Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Life Sciences Commons

Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Articles 1 - 4 of 4

Full-Text Articles in Life Sciences

Synthesis Of Kurasoin B Analogs, J. R. Nielson, Michael A. Christiansen, M. B. Andrus Apr 2009

Synthesis Of Kurasoin B Analogs, J. R. Nielson, Michael A. Christiansen, M. B. Andrus

Chemistry and Biochemistry Faculty Presentations

Kurasoin B (1), isolated in 1996 by Uchida et al, selectively inhibits Farnesyltransferase (FTase), an enzyme responsible for activating human RAS proteins (ref. 1). When RAS proteins are mutated and then activated, they contribute 20 to 30 percent of all human tumors, including those of the pancreas, colon, small intestine, lung, prostate, liver, skin, and thyroid, as well as multiple myeloma and a number of leukemias (ref. 2). Kurasoin B, therefore, has great potential as a cancer drug lead.


Phase-Transfer Catalyzed Synthesis Of The Soy Isoflavanoid S-Equol, A. W. Butler, A. L. Calvert, Michael A. Christiansen, M. B. Andrus Apr 2009

Phase-Transfer Catalyzed Synthesis Of The Soy Isoflavanoid S-Equol, A. W. Butler, A. L. Calvert, Michael A. Christiansen, M. B. Andrus

Chemistry and Biochemistry Faculty Presentations

S-Equol is an isoflavanoid metabolized from the isoflavone daidzein by intestinal bacteria. Only 30-50 percent of all individuals possess bacteria that produce S-Equol. Recent data supports the compound’s pharmaceutical potential for treating prostate cancer and post-menopausal estrogen deficiency (ref. 1). Because the compound is only minutely available from natural sources, an affordable asymmetric total synthesis would be necessary to generate sufficient quantities for expanded research. Only one asymmetric total synthesis of S-Equol has been reported to date, using a chiral auxiliary to give product in a 10 percent yield over 6 steps (ref. 2). It is our goal to develop …


Synthesis Of 12-Hete Using Asymmetric Phase-Transfer Catalysis, Michael A. Christiansen, M. B. Andrus Jan 2009

Synthesis Of 12-Hete Using Asymmetric Phase-Transfer Catalysis, Michael A. Christiansen, M. B. Andrus

Chemistry and Biochemistry Faculty Presentations

A new method of asymmetric phase-transfer-catalyzed alkylation is described. The synthetic utility of this method is demonstrated with the total syntheses of kurasoin A, kurasoin B, and S-naproxenTM, with current work toward S-equol. This methodology is currently being applied to an improved asymmetric total synthesis of the natural compound 12-S-HETE.


Phase-Transfer Catalyzed Asymmetric Synthesis Of S-Naproxen, M. A. Binkley, Michael A. Christiansen, K. H. Harper, M. B. Andrus Jan 2009

Phase-Transfer Catalyzed Asymmetric Synthesis Of S-Naproxen, M. A. Binkley, Michael A. Christiansen, K. H. Harper, M. B. Andrus

Chemistry and Biochemistry Faculty Presentations

This presentation explores a modified approach to Kurasoin B.