Research Interests
|
Department of Chemistry and
Biochemistry |
Our research interests involve the design, synthesis and
testing of compounds that can selectively target specific types of cells and
initiate cytotoxic events in those cells. One strategy that we are exploring
is to make compounds that can inflict a specific kind of DNA-damage in the
cells that are to be targeted for destruction and chemically prime the immune
system against those cells. Such compounds would have applications in the
treatment of diseases such as cancer and diabetes. We are also interested in the design of compounds that can
modulate the mechanism of cell-death in specific cells, and in compounds that
can interfere with bacterial communication. Some of the projects that we are currently working on
include: 1. Design
and synthesis of DNA-methylating compounds that can target insulin producing
pancreatic beta-cells and induce an immune response against those cells (in
collaboration with Dr.
Barry Gold, Director of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of
Pittsburgh). 2. Design
and synthesis of DNA-methylating compounds that can target breast cancer
cells and form exclusively cytotoxic, non-mutagenic DNA-adducts in those
cells. 3.
Development of a fluorescent assay to determine the DNA binding affinity of
various compounds that bind weakly to the minor-groove of DNA at
adenine/thymine-rich regions (in collaboration with Dr. Paulo Almeida,
Dept. of Chemistry and Biochemistry, UNCW). 4.
Development of computational methods for predicting the DNA-binding
properties of novel molecules designed and being synthesized in our
laboratory (in collaboration with Dr. Libero Bartolotti,
Director, Center for Applied Computational Studies, East Carolina
University). 5. Design
and synthesis of PARP-inhibitors that can modulate the mechanism of cell
death caused by the DNA-methylating compounds being prepared in our
laboratory. 6.
Synthesis of several novel bacterial signaling molecules that can potentially
interfere with bacterial communication. An important feature of this work is
that it offers a new approach to the treatment of microbial infections that
is different from existing approaches i.e. use of antibiotics (in
collaboration with Dr.
Jeffrey Wright - Carl B. Brown Distinguished Professor of Marine Science,
UNCW, and Dr. Everett
Pesci, East Carolina University) |