Nature produces small molecules that profoundly benefit human health. Natural products can be produced by bacteria (e.g. doxorubicin), fungi (e.g. tetracyclins) or plants (e.g. paclitaxel). The treatment of cancer, in particular, has benefited from Nature’s arsenal of small molecules. For this reason, newly discovered natural products present exciting opportunities for interdisciplinary research involving chemical and biological studies. In 2008 researchers identified a small molecule named nigricanoside which potently kills human cancer cells. Unfortunately, even after many years of effort, less than one milligram of the compound was found. The minute quantities isolated prohibited complete...

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Nature produces small molecules that profoundly benefit human health. Natural products can be produced by bacteria (e.g. doxorubicin), fungi (e.g. tetracyclins) or plants (e.g. paclitaxel). The treatment of cancer, in particular, has benefited from Nature’s arsenal of small molecules. For this reason, newly discovered natural products present exciting opportunities for interdisciplinary research involving chemical and biological studies. In 2008 researchers identified a small molecule named nigricanoside which potently kills human cancer cells. Unfortunately, even after many years of effort, less than one milligram of the compound was found. The minute quantities isolated prohibited complete characterization of nigricanoside and a full evaluation of its therapeutic potential. As a first step towards developing nigricanoside as a therapeutic, we will determine its structure by preparing synthetic samples of various possible compounds. By comparing the physical and biological characteristics of our synthetic materials we should be able to determine the true structure of nigricanoside. Next, we will attempt to determine the mechanism by which nigricanoside kills human cancer cell lines. To this end, we will adopt two strategies: we will test a specific hypothesis that it interacts with thread-like polymers involved in cell division. Second, we will search for proteins that directly interact with the natural product. Finally, we will probe the utility of nigricanoside by observing its efficacy against various types of human cancers both in cell culture and in animal models.

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