Synthesis of Cadiolides and Cadiolide Analogs
Undergraduate Project
Investigators: Pier Cirillo, Lecturer of Chemistry, and Shican Li
Sponsor: Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship, 2013
Project Description: Methycillin Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA) is a Gram positive pathogen of great significance in public health, being among the most frequent causes of nosocomial bacteremia, skin/wound infections, and lower respiratory infections worldwide. There is therefore an urgent and continuing need to develop new antibiotics against MRSA, based on novel structural templates. Ascidians and tunicates are marine creatures that have been a rich source of secondary metabolites possessing interesting structures and exhibiting a wide spectrum of pharmacological activities. Cadiolide C, recently isolated from the Korean tunicate Pseudodistoma antiboja is active against MRSA with a MIC in the range <0.13-0.5 mg/mL.
Dr. Cirillo, a consultant for L2 Diagnostics of New Haven, CT, has designed a new synthesis of Cadiolides. Dr. Cirillo and Shican Li are currently working on synthesizing these exciting compounds, which show great promise in fighting MRSA.