a strong focus on multivalent nanorings for targeted cancer therapy, immunogenic cell death, and non-opioid analgesia. His work integrates chemical biology, pharmaceutical sciences, and immunology to develop innovative therapeutic platforms. The use of fluorinated peptides and 19F NMR indicates a growing emphasis on real-time molecular tracking and diagnostics.

Scientific funding and recognition include:

• Principal Investigator on 13 major research grants
• Funding from NIH (NCI, NIGMS, NIAID), DoD, and Mayo Clinic
• Projects spanning cancer immunotherapy, antiviral development, and circulating tumor cell analysis

Dr. Wagner actively mentors students and researchers, as evidenced by co-authorship on numerous publications. He has led major projects such as the development of AI-designed mini-proteins for immune-mediated cancer eradication and anchimerically activatable ProTides for viral infections. His lab continues to pioneer novel chemical tools for precision medicine.

He leads a multidisciplinary research team focused on:

• Chemically Self-Assembled Nanorings (CSANs)
• ProTide Antiviral Prodrugs
• HINT1 Inhibitor Development
• 19F NMR for Cell-Based Imaging
• Efficient Capture of Circulating Tumor Cells