CHED 812 |
| Holly A. Reichard and Ken Feldman. Department of Chemistry, The Pennsylvania State University, 152 Davey Laboratory, University Park, PA 16802 |
| We are focusing on ellagitannins, which are a class of secondary plant metabolites. Preliminary assays using human and mice immune system cells have shown coriariin A and related analogs to have antiviral and antitumor properties. Depending on the structure, the compounds can either upregulate secretion of tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-&alpha) or, alternatively, suppress its lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated release, which is a bacterial product responsible for the lethal condition septic shock. We are actively probing the mechanism by which these tannins either agonize or antagonize LPS activity by conducting ELISA assays on analogs of coriariin A that contain different dimer linkages. Current results implicate a system that uses LPS-binding proteins to attach to the surface of monocytes, which then send a signal to the cell nucleus and trigger the release of cytokines. We are attempting to design a dimeric tannin analogue that would fit into the LPS receptor site to competitively block the binding of LPS, yet not signal the secretion of cytokines, in order to prevent the onset of septic shock. |
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Undergraduate Research Poster Session: Organic Chemistry
2:00 PM-4:00 PM, Monday, March 29, 2004 Anaheim Convention Center -- Hall A, Poster
Division of Chemical Education |