{"id":138852,"date":"2024-01-16T12:01:36","date_gmt":"2024-01-16T17:01:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/news\/?p=138852"},"modified":"2024-01-26T11:30:10","modified_gmt":"2024-01-26T16:30:10","slug":"new-ucf-drug-candidate-may-prevent-metastasis","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/news\/new-ucf-drug-candidate-may-prevent-metastasis\/","title":{"rendered":"New UCF Drug Candidate May Prevent Metastasis"},"content":{"rendered":"

A UCF College of Medicine<\/a> researcher is developing a new treatment that could slow or even stop cancer cells from spreading.<\/p>\n

Otto Phanstiel, a medicinal chemist, has created a compound that literally stops cells from moving and is working with the Mayo Clinic to optimize the design to make it more effective at keeping cells \u2014 particularly cancer cells \u2014 in place. Cancer that metastasizes \u2014 or spreads from the original tumor to other parts of the body \u2014 is the leading cause of death for most patients.<\/p>\n

Phanstiel has centered much of his research on polyamines, organic compounds that are essential for normal cell growth, development and the regulation of cell death. Scientists know that elevated levels of polyamines are associated with many cancers. Polyamines are also found in natural products harvested from nature.<\/p>\n

In the 1990s, investigators at the University of British Columbia discovered a class of antimetastatic compounds in the extract of a sea sponge that was harvested off the coast of Motupore Island, New Guinea. They named these amine-containing compounds Motuporamines.<\/p>\n

Phanstiel and his team synthesized derivatives of one of these isolated compounds, Motuporamine C. The compound has a polyamine tail \u2014 a section of the compound trailing off the main structure which improves its solubility in water. Scientists believe this tail may help Motuporamines bind to the active site of key enzymes in the body.<\/p>\n

Phanstiel\u2019s Motuporamine C UCF derivative may help prevent metastasis in breast cancer patients.<\/p>\n