SYNTHESIS AND BIOLOGIC ACTIVITY OF NOVEL PHYTOESTROGENS

THE AIMS OF THIS APPLICATION ARE TO SYNTHESIZE ESTROGENS FROM PLANT SOURCES TO: 1) PROMOTE THEIR PRESENTLY WEAK TO MODERATE ESTROGENIC ACTIVITY AND TO REDUCE THE ADVERSE EFFECTS OF ESTROGENS CURRENTLY ON THE MARKET WITHOUT COMPROMISING THEIR THERAPEUTIC ADVANTAGES. PRESENT DATA INDICATE THAT PLANT HORMONES, UNLIKE NATURAL AND SYNTHETIC ESTROGENS, ARE ESSENTIALLY DEVOID OF CARCINOGENIC ACTIVITIES AND HAVE MINIMAL EFFECTS ON VARIOUS CARDIOVASCULAR PARAMETERS. 2) DEVELOP MORE GROWTH PROMOTING NOVEL SUBSTITUTED PLANT ESTROGENS WITH LOWER TOXICITY AND 3) DEVELOP NEW ANTIESTROGENIC AGENTS WHICH WOULD HAVE POTENTIAL THERAPEUTIC USE IN THE TREATMENT OF BREAST AND ENDOMETRIAL CANCER. BIOLOGIC ACTIVITY OF THESE SUBSTITUTED PLANT HORMONES WILL BE DETERMINED BY ESTABLISHED PROCEDURES BOTH IN VITRO AND IN VIVO. ONE UNIQUE ADVANTAGE OF BIOLOGIC ESTROGENIC ACTIVITY AVAILABLE TO THIS GROUP IS THE USE OF A SPECIFIC ESTROGEN-INDUCED PRIMARY EPITHELIAL CELL PROLIFERATION SYSTEM TO SCREEN POTENTIALLY USEFUL COMPOUNDS.