Page 21 - Abacoa Community News - February '24

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Scientists Discover Key from page 20 collection. This unique and irreplaceable collection “Our speakers are all experts in their fields and enjoy
includes more than 122,000 microbial strains that were sharing their work with the public,” said Dennis Hanisak,
about fundamental chemistry and biology and provide us gathered and purified by scientific groups over nearly Ph.D., research professor and director of education at FAU
with the tools and inspiration we need to translate laboratory a century following the discovery of penicillin and Harbor Branch. “They will share their diverse experiences
findings into medicines that impact society and address streptomycin, but never fully explored. Each strain has on ocean science that help solve practical problems and
many problems faced by humanity.” the potential to produce approximately 30 unique chemical make informed decisions for the better management of our
In addition to Shen, Gui and Kalkreuter, the authors of natural products, which would dramatically expand the ocean and coastal waters.”
the study, “Cofactorless oxygenases guide anthraquinone- known catalog of such natural compounds, Shen said. The 2024 Lecture Series Schedule Is As Follows
fused enediyne biosynthesis,” include Yu-Chen Liu, Ph.D.; More than one-third of all FDA-approved drugs in use • Jan. 10, “The Quest for a Marine Sponge Cell Line:
Gengnan Li, Ph.D.; Andrew D. Steele, Ph.D.; Dong Yang, today have arisen from natural products such as these, so A Retrospective of Sponge Biotechnology at FAU Harbor
Ph.D., of The Wertheim UF Scripps Institute; and Changsoo the collection’s potential to benefit humanity is immense, Branch,” presented by Shirley Pomponi, Ph.D.
Chang, Ph.D., of Argonne National Laboratory. he added. • Jan. 17, “Clam Culture in a Changing Environment,”
This work was supported in part by National Institutes of Tiancimycin is a member of a chemical family called presented by Susan Laramore, Ph.D.
Health grants GM134954 and OD021550, and postdoctoral anthraquinone-fused enediynes, which have generated • Jan. 24, “Stealing Sharks and Ravaging Rays? A
fellowships GM134688 and GM133114. great interest for their anti-tumor properties, but have Scientific Delve into Their Impacts on Florida Fisheries,”
Researchers Tether Cancer- yet to make it to the clinic. Building a new, cancer- presented by Matt Ajemian, Ph.D.
• Jan. 31, “A Bath Sponges Fable: Sponge Painting and the
killing antibody-drug conjugate with them posed several

Killing Natural Product To significant scientific hurdles, said Andrew D. Steele, Ph.D., Lobster Season,” presented by Andia Chaves Fonnegra, Ph.D.

• Feb. 7, “Coral Exploration, Conservation and
a postdoctoral research associate and co-first author of the
Cancer-Targeting Antibodies paper. The linker molecule cannot alter the properties of Restoration,” presented by Joshua Voss, Ph.D.
either the antibody or the payload, lest the therapeutic lose • Feb. 14, “Remembering Mark Littler and His
Scientists Discover Key on page 21 By Doug Bennett and Stacey DeLoye potency, he said. Contributions to Marine Plants and Coral Reef Ecology,”
One of the most promising ways to target powerful cancer In a schematic of the ADCs used in the study, the presented by Brian LaPointe, Ph.D., and M. Dennis
drugs to tumors and not healthy cells involves attaching them chemical structure of tiancimycin is shown attached to an Hanisak, Ph.D.
to a cancer-seeking antibody with a chemical linker. Scientists engineered antibody. The background is an image of cells • Feb. 21, “Health and Disease in Bottlenose Dolphins
at The Herbert Wertheim UF Scripps Institute for Biomedical used in the study to indicate that the ADCs are killing cells Inhabiting the Indian River Lagoon,” presented by Annie
Innovation & Technology have spent years developing such by a DNA-damaging mechanism. Page, DVM, Ph.D.
precise anti-cancer antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs). “We have shown we can precisely generate antibody- • Feb. 28, “Anti-Cancer Drug Discovery at FAU Harbor
Research published recently in the Journal of Medicinal drug conjugates in a manner that is different than what Branch,” presented by Esther Guzman, Ph.D.
Chemistry details the first time a natural product called anyone has done in the clinic. This method has the ability • March 6, “Celebrating the Queen Conch: A Journey
tiancimycin was effectively connected to this antibody-drug to customize every single portion of these systems in a of Restoration with Caribbean Communities,” presented
conjugate system. A key feature was invention of the linker pretty rapid fashion,” Steele said. by Megan Davis, Ph.D.
molecule needed to connect the antibody to the cancer drug. The team’s discovery also addresses a longstanding • April 3, “FAU’s New Environment School, ECOS:
The Wertheim UF Scripps Institute is home to one of the challenge of having to create a new antibody-drug conjugate Building Bridges to Advance Research and Teaching,”
world’s largest and most historic collections of microbial for different cancers, said Alexander F. Kiefer, Ph.D., a presented by Colin Polsky, Ph.D.
natural products. Chemistry professor Ben Shen, Ph.D., postdoctoral fellow and co-first author of the paper. • May 1, “Fishers Know More Than You,” presented
discovered a potent anti-cancer compound within the “We now are able to address breast cancer or attack by Aaron Adams, Ph.D.
collection. It has been connected to a precise cancer-seeking leukemia cells. Otherwise, we would need to synthesize an Attendance is free and open to the public; however
antibody. The work is described in the Journal of Medicinal antibody-drug conjugate again and again for each cancer advanced registration is required. This one-time registration
Chemistry. type. This gets us around that problem,” Kiefer said. provides a pass for the entire season. To register or for more
After demonstrating effectiveness against leukemia information, visit fau.edu/hboi/osls.
cells in the study, the team plans to move into mouse-model About Florida Atlantic University
testing. One important future target is breast cancer that Florida Atlantic University, established in 1961,
is driven by a protein known as human epidermal growth officially opened its doors in 1964 as the fifth public
factor receptor 2, or HER2, Kiefer said. About 20 percent university in Florida. Today, the university serves more
of breast tumors have elevated levels of HER2, according than 30,000 undergraduate and graduate students across
to the American Cancer Society. six campuses located along the Southeast Florida coast.
Shen said a key takeaway from this paper is that In recent years, the university has doubled its research
the Natural Products Discovery Center Collection can expenditures and outpaced its peers in student achievement
be efficiently harnessed to produce anti-cancer drug rates. Through the coexistence of access and excellence,
candidates. Designer payloads can be engineered in a FAU embodies an innovative model where traditional
way that fine tunes the potency for a given cancer type. achievement gaps vanish. FAU is designated a Hispanic-
Because the collection is available to the wider scientific serving institution, ranked as a top public university
community, the potential for other research labs to use this by U.S. News & World Report and a High Research
resource for drug discovery is exciting, he added. Activity institution by the Carnegie Foundation for the
The searchable database is available at https://npdc. Advancement of Teaching. For more information, visit
rc.ufl.edu/home. Researchers can freely browse the data www.fau.edu.
and can request strains of interest to further their own
The Natural Products Discovery Center is a historic assembly research efforts.
of biodiversity from around the globe, based at The Wertheim Other co-authors of the study are Dobeen Hwang,
UF Scripps Institute and available for scientific exploration Ph.D.; Dong Yang, Ph.D.; Christiana N. Teijaro, Ph.D.;
and collaboration. and Ajeeth Adhikari, Ph.D. Captain’s was established in 1980 servicing
Palm Beach County and is a privately
The scientists owned and managed company.
liken antibody- Captain’s is committed to providing
drug conjugates dependable, reliable and professional
ground transportation to and from all
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targeting system that
takes aim at the cancer. The potent, toxic compound the The study is supported by the National Institutes of Health
scientists employed is similar to a warhead, killing cancer (grants GM134954, CA204484, OD021550 and postdoctoral NEED A/C? We’ve Got You Covered!
cells by obliterating their DNA. The chemical linker acts fellowships GM133114 and GM128345) and a postdoctoral
like vital missile hardware, connecting the antibody and fellowship from the German Research Foundation.
its chemical payload.
The new antibody-drug conjugate system was
developed by teams led by Ben Shen, Ph.D., a chemistry FAU Harbor Branch
professor and director of the Natural Products Discovery Announces 2024 Ocean “WE SHOW
Center at The Wertheim UF Scripps Institute, and antibody
expert Christoph Rader, Ph.D., professor of immunology Science Lecture Series UP!”
and microbiology, also of The Wertheim UF Scripps
Institute. Florida Atlantic
In leukemia cells, their system worked well, Shen said. University’s (FAU)
The methods they developed offer a promising path for Harbor Branch
making similar types of cancer-fighting antibody-drug Oceanographic Institute
conjugates with complex natural compounds, he added. announced the lineup
“The system we created to connect this natural product for its annual “John & Barbara Ferrera Ocean Science Lecture
to the antibody provides a road map to developing more Series.” Series runs January through May 2024. All lectures
antibody-drug conjugates with this class of natural begin at 4 p.m. at FAU Harbor Branch, Johnson Marine
products,” Shen said. “The work also showcases the Education Center Auditorium, 5600 U.S. 1 North, Fort Pierce.
therapeutic potential of the unique collection of natural The free public education events provide a forum for the Call Today for a FREE estimate!
products housed at the institute, which is available to the community to learn about the most recent discoveries and 561.575.2173
wider scientific community.” innovations at FAU Harbor Branch directly from the scientists 231 Jupiter St., Jupiter, FL
The payload for the system, tiancimycin, was and engineers who make them. To register or for more www.MiklosAir.com
discovered within the Natural Products Discovery Center information, visit fau.edu/hboi/osls.