32nd Annual Student Research Conference
APOBEC3B: A Promising Drug Target to Reduce Cancer Mutation Rates
Zachary D. Smith
Dr. Bill R. Miller, Faculty Mentor
Cancer is highly abundant and causes much suffering in today’s society. APOBEC3B is an enzyme implicated in many cancers such as breast, liver, and colon. This protein is a DNA cytosine deaminase and converts cytosine, a DNA base, to uridine, an RNA base. This enzyme causes increased rates of DNA mutations and makes these cancers more difficult to treat. Finding a potential molecule to stop this DNA conversion and inhibit the function of APOBEC3B can assist doctors in treating cancers more accurately. Using computer modeling, the enzyme can be analyzed at the atomic level for interactions with potential inhibitory molecules. This analysis is useful for the drug development process by decreasing the number of potential inhibitors to test and can assist researchers in developing anti-cancer drugs. The project has found several potential inhibitors of APOBEC3B that have been analyzed and ranked based on their binding affinity to the enzyme.
Keywords: Drug Development, Molecular Physics, Protein analysis
Topic(s):Chemistry
Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
Biology
Presentation Type: Oral Paper
Session: 211-4
Location: MC 212
Time: 11:00