Alumni Daniel Lee ’15, Pedro Perez ‘13, William Jackson ‘11, Taylor Chin ‘11, and Michael Galbreath ’11 started cancer-related research as Whittier College students along with chemistry professors Devin Iimoto and Ralph Isovitsch. And now, their work has been published in the article “Aryl Morpholino Triazenes Inhibit Cytochrome P450 1A1 and 1B1” in the upcoming print issue of Bioorganic and Medicinal Chemistry Letters. Louisiana State University’s (LSU) Frank Fronczek is also a co-author in the article.
The reasoning behind their research interest was the study of specific enzymes that convert hydrocarbons into carcinogenic compounds found in barbecued meats, soil, gasoline, and other materials, that cause a variety of cancers such as: breast, skin, and colon. The scientists are interested in finding potent natural sources of compounds that can inhibit enzymes Cytochrome P450 1A1 and 1B1 as a means of preventing cancers.
From their investigations, the researchers found that a new class of compounds, aryl morpholino triazenes, can inhibit CYP1A1 and CYP1B1 to potentially prevent cancer.
“We are in the process of extending the project and testing other triazenes that we believe will more potent at inhibiting Cytochrome P450 1A1 and 1B1 to potentially prevent cancer,” said Iimoto. “It is then hoped that these compounds can be tested on cancer cell lines, but that is down the road.”
Almost all the research was done at Whittier College. The only experiment done outside of the College was some of the x-ray analysis, which was done at LSU.
In addition, Iimoto and Isovitsch will travel to China this summer thanks to the support of a Luce Initiative on Asian Studies and the Environment ( LIASE) grant to collect herbs that have been used to treat cancer and to see if they contain compounds that are capable of inhibiting cytochrome P450 1A1 and 1B1.
Chin, one of the co-authors of the research and the recipient of the 2011 Whittier College W. Roy Newsom Award in Chemistry passed away in 2013.
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