Medical Student Research Fellowship for Summer 2008

Mentor: Nima Sharifi, M.D.
Department: Internal Medicine, Division of Hematology/Oncology
Room number: NC8.106J
Mail Code: 8852
Phone number: 214 645-5921
E-mail: nima.sharifi@utsouthwestern.edu
Project title: Determining the effect of bivalent peptide antagonists on androgen receptor function

Human subjects IRB approved project number (where applicable): none

Animal subjects IRB approved project number (where applicable): none

Project Type basic research

Brief Description of Project: Androgen deprivation therapy is the initial therapy for advanced prostate cancer. However, resistance to androgen deprivation almost invariably occurs through a gain-of-function in the androgen receptor (AR). Therefore, drugs that antagonize the androgen receptor in a novel way may lead to new therapies in the clinic. Bifunctional compounds that bind to AR have been identified in this laboratory that identify novel potential mechanisms of AR antagonism. Newer bivalent compounds are being developed that bind the AR ligand binding domain and other domains of AR that are required for function. The role of a summer medical student would be to test these novel compounds by various molecular biology techniques, including the use of luciferase assays, quantitative polymerase chain reaction, chromatin immunoprecipitation, as well cell-based assays to determine the effect of these compounds on cell growth and proliferation.

Previous Research Activities or Publications with Medical Students: None (new to UTSW)