Medicinal-Pharmaceutical Chemistry Commons^™

Analysis Of Botulinum Toxin A And Interacting Proteins In Skeletal Muscle Cells: An Investigation Into The Mechanisms Of Botulinum Toxin A As A Treatment For Chronic Exertional Compartment Syndrome, Lauren Kee

Pence-Boyce STEM Student Scholarship

Background: Chronic exertional compartment syndrome (CECS) is a condition in which muscle tissue expands against the surrounding fascia during activity and is compressed along with the nerves and blood vessels within the muscle compartment, leading to abnormally high intracompartmental pressure (ICP) and debilitating pain. Treatment typically includes fasciotomy, which results in significant levels of CECS recurrence; however, botulinum toxin A (BoNT-A) injection has recently been seen to decrease both ICP and pain through an unknown mechanism with little to no recurrence.

Methods: In this study, cyclooxygenase-1 (COX-1), cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), prostaglandin E₂ receptor 4 (EP4), endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS), …

Computational Chemistry - Ulk 101, Michaela Montpas

Scholar Week 2016 - present

Autophagy is a process that generates the necessary building components for cells by cytoplasmic breakdown of unnecessary materials (Martin, Celano, Solitro, Gunaydin, Scott, et. al., 2018). This is a survival technique for cells in times of stress, especially during periods of nutrient starvation. Cancer cells, unfortunately, benefit from this process due to their ability to flourish in nutrient-starved environments, becoming resistant to therapy. The primary protein in mammals responsible for this process is a serine/threonine kinase called ULK 1 (unc-51 like autophagy initiating kinase 1). As such, inhibitors of ULK 1 can be used in cancer therapies in order to …

Progress Toward The Development Of A "Catch/Release" Strategy For Isolating Salvinorin A, From Plant Materails Including Microwave Promotion, Douglas Armstrong, Logan Smith

Faculty Scholarship – Chemistry

We are investigating using the Diels-Alder and retro-Diels-Alder reactions as a potential “catch/release” strategy for isolating Salvinorin A from plant samples (Salvia divinorum), hopefully to improve the current method, which is very long and laborious. Salvinorin A has analgesic activity by activating the kappa opioid receptor, not the mu receptor, and thus it has potential for being developed into a non-addicting analgesic.

Anti-Tb And Antibacterial Activities Of Natural Products Extracts, Douglas Armstrong, Nathan Krause, Drew Frey

Faculty Scholarship – Chemistry

Samples of numerous plant species were received from the southwestern part of the USA from Richard Spjut, and plant samples were collected here in Illinois. All were extracted with typical solvents, giving crude residues, some of which were subjected to counter-current or flash chromatographic methods. Some of the crude extracts and chromatographic fractions had anti-tuberculosis and/or antibacterial activity.

In a general way, bioactive natural products are dealt with very well by Liang & Fang, 2006. More specifically, the southwestern part of the United States has a large variety of indigenous plants, many of which have not been investigated for their …

Anti-Tb And Antibacterial Activities Of Natural Products Extracts, Douglas Armstrong, Nathan Krause

Faculty Scholarship – Chemistry

Further progress has been made upon the research reported in last year’s (2012) Gordon Research Conference poster. This includes applying counter-current chromatography (CCC) to selected crude plant extracts. Two CCC fractions (DA-19 and DA-3), from different plant species, had about the same or higher anti-TB activity as their respective crude extracts, suggesting that each fraction has achieved a separation of one or more active compound(s), from other (possibly inactive) compounds. Also included was the result from the crude extract (DA-12) of still another plant species, not reported last year, which also showed significant anti-TB activity. Further work is expected to …

Mesoionic Compounds, Mark Gordon

Student Scholarship – Chemistry

A poster presentation defining what mesoionic compounds are, describing their uses in the medical field and beyond, and providing examples of common mesoionic compounds.

Research In Natural Product Chemistry, Nathan Krause

Student Scholarship – Chemistry

Natural product chemistry is a branch of chemistry that deals with the isolation, identification, and study of the chemical characteristics of chemical substances produced by living organisms. The southwestern United States has a variety of indigenous plants many of which have not been investigated for their chemical compounds but have Native American herbal uses. The aim of this summer internship was to do extractions on plants and test them for medical potential.

Small Ring Analogs Of Acetylcholine. Synthesis And Absolute Configurations Of Cyclopropane Derivatives., Douglas Armstrong, Joseph G. Cannon

Faculty Scholarship – Chemistry

Conformational rigidity has been conferred upon the OCCN portion of acetylcholine by incorporation of the C atoms into a cyclopropane ring. trans-2-Acetoxycyclopropyltrimethylammonium iodide has been prepared from an olefinic starting material, 2-vinyloxytetrahydropyran; assignment of the trans configuration to the 1,2-disubstituted cyclopropane systems was based upon literature precedent and upon nmr data, and was confirmed by X-ray crystallographic analysis. Resolution of one of the racemic intermediates in the reaction sequence was achieved, which permitted preparation of both enantiomers of the final product. X-Ray crystallographic analysis has demonstrated that the muscarinically active (+)-trans-2-acetoxycyclopropyltrimethylammonium iodide possesses the same absolute configuration …