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Mathematics major Laura Wong Hon Chan ’12 (Tombeau Bay, Mauritius) is working on interdisciplinary EXCEL research focusing on safer drug treatments for breast cancer with Bradley Antanaitis, associate professor of physics.
As women’s lifestyles have changed in recent years, researchers have noticed a shift in the type of breast cancers people are diagnosed with. It is plausible that factors such as women having babies at an older age, obesity after menopause, and use of hormone replacement therapy are some reasons why women are now more likely to have hormone-dependent, slow-growing tumors compared to a decade ago.
Professor Antanaitis and I are focusing on two promising anti-breast cancer protein compounds that can potentially lead to more avenues for development in hormonal therapy medicines. Hormonal therapy treats hormone-receptor-positive breast cancers by lowering the amount of estrogen in the body. Often used in that treatment, tamoxifen, a selective estrogen receptor modulator (SERM), works by sitting in the estrogen receptors of breast cells, hence leaving no room for estrogen to attach to the cell. Since estrogen isn’t attached to a breast cell, the cell doesn’t receive estrogen’s signals to grow and multiply and the carcinogenic cell eventually shrinks.
However, the possible side effects of SERMs have brought about the need to explore even more effective anti-breast cancer drugs. Recently, we acquired samples of the two aforementioned anti-breast cancer protein compounds and have been working on understanding their cyclic structure in solution. Armed with the latest version of HyperChem, sophisticated molecular modeling software, we combine 3D visualization and animation with molecular dynamics calculations to build complex and branched molecules. We are also able to predict the chemical environment of an atom in a molecule under different parameters.
Although multiple methodologies exist to probe protein dynamics and structures, the use of nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy remains prevalent. Hence, part of our project is to gather high-quality 1D and 2D images that will help us deduce the stable solution conformations of our protein compounds. As larger studies are needed to confirm the data we assembled, we are fortunate that Lafayette’s physics and chemistry departments are willing to take chances on our project, and they have invested in powerful software often used in drug discovery, the Molegro Virtual Docker (MVD). This platform will help us investigate the interaction among the protein compounds, the estrogen-receptors, and neoplasm. The MVD software let us determine potential binding sites of our target protein and ultimately, we want to find a safe drug that could prevent breast cancer.
By participating in this research, which is at the forefront in areas such as biochemical engineering and biophysics, I have experienced interactions with other disciplines through thought-provoking discussions with Professor Antanaitis and Nafis Hasan ’11, a biology major who is contributing to the project.
Being a math major, I find it extremely rewarding to see firsthand the application of math in other subjects. Our eclectic group allows us to explore a variety of options, an important factor in our aim to incrementally add to cancer-prevention strategies. Considering himself a team member, Professor Antanaitis gives us the freedom to try outside-the-box ideas and engage in independent thought and analysis by providing guidance of excellent quality. His commitment to the venture is both infectious and stimulating.