Ultrasound-Triggered Drug Release. Cobalamin bioconjugates are unique among prodrugs, since they can also be activated by ultrasound to cleave the C-Co bond, thereby allowing release of the drug deep within tissue that is not as easily accessible with red light. Sonolysis of aqueous solutions produces a high concentration of hydroxyl radicals and hydrogen atoms. These reactive oxidizing and reducing species are responsible for initiating most reactions in aqueous solvents, including cleavage of the Co-C bond and activation of the prodrug to release the active chemotherapeutic agent. Projects for Graduate Students Graduate students have the ability to define their own project within the spectrum of cobalamin-targeted drug delivery.
Students can design, synthesize, and test new bioconjugates of cancer drugs.
Since this project is a collaboration with research groups in the Pharmacology and Pathology Departments of the University of Utah Medical School, students can participate in every aspect of therapeutic drug development and biological evaluation. This unusual opportunity in an academic setting provides a broad graduate education, with solid training in biological chemistry. Our laboratory is also studying the mechanism of enzymes with radical pair intermediates. Towards this end, we have developed new methods for probing the mechanism of biological and chemical reactions with DC magnetic fields. Only reactions that produce a radical pair intermediate are susceptible to the influence of an external magnetic field on the reaction rate.