NEWS IN BRIEF: Professor discovers new drug-synthesis process

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Associate Professor of Chemistry Marco Ciufolini, along with graduate student Frank Roshangar, created the new process for making the antitumor drug camptothecin. Preliminary studies have shown experimental camptothecin derivatives to be effective against breast, ovarian, liver and lung cancers.

"Our synthesis is the gateway toan entire family of analogs and derivatives," Ciufolini said. "One can be certain as time goes on that we'll see more and more improved products."

The Rice team's process involves fewer steps then previous methods while increasing the overall yield of the product.

"If any camptothecin derivative should turn out to be a good drug, our synthesis will be able to make it, and lots of it," Ciufolini said.

This item appeared in the News section of the September 20, 1996 issue.

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