Biological evaluation of tubulysin A: a potential anticancer and antiangiogenic natural product.

Tubulysin A (tubA) is a natural product isolated from a strain of myxobacteria that has been shown to depolymerize microtubules and induce mitotic arrest. The potential of tubA as an anticancer and antiangiogenic agent is explored in the present study. tubA shows potent antiproliferative activity in a panel of human cancer cell lines irrespective of their multidrug resistance properties.

Comparison of 17-dimethylaminoethylamino-17-demethoxy-geldanamycin (17DMAG) and 17-allylamino-17-demethoxygeldanamycin (17AAG) in vitro: effects on Hsp90 and client proteins in melanoma models.

The heat shock protein Hsp90 is a potential target for drug discovery of novel anticancer agents. By affecting this protein, several cell signaling pathways may be simultaneously modulated. The geldanamycin analog 17AAG has been shown to inhibit Hsp90 and associated proteins.

Synthesis and biological evaluation of novel curcumin analogs as anti-cancer and anti-angiogenesis agents.

A series of novel curcumin analogs were synthesized and screened for anti-cancer and anti-angiogenesis activities at Emory University and at the National Cancer Institute (NCI). These compounds are symmetrical alpha,beta-unsaturated and saturated ketones. The majority of the analogs demonstrated a moderate degree of anti-cancer activity.