Biology

WKU faculty members receive Kentucky Science and Engineering Grant to study new anti-cancer drugs

Dr. Michael Smith, associate professor of Biology, and Dr. Kevin Williams, professor of Chemistry at WKU, have been awarded a Research & Development Excellence grant from the Kentucky Science and Engineering Foundation to discover new anti-cancer platinum compounds with reduced side effects.  Current platinum-based chemotherapy drugs, such as cisplatin, are highly ototoxic causing the destruction of inner ear sensory hair cells and hearing loss.  The goal of this project is to find platinum(II) complex drugs that are toxic to cancer cells without causing hearing damage.

The project is a collaboration in which the Williams’ Lab will first synthesize six platinum compounds.  Then, Dr. Dave Monroe, a post-doctoral researcher in the Smith Lab, will test each compound in six cancer cell lines for anti-cancer activity.  Next, compounds that kill cancer cells will be injected into zebrafish.  The fish will then have their hearing tested using electrophysiological methods and their sensory inner ear hair cells will also be examined for damage.   As the novel platinum compounds bind DNA differently than current platinum chemotherapy drugs, they could activate separate cellular pathways and may not cause auditory system side effects associated with other drugs.

This grant will support two undergraduate research assistants, a graduate student, as well as a post-doctoral researcher in performing cutting-edge research, thus supporting the goal of WKU to engage students in significant research experiences.

The KSEF grant was effective July 2014.

Contact: Michael Smith, (270) 745-2405 or michael.smith1@wku.edu.