Life Sciences Commons^™

Discovery And Metabolic Engineering Of Steroid Alkaloid Biosynthetic Genes From (Veratrum Californicum), Megan M. Augustin

Theses

The steroid alkaloid cyclopamine has shown much promise as a treatment for cancers in which aberrant hedgehog signaling plays a role. The compound, originally discovered due to its teratogenic effects in sheep, binds to the hedgehog signaling receptor Smoothend and prevents downstream activation. As this pathway is primarily active during embryonic development, overactivation later in life can lead to tumor formation and proliferation. Several studies have shown that cyclopamine can inhibit and even reverse tumor growth, but limited supply will prevent widespread use upon FDA approval of it or any of its semi-synthetic analogs. As high value plant medicinal compounds …