Taxol and the Pacific Yew Tree Tayler Barnard

Taxol and the Pacific Yew Tree { Tayler Barnard and Sydney Allison barnardt@email. appstate. edu allisonsn@email. appstate. edu Summer Bridge 2013, Appalachian State University

Extract from the Pacific Yew Tree Used for cancer treatments Taxol named after the botanical name for Yew tree, Taxus brevifolia What is Taxol

Found in the 1960’s by Jonathon Hartwell Arthur Barclay isolated the active compound Natural Products Laboratory discovered what the identity of the active compound was The History of Taxol

Discovered using X-ray crystallography Cancer cells contain protein Bcl-2, which allows the cancer cells to continue multiplying Protein Bcl-2 stops apoptosis Taxol binds to protein Bcl-2 http: //www. pnas. org/content/100/11/6394/F 1. expa nsion. html The Structure of Taxol

1983 – initial phase I studies abandoned Taxol formulated in cremophor Neutropenia is combined with Taxol and limits Taxol’s toxicity Need to be paired with another chemical with exact dosing Most promising drug Clinical Trials http: //ksj. mit. edu/tracker/2007/10/apreuters-houston-chronicle-taxol-works

Helps mostly ovarian and breast cancer The meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology in San Diego in 1992 Taxol and Cancer http: //www. readcube. com/articles/10. 1038/onc. 2009. 24? locale=en

1 kg of Taxol requires 9000 kg of bark from 2 -3 thousand trees Need about 3 trees to help one patient Trees are limited and they are slow growing Cutting down large amounts of trees lead to their extinction Putting the Pacific Yew Tree in Danger

Make Synthetic Taxol A group of French scientists developed a way to make 10 -DAB, a “relative” to Taxol Use pine needles from English Yew to get 10 -DAB http: //www. paigntonpictures. com/Path. To Synthesis/Semisynthesis. html Florida State University scientists used taxusin, to make synthetic Taxol Developed fully synthetic Taxol Saving the Pacific Yew Tree Taxol

1. "The Story of Taxol. " Pharmacognosy. N. p. . Web. 28 Jul 2013. <http: //www. pharmacognosy. us/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/The-Story-of. Taxol. pdf>. 2. "Serendipity: Cell Structure Study Uncovers Taxol's Secrets. " National Science Foundation, 07 Jan 1999. Web. 28 Jul 2013. 3. "Taxol. " Lancet. 339. 8807 (06/13/1992): 1447. Web. 28 Jul. 2013. 4. Stephenson, Frank. "A Tale of Taxol. " Florida State Office of Research, n. d. Web. 28 Jul 2013. 5. Kolata, Gina. "Tree Yields a Cancer Treatment, But Ecological Cost May Be High. " The New York Times, 13 May 1991. Web. 28 Jul 2013. 6. "About Pacilitaxel. " Vital Aid Net. N. p. . Web. 28 Jul 2013. <http: //www. bionethealth. com/about-pacilitaxel/>. References

Dr. Rahman Tashakkori Dr. Alexander D. Schwab Professor Nathan Weigl Dr. Katrina Palmer Professor David Sittar Dr. Cindy Norris Dr. Jennifer Burris Zachary Andrews Kristen Vroom Noah Hughes Michael Kelly Appalachian State University Academy of Science Summer Bridge Program National Science Foundation Acknowledgements