Holden Dinkins

Cancer remains a formidable global health challenge, with current treatment modalities such as chemotherapy, radiotherapy, surgery, and targeted therapy often hindered by low efficacy and adverse side effects. The indole scaffold, a prominent heterocyclic structure, has emerged as a promising candidate in the fight against cancer. This review consolidates recent advancements in developing natural and synthetic indolyl analogs, highlighting their antiproliferative activities against various cancer types over the past five years. These analogs are categorized based on their efficacy against common cancer types, supported by biochemical assays demonstrating their antiproliferative properties. In this review, emphasis is placed on elucidating the mechanisms of action of these compounds. Given the limitations of conventional cancer therapies, developing targeted therapeutics with enhanced selectivity and reduced side effects remains a critical focus in oncological research.

We synthesized multiple sets of molecules using a molecular hybridization and rational drug design approach against breast cancer cells since the "one molecule, one target" paradigm has not been adequately effective. The naturally occurring products Curcumin, in the form of a synthetically produced Curcumin mimic, and secondary amines were hybridized with hydrocarbon linkers in the form of alkyl chains. The purity of these products was validated by instrumental analysis such as 1H-NMR and 13C-NMR. While anticancer properties are still being investigated, synthesis of molecules such as curcuminmimic-2ST/Dibromohexane has created another step towards the synthetization of multiple sets of these conjugates. Our long-term goal is to test these compounds in clinical studies to prevent and treat breast cancer.