Search results for natural product

Pharmacy researchers at the University of Florida have isolated a new marine compound they believe may lead to improved drug therapies [...]

A new defense against prostate cancer, the most common cancer in men in the United States, may come from a seaweed found off the coast of Florida. University of Florida pharmacy researchers have screened various seaweeds with cancer-preventive potential and identified one that shows particular promise. They isolated specific compounds in this common green alga,...

For selected compounds (by ourselves or in collaboration), we are devising synthetic methods to probe structure–activity relationships (SAR) and to obtain larger quantities of material for biological evaluation, including toxicity, pharmacokinetic and efficacy studies in animal models, which we will carry out in due course. Molecules of interest include largazoles and apratoxins, which we discovered and...

For selected compounds (by ourselves or in collaboration), we are devising synthetic methods to probe structure–activity relationships (SAR) and to obtain larger quantities of material for biological evaluation, including toxicity, pharmacokinetic and efficacy studies in animal models, which we will carry out in due course. Molecules of interest include largazoles and apratoxins, which we discovered and...

Genomic screening of marine cyanobacteria for the detection of targeted secondary metabolite biosynthetic genes has been achieved through fosmid DNA libraries construction using HMW metagenomic DNA isolated from environmental cyanobacterial samples. Conserved enzymatic steps shared by diverse biosynthetic gene clusters are used as starting point for the design of degenerate primers from the corresponding biosynthetic...

In parallel efforts, we are carrying out studies to reveal the function and action of genes/proteins that are putatively involved in cancer, aging and neurodegeneration. Candidate genes identified by high-throughput genome-wide cDNA and RNAi screening are subjected to molecular and biological characterization including structure-function studies in cell- and animal-based models. The ultimate goal is to...

Drug target identification and mode of action studies for molecules discovered through phenotypic screens usually represent a bottleneck in drug discovery. The limited abundance of compound available for characterization studies is an additional fundamental concern in natural products drug discovery, particularly if the structural complexity precludes chemical synthesis in a timely manner. Genomic and proteomic...

Approximately half of all current drugs are derived from natural products, demonstrating their potential for drug discovery. The structural diversity and biological activity displayed by natural products may be attributed to a long evolutionary selection process. In our quest for small molecules with biomedical utility for various disease indications we mainly investigate natural products. In...

The awards come from various federal institutions, but all 10 have at least one grant from the National Institutes of Health, or NIH.