News & Events

When

Date - February 22, 2019
1:00 pm - 2:00 pm

What

Professor of Pharmacology
Greehey Distinguished Chair in Targeted Molecular Therapeutics
University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio
Talk Title: Natural Products Drug Discovery: Addressing Unmet Medical Needs in Cancer

Abstract:

Natural products remain an unmatched source for new drug leads and there remain significant unmet medical needs in cancer. My laboratory evaluates diverse natural product extracts from plants from the NCI collection and fungi from Dr Robert Cichewicz’ laboratory as well as pure compounds from collaborators across the globe to identify new lead compounds for subtypes of triple negative breast cancer and childhood sarcomas. Using phenotypic mechanism-blind screens of complex extracts we identify initial hits that have selective cytotoxic effects in cell lines representing these types of cancer.  We then use strict bioassay-guided fractionation to isolate the active compound(s) with selective effects. The biological mechanisms of action are evaluated in the pure compounds to potentially uncover new therapeutic targets for these challenging cancers. This seminar will present recent progress in the discovery of compounds with selective effects in subtypes of triple negative breast cancer and Ewing’s sarcoma including elucidation their mechanisms of action. Additionally, our use of medicinal chemistry assistance to improve on initial natural product lead compounds will be discussed.