Abstract Title
Preparation of Anticancer Analogs that Target Metastatic Breast Cancer
Abstract
The American Cancer Society estimates over 200,000 new cases of invasive breast cancer will be diagnosed in the United States this year. Of these, approximately 40,000 are expected to result in death. While the primary tumors in the breast are typically removable by surgery, the detachment, migration, and metastasis of the cancerous cells to vital organs often lead to mortality. Inhibiting the proteins that drive the metastasis of tumors is crucial to stopping lethal cancer progression. Inflammatory cytokines are a class of proteins that result in increased levels of metastatic breast cancer due to their roles in increasing cell detachment, migration, and invasion. This research project aims to synthesize a variety of small molecule inhibitors that are effective against these cytokines. Using a Knoevenagel reaction with substituted aldehydes, and then a Hantzsch thiazole synthesis, a small library of inhibitors is generated such that the electronic and steric properties can be explored. The preparation of the inhibitors and preliminary biological assays will be reported. These studies may result in novel therapeutics targeted against inflammatory cytokines in metastatic breast cancer.
Preparation of Anticancer Analogs that Target Metastatic Breast Cancer
The American Cancer Society estimates over 200,000 new cases of invasive breast cancer will be diagnosed in the United States this year. Of these, approximately 40,000 are expected to result in death. While the primary tumors in the breast are typically removable by surgery, the detachment, migration, and metastasis of the cancerous cells to vital organs often lead to mortality. Inhibiting the proteins that drive the metastasis of tumors is crucial to stopping lethal cancer progression. Inflammatory cytokines are a class of proteins that result in increased levels of metastatic breast cancer due to their roles in increasing cell detachment, migration, and invasion. This research project aims to synthesize a variety of small molecule inhibitors that are effective against these cytokines. Using a Knoevenagel reaction with substituted aldehydes, and then a Hantzsch thiazole synthesis, a small library of inhibitors is generated such that the electronic and steric properties can be explored. The preparation of the inhibitors and preliminary biological assays will be reported. These studies may result in novel therapeutics targeted against inflammatory cytokines in metastatic breast cancer.