These studies are focused on developing new catalytic approaches and strategies to improve the availability of cardiotonic steroids, bioactive terpenoids, and glycosylated natural product-based molecules of therapeutic value. Due to the importance of steroidal hormones for the regulation of vital biological processes in the human body, many members of the terpene family of natural products possess a wide spectrum of biological activities. In particular, cardiotonic steroids have many centuries-long history of serving as effective drugs for the treatment of various heart conditions. In addition, many recent studies suggest that these compounds hold great potential as the therapeutic agents for the treatment of cancer, inflammation, immune and metabolic diseases, and in various important health-related areas such as contraception. The developed in these studies new synthetic approaches could significantly improve the availability of otherwise difficult-to-access stereoisomeric cardenolide scaffolds with unusual substitution or oxidation patterns, and one of our objectives is to conduct the medicinal chemistry exploration of various natural and unnatural cardiotonic steroids. The techniques developed in this project will also improve the accessibility of related natural products such as bioactive plant- and bacteria- derived glycosylated steroids, and diterpenes of grayanotoxin, isopimarane and kuarane families. Finally, these studies will result in new catalytic techniques and strategies that will enable a direct and straightforward glycosylation of complex natural products. One of the important objectives of these studies will be developing new methods and catalysts for the asymmetric reactions that will enable the synthesis of natural products and therapeutic agents.

Public Health Relevance

The continuing advancement of molecular medicine requires a constant access to more diverse subsets of small-molecules, which are not well represented among the known drug candidates. Chemical synthesis is one of the most important means used to gain access to such compounds. The development of conceptually novel approaches that will aid the synthesis of bioactive molecules and new therapeutic agents is the subject of these studies.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS)
Type
Unknown (R35)
Project #
5R35GM136341-02
Application #
10120707
Study Section
Special Emphasis Panel (ZRG1)
Program Officer
Yang, Jiong
Project Start
2020-04-01
Project End
2025-01-31
Budget Start
2021-02-01
Budget End
2022-01-31
Support Year
2
Fiscal Year
2021
Total Cost
Indirect Cost
Name
University of Michigan Ann Arbor
Department
Chemistry
Type
Schools of Arts and Sciences
DUNS #
073133571
City
Ann Arbor
State
MI
Country
United States
Zip Code
48109