Discipline: Chemistry and Chemical Sciences
Subcategory: Cancer Research
Session: 4
Room: Exhibit Hall A
Jessie Cook - Fayetteville State University
Co-Author(s): Dr. Hennguang Li, Fayetteville State University; Fayetteville, NC, 28301
Pseudo aptamers are the derivatives of an aptamer, known as “chemical antibodies”. Although research is being continually conducted, there are multiple concerns that come with the applications of aptamers referring to their degradation, excretion and stability. This leads us to finding a way to optimize aptamers by structural modifications to ensure they can target the defined molecules efficiently. The goal of this research is to build a series of pseudo aptamers that target the telomerases of cancer cells based on rational design. In addition, simplifying the longer chain of the oligomer over the conventional length will bring more benefits of the actual applications in the manners of activity, toxicity, delivery ability, metabolizing, and feasible fabrications. In our research we had tested derivatives of anti-HIV reagents, a conjugated pseudo nucleoside against four lung cancer cells. All cancer cells were apoptosis in the range of IC50 56μM – 68μM. Telomerase is a kind of retro transcriptase, this result suggests, the mechanism would be similar to the inhibition of retro transcriptase in the HIV virus. By developing a solution phase synthesis, we are able to create an intensive helix designed triazole, and sulfonyl linked pseudo short aptamer that is intended to be structurally sound, appropriate to target the cancer telomerase, and either deactivate their rate of growth or make them reach cessation.
Funder Acknowledgement(s): Strengthening Student Success in STEM; Ronald E. McNair Program; Cancer Institute, Sichuan Cancer Hospital, Chengdu, Sichuan, China, 610041
Faculty Advisor: Dr. Hengguang Li, hli@uncfsu.edu
Role: My role in this research was to create the Zidovudine:Lithocholic Acid conjugate. I was responsible for making sure that the conjugate was pure and tested via multiple methods.