New molecule fights oxidative stress; May lead to therapies for cancer and Alzheimer’s
“Oxidative stress can cause damage to the building blocks of a cell, resulting in excessive cell proliferation, in the case of cancer or cell death, in the case of neurodegenerative diseases like Parkinson’s,” said Mark Hannink, a professor in the Department of Biochemistry and an investigator at the Bond Life Sciences Center at MU. “Finding the right balance is like walking a tightrope; our work has focused on finding ways to keep oxidative stress at bay.” Hannink partnered with High Point Pharmaceuticals LLC, a North Carolina-based firm, to find the right combinations of molecules to create an effective drug that fights free radicals. Using tools developed in his lab, Hannink and Kim Jasmer, a graduate student in Hannink’s lab, analyzed a group of molecules developed by the pharmaceutical company that could be good candidates for treating oxidative stress…