Synthesis of Anticancer Peroxides
Abstracts
Initial Award Abstract |
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Peroxides, a naturally occurring class of compounds that contain an oxygen–oxygen bond, have been shown to be promising drug targets for cancer treatment. More than 120 anticancer peroxides have been discovered, many of which have demonstrated activity against lung cancer and other tobacco-related cancers. Because peroxides occur in nature in only small amounts, natural sources are not likely to be useful sources of medicine. Previous efforts to synthesize peroxides have been difficult due to the weakness of the oxygen–oxygen bond. Our laboratory has demonstrated a new method to synthesize peroxides that could not be synthesized by previous methods. Our research over the next two years will focus on the development of this method to the point where it can be useful for the synthesis of anti-lung cancer peroxides, and its application to the synthesis of both natural and synthetic peroxide variants. |
