Where Scientists are Meeting the Need for Interdisciplinary Solutions to Biological Problems Facing Society Through Applied Organic Chemistry and Glyco-Cancer Immunology Research
The overall objective of the Willand-Charnley Lab, also known as the RAWC (pronounced "rock") lab, is to generate solutions synergistically between both the lab's glyco-cancer immunology team and the lab's organic chemistry team, to produce cross-disciplinary research, insights and scientists, at the undergraduate (and graduate) level concerning chronic biological problems facing society.
The Willand-Charnley lab areas of focus: Currently the Willand-Charnley lab has four areas of focus to work toward our objective:
- Elucidate glycan related biochemical mechanisms of action (this area is the focus of this proposal)
- Glycan related synthetic methods development
- Glycan related therapeutic development
- Mechanistic elucidation and therapeutic development surrounding chemical warfare agents
Concerning biochemical mechanisms of action, the lab is focused on understanding how cancers utilize functionalized sugar residues, specifically Sialic Acid, to participate in tumorigenic processes, metastasis, immune evasion, and multidrug resistance as well as how that altered communication extends to other members of the immune system by decreasing the release of cytokines and chemokines, resulting in increasing cancer's survival. The lab has identified a critical functional group alteration, deacetylation, on Sialic acid that allows colon and lung cancers to evade Natural Killer cell killing. The glyco-cancer immunology work informs the synthetic method and the glycan therapeutic development team, which began robust synthetic methods surrounding Sialic acid early in the lab's programing that are the foundational methods in which we are building upon today to optimize glycan therapeutics. Being at the intersection of chemistry and biology allows the lab the unique advantage of developing therapeutics and testing those therapeutics to address the critical need in house and with assurance. Concerning cancer, the lab has been working on two enzyme-antibody conjugates that target lung and colon cancers, altering the functional groups on their cell's surface exposing them to the immune mediated killing.
See our recently accepted work in Frontiers of Oncology and learn about how one simple sugar residue, can help cancers to move!
Women in Leadership Conference at Harvard University
Hear all about Dr. Willand-Charnley's visit to Harvard where she was a panelist for the Women in Leadership Conference!
Ground breaking work by our lab's @ituffour1 and @halabayoumi concerning the use of deacetylated-Sialic Acids by colon and lung cancer to modulate and engage in multi-drug resistance! #glycotime @FrontiersIn @FrontOncology
See our recent working detailing how colon and lung cancers are able to evade immune cell mediated cytotoxicity via the modulation of O-acetylation.
Monoperoxyacetal electrophiles, members of the highly advantageous peroxide functional group, provide a novel route to an important class of reactants, ketene O,O- and N,O-acetals. This cover, created by Christopher Charnley (@ph3_rc), illustrates the synthesis of isolable, heteroaryl ketene acetals through intermolecular etherification of peroxides with lithiated benzofurans, indoles and pyridines.
Take a tour of Avera, where research and learning go hand in hand. Avera Health and Science Center opened in July 2010 and features 97,000 square feet of teaching, laboratory and office space as well as 48,600 square feet of research laboratory space. Home to the College of Pharmacy and Allied Health Professions and the Chemistry Department. Built and equipped at a cost of $50 million with a lead gift of $15 million from Avera Health. Dedicated Sept. 9, 2010, with Julie Gerberding, former CDC director, as speaker.
Recently Published Work
Ketene N,O-acetals are robust and versatile synthons. We outline the synthesis of stable ketene N,O-acetals in the twenty-first century. In addition, we review recent developments in the chemistry of ketene N,O-acetals, as it applies to the vinylogous Mukaiyama aldol reaction, electrolysis and pericyclic transformations.
Recently Published Work
Alkyl ketene acetals are useful reactants in a variety of synthetic processes, and yet, there are limited routes to their formation as isolable products. We developed a novel method for the successful synthesis and isolation of heteroaryl ketene acetals through intermolecular transfer of alkoxyl (δ+OR) from electrophilic peroxides to lithiated benzofurans, indoles and pyridines.
New Funding to Combat Chemical Warfare
