Postdoctoral Research Initiatives

Fortilin

Stephen Martin, PhD - Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, The University of Texas at Austin
Ken Fujise, MD - Institute for Molecular Medicine, The University of Texas Health Science Center

Fortilin is a 172 amino-acid polypeptide with potent anti-apoptotic function. In a differential gene expression analysis between cancer cell lines exhibiting benign and malignant phenotypes, fortilin showed the strongest differential expression among 263 genes that were significantly up- or down-regulated. Fortilin is highly overexpressed in breast, prostate, lung cancers, and it seems likely that fortilin, by virtue of its anti-apoptotic activity, allows cancerous cells to be more aggressive and evade the tumor surveillance system of the host. These observations suggest that anti-fortilin agents might be powerful anti-cancer drugs, but no systematic effort to verify this exciting hypothesis has been undertaken. We have recently developed a facile and reliable screening method to identify compounds, especially small molecules, that interact with fortilin, and we have identified a lead compound. We will now systematically design and synthesize small molecular weight compounds that are related to the lead compound or that are identified by virtual screening and computational docking studies. These new compounds will be rapidly screened in both in vitro and in vivo systems. The ultimate goal will be to identify potent fortilin inhibitors that will be powerful anticancer agents.

Dr. Ken Fujise is Associate Professor of Medicine and of Molecular Medicine at Brown Foundation Institute of Molecular Medicine for the Prevention of Human Diseases and Division of Cardiology, within University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston. He also serve as a faculty member of Graduate School for Biomedical Sciences. Dr. Fujise is a practicing physician who pursues basic biomedical research studying the role of fortilin in atherosclerogenesis and tumorigenesis. Atherosclerogenesis and tumorigenesis share many signaling pathways in common. Fortilin was originally discovered in his laboratory as a novel anti-apoptotic molecule. Fortilin research in Dr. Fujise' s laboratory has been supported by National Institutes of Health, American Heart Association, and MacDonald General Research Fund. Dr. Fujise's laboratory is located in Sarofim Research Building at Brown Foundation Institute of Molecular Medicine.

Ken Fugise

Stephen Martin