Event Information

Kyle L. Bolduc (Duke University)
EFFORTS TOWARDS THE TOTAL SYNTHESIS OF THE IMMUNOSUPPRESSIVE NATURAL PRODUCTS SUBGLUTINOL A AND SUBGLUTINOL B
Abstract:
Immunosuppressive agents serve as effective treatments against rejection in organ transplant patients and could become powerful treatments for autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis, and insulin-dependent type I diabetes. Common among all of these conditions is the malfunction of the cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL), which contributes to the eventual destruction of healthy or allograft tissue. Therefore, suppression of immune system activity is an important target for the treatment of immune disease. A few medications, most notably Cyclosporin A and FK-506, already exist for the treatment of immune disease, but all current treatments have serious neurotoxic and nephrotoxic side effects. As a result, considerable effort has been expended on screening biological natural products for similar immunosuppressive activities that lack cytotoxicity. Subglutinols A and B, recently isolated from F. subglutinans, are such a pair of noncytotoxic natural products with appreciable immunosuppressive activity. An efficient, stereoselective synthesis of these natural products would allow for their complete characterization, investigation of their biological targeting, and production of large quantities for application as a therapeutic agent. Research efforts have developed an efficient and stereoselective approach to the natural products subglutinol A and B, which serves as a firm basis for access to the complete natural product.

Master's Thesis Defense

Wednesday, July 18, 2007, 1:00pm
Student Exams Seminar