Fluorine substituted methoxyphenylalkyl amides as potent melatonin receptor agonists.

A series of fluorine substituted methoxyphenylalkyl amides were prepared with different orientations of the fluorine and methoxy groups with respect to the alkylamide side chain and with alkyl sides of differing lengths ( = 1-3). β-Dimethyl and α-methyl derivatives were also synthesised. The compounds were tested as melatonin agonists and antagonists using the pigment aggregation of melanophores as the biological assay.

Expression profile of significant immortalization genes in colon cancer.

Cancer is a disease of genomic instability, a multistep process involving numerous mutations and chromosomal aberrations. Telomeres are highly specialized structures at the ends of chromosomes and function to stabilize and protect the ends of linear chromosomes, therefore determining cellular immortalization. Homeostasis of telomere length is a multifactor-dependent process.