SYNTHESIS AND EVALUATION OF SPHINGOID GROWTH PROMOTERS

THE PROJECT IS DIRECTED TOWARD THE DEVELOPMENT OF NEW CELL-GROWTH PROMOTERS THAT WILL HAVE APPLICATION TO WOUND-HEALING THERAPY AND THE DEVELOPMENT OF MORE EFFICIENT AND ECONOMICAL TISSUE CULTURE MEDIA. THEY ALSO MIGHT FIND USE AS A BIOCHEMICAL PROBES OF CELL SIGNALING PATHWAYS. SPHINGOSYLPHOSPHORYICHOLINE HAS BEEN FOUND BY PROFESSOR SARA SPIEGEL (GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY) TO BE A VERY POTENT PROMOTER OF CELL PROLIFERATION, A DISCOVERY THAT IS THE SUBJECT OF A CURRENT PATENT APPLICATION. THE PROJECT WILL PROVIDE PROF. SPEIGEL WITH 15-20 COMPOUNDS RELATED TO SPHINGOSYLPHOSPHORYLCHOLINE (SPC) IN ORDER TO TEST THEM FOR CELL-GROWTH STIMULATORY ACTIVITY. THE AIM IS TO DEVELOP FEASIBLE CHEMICAL SYNTHESES OF SPC AND ITS ANALOGS AND TO DISCOVER THE STRUCTURAL PARAMETERS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE GROWTH PROMOTING ACTIVITY.