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Oncologic

Latest Innovations
Compounds That Selectively Induce Cancerous Cell Death in the G1 Phase of the Cell Cycle Malignant melanoma is a cancer that is refractory to current chemotherapeutic treatments. The average survival time for patients is 6 months. This coupled with the... Read More Malignant melanoma is a cancer that is refractory to current chemotherapeutic treatments. The average survival time for patients is 6 months. This coupled with the alarming rise in incidence of melanoma (46,170 cases of in situ melanoma are expected to be newly diagnosed in 2005) warrants research into novel means to treat melanoma. Through the synthesis of a combinatorial library of potential proapoptotic agents, a novel class of small molecules (triphenylmethylamides, TPMAs) have been identified that are effective agents in killing melanoma cells, as well as other cancer cells. The majority of anticancer drugs operate through induction of cell cycle arrest and cell death in either the DNA synthesis (S) or mitosis (M) phase of the cell cycle. In contrast, these TPMAs, act in the G1 phase of the cell cycle. Many of the TPMAs are quite potent inducers of apoptotic death in melanoma cell lines (IC50 of 0.5 ?M), and importantly, some TPMAs are comparatively nontoxic to normal cells isolated from the bone marrow of healthy donors. Furthermore, the TPMAs dramatically reduce the level of active nuclear factor ?-B (NF?B) in the cell; NF?B is known to be constitutively active in melanoma, and this activity is critical for the proliferation of melanoma cells and their evasion of apoptosis. With regard to status of development, multiple generations of compounds have been tested and have shown efficacy with primary melanocytes, while these same compounds have shown to be largely non-toxic in initial rodent studies assessing changes in body weight and death. In addition, the National Cancer Institute?s 60-cell line screen has demonstrated activity of the compounds against a broad range of cancer types. Additional detailed information about this technology can be found in the recently published article: Synthesis and Identification of Small Molecules that Potently Induce Apoptosis in Melanoma Cells through G1 Cell Cycle Arrest (JACS 2005, 127, 8686-8696) Applications Chemotherapeutic treatment of Melanoma Chemotherapeutic treatment against other cancers, such as breast, colon, non-small cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC), etc. As a research reagent that arrests cells in G1. Benefits Potent death inducers in melanoma cell lines with potencies in the 0.5 - 1.0 M range Markedly less (8-12-fold) toxicity to the non-cancerous human bone marrow cells National Cancer Institute's 60-cell line screen demonstrated the compounds are quite active against a broad spectrum of cancers and confirmed the IC50 value of 600 nM against the UACC-62 melanoma cell line Initial animal testing suggests that mice can tolerate concentrations as high as 200 mg/kg Efficacy and water solubility are being increased as additional chemical modifications are made with later generation compounds
Complex and Diverse Compounds from Abietic Acid Dr. Paul Hergenrother from the University of Illinois has created a diverse compound screening library from the synthetic scaffold abietic acid. Abietic acid... Read More Dr. Paul Hergenrother from the University of Illinois has created a diverse compound screening library from the synthetic scaffold abietic acid. Abietic acid is an abundant and widely available compound. Through manipulation of the ring system, the Hergenrother lab has constructed more than 91 novel and diverse compounds to be used in a high throughput drug screen. Dr. Hergenrother has received numerous honors for his achievements in chemistry and cancer research. The Hergenrother laboratory seeks to use small molecules to identify and validate novel targets for the treatment of intractable diseases, including cancer, degenerative disorders, and multi-drug resistant bacteria.
New Drugs for Malarial and Bacterial Infections New anti-infectives are required now more than ever as resistance to existing drugs increases in prevalence. Enzymes unique to bacteria or parasites are potential... Read More New anti-infectives are required now more than ever as resistance to existing drugs increases in prevalence. Enzymes unique to bacteria or parasites are potential drug targets with minimal side effects because they are not present in humans. One such source of potential drug targets is the isoprenoid biosynthesis pathway. Many pathogenic bacteria and malaria parasites use isoprenoids in their cell walls, to protect against the human immune system, and for other functions. This pathway is not present in humans and thus is an excellent target for new anti-infective drugs. Scientists from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaigns Departments of Chemistry and Biophysics have identified a class of novel chemical entities that are capable of inhibiting two key enzymes, GcpE and LytB, in the isoprenoid biosynthesis pathway. These compounds are able to inhibit the isoprenoid biosynthetic pathway at concentrations far lower than any other known inhibitors and have the potential to treat a wide-range of infectious disease caused by both bacteria and malarial parasites. In addition, it may be possible to use these compounds for the treatment of cancers, via immune system activation. Details This invention includes a class of novel chemical entities composed of similar geometries and bonds. They inhibit through a unique organometallicinteraction that has not been previously described. Applications Currently, the compounds are being evaluated for their ability to act as: Broad spectrum anti-infectives Cytotoxic cancer drugs Other compounds produced using similar chemistry may have a wide range of medical applications Benefits Novel Mechanism: These compounds act on the isoprenoid pathway using a chemical interaction that has not been previously described. Continued work on these compounds is designed to identify new applications of this interaction, beyond anti-infectives.
Microfluidic Chromatin Immunoprecipitation Device for Epigenomic Analysis Researchers from the University of Illinois have created a process for the epigenomic analysis of single cells. This process combines the uses of single cell... Read More Researchers from the University of Illinois have created a process for the epigenomic analysis of single cells. This process combines the uses of single cell microfluidics and chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) for the analysis of DNA modifications in single cells.This technology has the potential to greatly decrease the number of cells needed from a biopsy to test for different cancers. It may also allow the study of traveling cell cancers that are only present in very small almost undetectable quantities.
Computed Pathology: Stain-Free Computational Imaging Researchers from the University of Illinois have developed a method of stain-free chemical imaging to highlight the morphology and molecular content of biological... Read More Researchers from the University of Illinois have developed a method of stain-free chemical imaging to highlight the morphology and molecular content of biological samples without the use of any stains or dyes. The tissue is computationally recreated as if it were stained and imaged in diagnosis of biological samples. This method improves the cost and efficiency by avoiding expense and lessening the time required to complete multiple stains. Also, it improves the overall consistency of the staining process.
Highly Accelerated Image Reconstruction in Medical Imaging Researchers from the University of Illinois have developed a state of the art method that can reconstruct images in better quality, in less time, with fewer scans... Read More Researchers from the University of Illinois have developed a state of the art method that can reconstruct images in better quality, in less time, with fewer scans. They leveraged sparse characteristic of the image data and produced a two step algorithm that learns the patches of the image from the data and subsequently decreases elements in each patch.
Improved Magnetic Resonance Elastography Researchers at the University of Illinois have developed sequences that control the process of magnetic resonance elastography (MRE) data acquisition. ... Read More Researchers at the University of Illinois have developed sequences that control the process of magnetic resonance elastography (MRE) data acquisition. Capturing MRE data using single shot, echo planar imaging can quickly and non-invasively measure the stiffness of tissue. The subsequent image processing steps do not require off line computing, which improves the convenience of MRE in a clinical setting.
Bioresorbable Silicon Electronics for Neural Sensing Dr. John Rogers from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign has developed bioresorbable silicon electronics that can be used for real-time sensing of neural... Read More Dr. John Rogers from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign has developed bioresorbable silicon electronics that can be used for real-time sensing of neural electrical activity. This invention could prevent follow-up neural surgeries, and has potentials for long-term monitoring of patients. 2015-158 Photo for Web.png
Quantum Dots with Thin Coatings that Allow for Efficient Bioconjugation Dr. Andrew Smith from the University of Illinois has developed new quantum dots with a multidentate polymer coating that minimizes size while maintaining stability and... Read More Dr. Andrew Smith from the University of Illinois has developed new quantum dots with a multidentate polymer coating that minimizes size while maintaining stability and improving efficiency of conjugation. Quantum dots are promising agents for cellular and molecular imaging, but their bulky organic coatings have limited their use in cells. Dr. Smith's quantum dots are small, stable, and can be conjugated to targeting molecules and purified easily.
Algorithm Modified Deoxynybomycin for the Treatment of Gram-Negative Bacteria Dr. Hergenrother from the University of IL has developed a novel antibiotic that is effective against certain antibiotic-resistant gram-negative bacteria. His powerful... Read More Dr. Hergenrother from the University of IL has developed a novel antibiotic that is effective against certain antibiotic-resistant gram-negative bacteria. His powerful predictive algorithm determines accumulation of molecules in Gram-negative bacteria and enables conversion of known Gram-positive only antibiotics into novel compounds with Gram-negative potency.

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