3-Hydroxy-3-methylgutaryl CoA reductase inhibitors, commonly referred to as the statins, have proven therapeutic and preventative effects in cardiovascular diseases. Recently, there are emerging interests in their use as anticancer agents based on preclinical evidence of their antiproliferative, proapoptotic, anti-invasive, and radiosensitizing properties. Inhibition of 3-hydroxy-3-methylgutary...

Although tremendous progress has been made in basic cancer biology and in the development of novel cancer treatments, cancer remains a leading cause of death in the world. The etiopathogenesis of cancer is complex. Besides genetic predisposition, known environmental factors associated with cancer are: diet, lifestyle, and environmental toxins. Toxicity of drugs and eventual relapse of cancers c...

Approved: ____________________________________ Thesis Supervisor ____________________________________ Title and Department ____________________________________ Date SCHWEINFURTHINS AS NOVEL ANTICANCER AGENTS by Craig Heath Kuder A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Doctor of Philosophy degree in Pharmacology in the Graduate College of The University of Iowa

Cancer remains one of the leading causes of deaths worldwide, despite advances in its treatment and detection. The conventional chemotherapeutic agents used for the treatment of cancer have non-specific toxicity toward normal body cells that cause various side effects. Secondly, cancer cells are known to develop chemotherapy resistance in due course of treatment. Thus, the demand for novel anti...

INTRODUCTION There are 2 broad classes of anticancer drugs that require different approaches to development. The classical cytotoxic agents have low therapeutic indices and therefore traditionally have different developmental strategies from non-oncology agents. The newer anticancer agents that target the signal transduction pathway and antiangiogenesis pathway have characteristics similar to n...

Sirtuins are nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide+-dependent deacetylases of which there are seven isoforms (SIRT1-7). Sirtuin activity is linked to gene expression, lifespan extension, neurodegeneration, and age-related disorders. Numerous studies have suggested that sirtuins could be of great significance with regard to both antiaging and tumorigenesis, depending on its targets in specific signa...