Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences Commons^™

Targeting Coenzyme A Biosynthesis For Antifungal Development., Jessica Regan

Theses and Dissertations (ETD)

An estimated 1.5 million people die each year from invasive fungal infections (IFIs) involving dissemination to the deeper organs via the bloodstream, with estimated healthcare costs of over $7 billion in the U.S. alone. Collectively, several Candida species account for more than 75% of disseminated fungal infections in the U.S., with attributable mortality rates ranging 35-75%. Unfortunately, the prospect of curing these infections is limited by the modest efficacy of the available antifungal drugs: the azoles, echinocandins, and amphotericin B. Approximately one-third of patients with disseminated Candida infections are non-responsive to treatment with the azoles, and favorable response rates are …

The Impact Of Candida Albicans Glycogen On Fitness, Virulence And Host Response, Jian Miao

Theses and Dissertations (ETD)

Candida albicans is an opportunistic human fungal pathogen that presents in healthy persons colonizing the oropharyngeal, esophageal, and gastrointestinal mucosa. This polymorphic fungal pathogen remains a leading cause of both invasive and superficial mycoses. C. albicans can cause oropharyngeal candidiasis (OPC) and disseminated candidiasis when normal host immunity is disturbed, while also causing vulvovaginal candidiasis (VVC) in healthy women. Adaptation to different host niches requires rapid and coordinated changes in Candida metabolism and physiology to cope with host immune surveillance and to counteract host-imposed constraints such as glucose limitation. Although largely unexplored in C. albicans, the glycogen metabolism pathway is …

Studies On The Leukocyte-Associated Ig-Like Inhibitory Receptor-1 Signaling Pathway In T Lymphocytes, Chidi Zacheaus

Theses and Dissertations (ETD)

Inflammation is a natural process in which the immune system concertedly responds to pathogens and abnormal cell growth to protect the host. For an efficient/effective immune response that circumvents tissue atrophy, a delicate balance between stimulatory and inhibitory mechanisms is essential for the proper functioning of the immune system. Immuno-receptor Tyrosine-based Inhibitory Motif (ITIM)-bearing receptors in immune cells, including T lymphocytes, play a major role in preventing autoimmune responses. Leukocyte-associated Ig-like Inhibitory Receptor 1 (LAIR-1) is one of ITIM-bearing receptors. The mechanism by which LAIR-1 attenuates T-cell response has yet to be completely understood. In this study, I investigated a …

Development Of Novel, Brain Permeable, Mpges-1 Inhibitors For Inflammatory Conditions, Madison Sluter

Theses and Dissertations (ETD)

Prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) is a potent proinflammatory lipid signaling molecule produced downstream of the cyclooxygenase (COX) cascade. The COX pathway has long been implicated for its role in inflammation, with drugs like aspirin and other non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) non-selectively targeting the upstream COX enzymes to suppress inflammation. However, despite displaying potent anti-inflammatory effects it has been demonstrated that when taken chronically, NSAIDs can cause gastrointestinal bleeding. COX-2 selective inhibitors (COXIBs) were then developed to combat the gastrointestinal bleeding induced by nonselective NSAIDs by specifically inhibiting the COX enzyme most infamous for its role in inflammation. Yet, soon after entering …

Pkpd-Model Based Preclinical Characterization Of The Activity Of Spectinamide 1599 Against Mycobacterial Subpopulations. And The Identification Of Potential Partners For Combination Therapy, Zaid Hanif Temrikar

Theses and Dissertations (ETD)

Tuberculosis is one of the top 10 causes of death worldwide and the leading cause of death from a single infectious agent prior to COVID19. Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) is the causative agent of TB. The interaction between Mtb and the immune system leads to development of diverse environmental niches and physiology within the lung of the TB patients. Mtb is thought to adapt and thrive in such an environment by transforming to different phenotypic variants. Such variants are difficult to kill and are thought to prolong TB pharmacotherapy. Spectinamide 1599 is a synthetic modification of spectinomycin that has demonstrated excellent …

Transmission Competence Of B. Burgdorferi Infected Ixodes Ticks And Development Of An Ospc-Based Lyme Disease Vaccine, Samanta Kamalika

Theses and Dissertations (ETD)

Introduction. Lyme disease, otherwise called Lyme borreliosis, is a vector-borne infectious disease caused by the spirochete Borrelia burgdorferi (Bb). Studying the increase in overall Lyme disease incidence requires understanding the role of the vector Ixodes scapularis (I. scapularis) as the agent that carries the spirochete which is important to limit the occurrence of Lyme disease. Once we understand the vector-pathogen response, it also becomes important to determine the remedies for Lyme disease. Lyme disease can be treated with antibiotics if detected early, but the major obstacle lies in the early detection process. Therefore, it is important to investigate alternative preventive …

Physiologically-Based Pharmacokinetic (Pbpk) Modeling For The Preclinical Development Of Spectinamide Antibiotics, Keyur R. Parmar

Theses and Dissertations (ETD)

Despite being an ancient disease caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) and after decades of research, tuberculosis (TB) still affects millions of people every year worldwide. In 2018, the World Health Organization (WHO) reported that 10 million people developed tuberculosis and 1.5 million died of the disease. With the increase in the multidrug-resistant (MDR) and extensively drug-resistant (XDR) cases, the treatment for TB with the standard first and second-line therapy is becoming increasingly difficult. Therefore, there is an urgent need to find new anti-TB drugs as combination partners of existing and experimental classes of antimicrobial agents to shorten and simplify the …

Computer-Aided Drug Discovery For Helicobacter Pylori, Nicole Ann Vita

Theses and Dissertations (ETD)

Helicobacter pylori is a high-priority drug-resistant pathogen and is currently the only bacteria considered to be a class I carcinogen and there is a critical need to identify novel chemical matter to treat H. pylori infections. Hp is responsible for greater than 60% of gastric cancer related deaths and 89% of all gastric cancer morbidities. In a previous study, our lab identified novel Hp thienopyrmidine inhibitors that target respiratory complex I, an essential enzyme in respiration. Respiratory complex I is a large asymmetric multidomain and membrane bound enzyme and due to these innate features, it is not practical for biophysical …

Host-Pathogen Interactions During Leptospirosis In Male C3h/Hej Mice, Advait Bhaskar Shetty

Theses and Dissertations (ETD)

Leptospirosis is a zoonotic disease transmitted from reservoir hosts like rodents to other animals and humans, who are incidental hosts. This infection is prevalent in the areas of Southeast Asia, Africa and South America. Inactivated Leptospira serovars vaccines are available in endemic areas but they have certain limitations such as serovar specificity and short-term protection. Antibiotics are effective treatment strategies useful at least during early stages of infection. Early diagnosis of Leptospirosis is difficult due to lack of accessible laboratory and point of care tests and due to clinical similarities with other diseases. Thus, it is important to understand host-Leptospira …

Targeting Myeloid Protein Kinase C Signaling To Overcome Immune Suppression And Improve Immunotherapy In Cancer, Mehdi Chaib

Theses and Dissertations (ETD)

Checkpoint immunotherapy unleashes T cell antitumor potential which has revolutionized cancer treatment showing unprecedented long-term responses. However, most patients do not respond to immunotherapy which often correlates with a dysfunctional or immunosuppressive myeloid compartment. Immunosuppressive myeloid cells comprise Myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) and tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) and can suppress T cells via production of immunosuppressive factors. Conversely, efficient cytotoxic T cell priming is dependent on the ability of antigen-presenting cells (APCs), mainly conventional dendritic cells (cDCs) and macrophages, to present or cross-present tumor antigens to T cells. Thus, targeting immunosuppressive myeloid cells while simultaneously enhancing APCs represents a promising strategy …

Targeting Protein Degradation To Uncover Novel Oncoprotein Drivers Of Acute Leukemia, Fatemeh Keramatnia

Theses and Dissertations (ETD)

Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL), the most common childhood cancer and the second most common acute leukemia in adults, arises from clonal expansion of undifferentiated lymphoid precursor cells in bone marrow. Despite the extensive knowledge on its cytogenetic and molecular biology, ALL treatment remains highly challenging especially after relapse. Conventional chemotherapy has shown significant improvement in overall survival rates of pediatric patients up to 90%, however, treatment failure due to ALL relapse occurs in 15-20% of the cases. On the other hand, adults and elderly patients with ALL are considered difficult to treat populations with the 5-year overall survival of 30–40%. …

Characterizing And Overcoming Resistance To Aminomethylspectinomycins In Gram-Negative Bacteria, Nisha Das

Theses and Dissertations (ETD)

Spectinomycin (SPC) is a broad-spectrum aminocyclitol antibiotic. Its use in agriculture has led to widespread resistance in enteric bacteria, necessitating the development of more effective analogs. Aminomethyl spectinomycins (amSPC) are modified spectinomycins with increased potency against many bacterial species. These species include Legionella pneumophila, which harbors a chromosomally encoded aminoglycoside modifying enzyme (AME). In this study, we follow up on this observation and examine the extent to which the amSPCs are substrates for AMEs through adenylation (ANTs) and phosphorylation (APH). APH(9)-Ia and ANT(3")(9) were expressed in E. coli BL21(DE3) and purified using the Ni-affinity chromatography. The ability of AMEs to …

Antibiotic Tolerance And Heteroresistance: Associated Fitness Costs And Potential In Evading Antibiotic Killing, Tina H. Dao

Theses and Dissertations (ETD)

Streptococcus pneumoniae is a prominent human pathogen that causes both invasive and non-invasive diseases, such as otitis media, pneumonia, meningitis, and bacteremia. Although it is frequently an asymptomatic colonizer of the human nasopharynx, S. pneumoniae is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in the immune compromised population, young children, and the elderly. Up until the 1970s, S. pneumoniae was susceptible to almost all antibiotics. Since then, this pathogen has gained resistance to a variety of antibiotic treatments, including beta-lactams, macrolides, and fluoroquinolones.

In the first chapter, we focused on fluoroquinolone resistance in S. pneumoniae. Fluoroquinolones are one of the …

Combating Hiv-1 By Targeting Drug Efflux Transporters On The Macrophage Reservoir, Ying Mu

Theses and Dissertations (ETD)

Introduction. HIV-1 eradication has not been achieved so far due to the existence of the cellular reservoir in which the virus can reside and replicate even under antiretroviral drug therapy (ART). Infected macrophages, which represent a long-term viral reservoir have been shown to lead to viral rebound independently. In response to the environmental stimuli, macrophages can be polarized into different phenotypes: the pro-inflammatory M1 and the anti-inflammatory M2. Tobacco smoking and alcohol drinking, which are prevalent among people who are living with HIV-1, have been shown to promote HIV-1 progression and decrease the efficacy of antiretroviral drugs. A commonly …

Muc13 Enhances Colorectal Cancer Metastasis, Kyle Doxtater

Theses and Dissertations (ETD)

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the most prevalent cancer worldwide with a 5% lifetime incidence in developed countries. It is third most common cause of cancer related death in the United States and the second deadliest when men and women are combined. Encouragingly due to changes in dietary lifestyle, screening colonoscopy, and advancement in treatments the mortality has decreased in recent years. Most sporadic CRCs develop from polyploid adenomas and are preceded by intramucosal carcinomas (stage 0), which can progress into more malignant forms. This developmental process is known as the adenoma-carcinoma sequence. Early detection and endoscopic removal are …

Genetic Mechanisms Of Transcriptional Regulation In Childhood Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia, Xujie Zhao

Theses and Dissertations (ETD)

Introduction. Advances in genomic profiling and sequencing studies have identified germline and somatic variations that are associated with childhood ALL, improving our understanding of the genetic basis of childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). Recent genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have identified germline genetic variations of ARID5B and, more recently, IGF2BP1 that are associated with susceptibility to ALL. Genome-wide sequencing studies also discovered a new ALL subtype characterized of ZNF384-mediated chromosomal translocations, providing new insights into genetic heterogeneity in childhood ALL. However, the underlying mechanism by which these genetic variants contribute to the transcriptional regulatory circuitries of ALL is still poorly understood. …

Veru-111 As An Oral Tubulin Inhibitor Suppressing Triple-Negative Breast Cancer And Evaluation Of Novel Tubulin Inhibitors For Cancer Therapy, Shanshan Deng

Theses and Dissertations (ETD)

Triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) has aggressive clinical features strongly associated with poorer overall prognosis and higher mortality rates relative to other molecular subtypes. FDA-approved drugs, such as paclitaxel, are effective in treating TNBC. Yet, treatment failure is commonly observed due to the development of acquired chemoresistance, which remains a clinical challenge for TNBC therapy.

Vitamin D Levels Affect Survival In A Bcr-Abl Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia Mouse Model But Do Not Cause Vitamin-Drug Interactions, Kavya Annu

Theses and Dissertations (ETD)

It is a well-established phenomenon that dietary components containing CYP3A inducers or inhibitors if co-administered with drugs that are CYP3A4 substrates lead to marked drug-drug interactions. Because vitamin D is known to regulate intestinal CYP3A expression and gut CYP3A expression plays an important role in pre-systemic metabolism of CYP3A drugs, we determined the impact of vitamin D (VD3) status on systemic exposure and efficacy of chemotherapeutic agents that are CYP3A substrates. We employed VD3 sufficient and deficient mice to perform pharmacokinetics (PK) and anti-leukemic efficacy studies.

First, using hCYP3A4 transgenic mouse model we evaluated the intestinal, hepatic and renal expression …

Model-Based Dose-Exposure-Response Assessment For Lead And Backup Spectinamide In A Mouse Model Of Tuberculosis, Santosh Janardan Wagh

Theses and Dissertations (ETD)

Despite decades of research, tuberculosis remains the oldest pathogen-based disease that is the leading cause of death from a single infectious agent. Among many anti-tubercular therapies under investigation, the semisynthetic compounds spectinamides are a promising novel class of anti-tuberculosis agents. One such lead candidate, spectinamide 1810, and backup spectinamide 1599 have demonstrated excellent efficacy, safety, and drug-like properties in various in vitro and in vivo assessments. The dose-ranging and dose fractionation studies were designed to characterize the dose-exposure-response relationship for lead and backup spectinamide in a mouse model of Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection. In this current study, we used 26 and …

Validation And Application Of A Novel Target-Based Whole-Cell Screen To Identify Antifungal Compounds, Christian Alexander Dejarnette

Theses and Dissertations (ETD)

Traditional approaches to drug discovery are inefficient and have several key limitations that constrain our capacity to rapidly identify and develop novel experimental therapeutics. To address this, we have devised a second-generation target-based whole-cell screening assay based on the principles of competitive fitness, which can rapidly identify target-specific and physiologically-active compounds. Briefly, strains expressing high, intermediate, and low levels of a preselected target protein were constructed, tagged with spectrally distinct fluorescent proteins (FPs), and mixed together. The pooled strains were then grown in the presence of various small molecules, and the relative growth of each strain within the mixed culture …

Characterization Of Novel Cb2 Agonist Smm-295 And Its Effects In Ischemia/Reperfusion Injury, Jeffrey D. Pressly

Theses and Dissertations (ETD)

Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a major problem clinically affecting up to two-thirds of intensive care unit patients, and results in increased hospitalization time, the risk of developing chronic kidney disease, and mortality. Hallmarks of AKI include tubular cell death and a decrease in renal perfusion which leads to decreases in renal function following injury. For 20 years the pathophysiology of AKI has been well established. However, therapies for AKI have shown minimal to no success clinically. The work here describes our efforts to further categorize the effects of CB2 activation, a possible novel therapeutic target in AKI.

There is …

Development And Characterization Of Selective Cb2r Inverse Agonists As A Novel Anti-Inflammatory Therapy For Neuroinflammation – Mechanisms Of Action In Murine And Human Microglia Models Provide Valuable Insights Into Their Therapeutic Potential, Sahar Saleh Alghamdi

Theses and Dissertations (ETD)

Introduction: Recently, research has revealed the presence of cannabinoid receptor 2 (CB2R) in the central nervous system (CNS); since then, the receptor has emerged as a promising therapeutic target for treating multiple neurodegenerative diseases (NDD) such as Alzheimer’s (AD), Parkinson’s (PD), Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and Multiple Sclerosis (MS). The restricted and upregulated expression of CB2R in activated microglia and lack of psychotropic activity make this receptor an attractive target for discovering novel therapy to treat neuroinflammatory diseases for which there is currently no curative treatment. Methodology: A library of compounds were synthesized and evaluated in ACTOne and TANGO-bla functional …

Novel Paclitaxel Nanoparticles For Enhanced Therapeutic Effects In Breast Cancer, Pallabita Chowdhury

Theses and Dissertations (ETD)

Drug delivery to triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) remains a formidable challenge. Given the lack of expressions of estrogen (ER), progesterone (PR) and human epidermal growth factor receptor (HER2), there is no specific prognostic marker for targeting this aggressive cancer. In spite of rapid advancement in breast cancer with agents such as Trastuzumab in HER2 positive, chemotherapy with cytotoxic agents remains the mainstay treatment for TNBC. Although these cytotoxic agents are potent in managing the tumor progression, yet they pose adverse effects on healthy tissues. Paclitaxel (PTX) has been used as a gold standard chemotherapeutic agent for breast, ovarian, pancreatic …

Muc13 Modulated Nanomechanical And Biophysical Responses In Pancreatic Cancer Cells, Andrew E. Massey

Theses and Dissertations (ETD)

Pancreatic adenocarcinoma is one of the deadliest forms of cancer. Even with recent advances in diagnostic tools, chemotherapeutic regimens, and biomarkers for earlier detection, it still has dismal survival rates. Part of the reason for this is the inherent difficulty in detecting and treating this disease. Recent findings suggest that the altered expression of mucins, including MUC13, may be useful molecular signatures for early disease diagnosis, chemotherapy response and predicting patient survival. MUC13, a recently identified transmembrane glycoprotein, is normally associated with forming a protective barrier on epithelial tissues. However, its overexpression/aberrant subcellular localization has been associated with cancer, disease …

A Novel Elvitegravir Nanoformulation For Drug Delivery Across The Blood-Brain Barrier To Suppress Hiv-1 In Macrophages And Microglia, Yuqing Gong

Theses and Dissertations (ETD)

Over the last two decades, the use of antiretroviral therapy (ART) has remarkably decreased the morbidity associated with HIV-1 infection. However, the prevalence of HIV-1-associated neurocognitive disorders (HAND) is still increasing. The appearance and persistence of HAND are partially due to the entry of HIV-1-infected monocytes into the brain. Within the central nervous system (CNS), HIV-1-infected macrophages and microglia serve as the major viral reservoirs and provide active viral replication even when systemic viral suppression has been achieved by ART. Efficient viral suppression of CNS macrophages and microglia is important for an effective HIV-1 treatment in the brain. The primary …

Tobacco/Hiv-1-Induced Myeloid Cell-Derived Extracellular Vesicles In Hiv-1 Pathogenesis, Sanjana Haque

Theses and Dissertations (ETD)

Introduction. Smoking, which is highly prevalent in people living with HIV/AIDS, has been shown to exacerbate HIV-1 replication, in part via cytochrome P450 (CYP)-induced oxidative stress. CYP enzymes metabolize cigarette smoke condensate (CSC), causing oxidative stress and cytotoxicity. Our previous studies have demonstrated that CSC and specific CSC constituents, benzo(a)pyrene and nicotine, potentially induce CYPs, resulting in higher oxidative stress and subsequent exacerbation of HIV-1 replication in monocytes and macrophages. However, the exact mechanism behind tobacco-induced, oxidative stress-mediated enhancement of HIV-1 replication is still poorly understood. Extracellular vesicles (EVs) have recently gained attention for their unique nature as intercellular messengers …

The Discovery And Development Of Thienopyrimidines As Inhibitors Of Helicobacter Pylori, Alex Kagabo Mugengana

Theses and Dissertations (ETD)

The rate of successful treatment for Helicobacter pylori infections, with the clarithromycin triple therapy, is only 75%. The triple therapy, which consists of a proton pump inhibitor and two broad-spectrum antibiotics such as clarithromycin and amoxicillin, is becoming less effective due to the rise of strains with resistance against these antibiotics. In the search for narrow spectrum drugs for the treatment of H. pylori infections, a high-throughput screen was performed to identify selective compounds against H. pylori. This screen revealed two selective and structurally related thienopyrimidines. Structure-activity relationship of the thienopyrimidines against H. pylori was examined through the synthesis of …

An Update On Pharmaceutical Strategies For Oral Delivery Of Therapeutic Peptides And Proteins, Nirnoy Dan

Theses and Dissertations (ETD)

Peptides and proteins are imperative for the human body and play crucial roles in governing various bio-chemical processes. Recent advances in molecular biology and biochemistry helped in understanding the role of these endogenous macromolecules in different pathological and disease conditions. Currently, small molecule drugs (< 900dalton) in comparison to the therapeutic peptides and proteins-based drugs (TPP) dominate pharmaceutical market. However, the game is changing with the recent advances of biotechnological tools like recombinant DNA technology, solid phase protein synthesis etc., which enabled large-scale production of therapeutic peptides and proteins. The Success of Human Insulin, the first FDA approved commercial recombinant protein based therapeutic in 1982, revolutionized the field of TPPs. The number of FDA approved TPPs reached about to ~239 in 2017 compared to where it was only ~130 in 2008. Rapid progress in this sector can be attributed to several advantages of proteins and peptides over small molecule drugs both financially and clinically. From a clinical perspective, proteins and peptides are inherently more specific to the target site than the small molecules drugs, which lead to less interferences with normal biological system of the patient and caused minimal off-target side effects. A handful of proteins which are used for different clinical complications are less immunogenic because they are produced in the body naturally. Furthermore, proteins and peptides also take part in several complex and complicated biological processes, which is difficult to be to be mimicked by the small molecule drugs. From a financial standpoint, median total pre-market development times were shorter for biologics (10.6 years) than the small molecules drugs (12.6 years) estimated using Merck Index. In 2009, US Congress passed the Biologics Price Competition and Innovation Act (BPCIA) which gave new biologics 12 years of guaranteed exclusivity. The most commonly utilized routes for administering TPPs are I.V, I.P or I.M injections, which largely suffer from patient compliances. There are ~350 TPPs under clinical development and among them only 2 are given orally which is Interferon-α and Human growth hormone. Currently, most efforts in both industry and academia are centered around enhancing bioavailability of orally administered TPPs which typically are less than 1%. Oral administration is the non-invasive, most preferred route of drug administration for the patients. Furthermore, oral dosage forms are cheaper to manufacture as well as to administer, because they do not need to be produced under sterile conditions or administered in clinics. However, unfavorable physicochemical characteristics of TPPs like high molecular weight, hydrophilicity, poor stability in the physiological conditions, short biological half-life, low permeability through the epithelial barrier in the small intestine put up a massive barrier in the development of orally available dosage forms of TPPs. In this review, we will discuss the challenges associated with oral delivery of TPPs and the ongoing efforts to solve them.

Investigation Of Narrow Spectrum Targets In Antibacterial Drug Discovery, Jesse Jones

Theses and Dissertations (ETD)

Background: Significant concerns are associated with the use of broad-spectrum antibacterial agents, including collateral eradication of beneficial bacteria from the human microbiome, the onset of antibacterial-associated infections, and continued emergence of antibacterial drug resistance. As such, a critical need for novel and selective antibacterial targets exists. The investigation of two such targets, each pertaining to the highly concerning infections caused by streptococcal species and Clostridioides difficile, are presented herein. Bacterial topoisomerase I represents a potentially promising narrow-spectrum target as studies have arisen demonstrating its essentiality in bacterial species lacking the only other type IA topoisomerase (topoisomerase III). Additionally, recent studies …

Identification Of Novel Cyp2e1 Inhibitor To Investigate Cellular And Exosomal Cyp2e1-Mediated Toxicity, Mohammad Arifur Rahman

Theses and Dissertations (ETD)

Cytochrome P450 2E1 (CYP2E1)-mediated hepatic and extra-hepatic toxicity is of significant clinical importance. Diallyl sulfide (DAS) has been shown to prevent xenobiotics such as alcohol- (ALC/ETH), acetaminophen- (APAP) induced toxicity and disease (e.g. HIV-1) pathogenesis. DAS imparts its beneficial effect by inhibiting CYP2E1-mediated metabolism of xenobiotics, especially at high concentration. However, DAS also causes toxicity at relatively high dosages and with long exposure times. The objective of the first project was to find potent DAS analogs which can replace DAS as a research tool or as potential adjuvant therapy in CYP2E1-mediated pathologies.