Gervais Bérubé
Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières, Canada
Title: From para-aminobenzoic acid to small compounds with multiple biological properties
Biography
Biography: Gervais Bérubé
Abstract
The discovery of new molecules possessing multiple biological properties in a single entity is a subject of great interest to the scientific community. A simple compound previously used in our laboratory as a heterobifunctional linker to construct immunoconjugates was identified as a potential lead drug showing anti-inflammatory, anti-metastatic as well as anticancer activities. The lead compound is made in only three chemical steps from para-aminobenzoic acid with 43% overall yield. Its structure can be modified to give alternative analogs with similar activities. The prospect of lead optimization is significant. This communication will highlight the chemical and biological potential (in vitro and in vivo) of these type of molecules tested on bladder cancer. Amongst the results, the lead compound can reduce the size of a tumor in an animal model by 90% within 25 days without apparent side effects.