Research Projects

Microwave Synthesis of Imidazole Compounds to Investigate Cancer Resistance

The Smith Research Lab uses microwave synthesis to rapidly create libraries of compounds to target key proteins which lead to cancer resistance development. These protein targets are involved in maintaining cellular homeostasis; however are exploited by cancer cells to overcome treatment. Using target-based drug design the Smith lab has identified unique imidazole compounds as potential drug targets. These imidazoles have been docked with the target of interest and predicted to be allosteric binders of the protein p97 (as shown in the image to the right).

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Jacqueline Smith, Mayowa Osunsanya*, Ikechi Nwadike*, Brenda Belwood* Microwave-assisted Groebke-Blackburn-Bienayme’ (GBB) Synthesis of Imidazoles using Acyclic Amidines. Tetrahedron Letters 2022, 100, 153876.

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Theranostic Approaches to Drug Delivery and Evaluation to the Brain

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Example of Drug-Fluorophore Conjugate as Theranostic Tool

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Through a combination of synthesis and bioanalytical approaches, the Smith Research Lab, is developing fluorescence-based conjugates which can serve as therapeutic and diagnostic, i.e. Theranostic, tools for drug delivery. Many new methods of drug delivery have been developed however the methods used to evaluate these approaches are often cumbersome and expensive. The Smith Lab is focused on using natural fluorophores in high throughput assays to evaluate drug delivery to the brain. Previous work in theranostics involved synthesizing a conjugate with the NIR fluorophore, DCM and drug Combrestatin A through a disulfide linker (as shown in the image (theranostics.jpg) taken from Bioorg Med Chem 2016, 25 (7), 2226-22332016, 25 (7), 2226-2233). This compound was selectively cleaved with GSH to allow visualization and targeting of cancer cells (image shown to the right).