Synthesis of curcumin analogues and their profiling against various cancer biomarkers

Curcumin is a well-studied wonder molecule that displays many health benefits, including anticancer and cancer preventive activities. It has undergone / is undergoing over 100 clinical trials but has not yet culminated into a clinical drug owing to its poor uptake in body. Curcumin’s chemical structure offers an excellent prototype for modification potentially leading to a more effective anticancer agent. To address the unmet need in cancer treatment, we plan to synthesize and bioevaluate two series of rationally designed curcumin analogs, in collaboration of Paraza Pharma Inc. In this endeavor, clinically relevant curcumin analogs will be identified in an expedited fashion utilizing the biomarker profiling approach. Over the period of 8-months, ~25 rationally-designed curcumin analogs will be synthesized, purified and characterized at Acadia University and bioevaluated at Paraza Pharma, Inc.

Faculty Supervisor:

Amitabh Jha

Student:

Partner:

Paraza Pharma Inc

Discipline:

Physics

Sector:

Manufacturing; Professional, scientific and technical services

University:

Acadia University

Program: