Sara Baltser, FCLC 2024

MAJOR: Integrative Neuroscience

BIO: Sara Baltser was born and raised in Moscow, Russia. She is currently a senior at Fordham University studying Integrative Neuroscience and is on the Pre-Health track. After graduating in May, she plans to pursue a Doctor of Pharmacy degree and hopes to work in the pharmaceutical industry.

PROJECT TITLE: The Synthesis of Potentially Broad-Spectrum Inhibitors of Herpesviridae

MENTOR: Dr. Martin Di Grandi, Department of Natural Sciences

ABSTRACT: Background:  Some of the more common members of Herpesviridae, a family of nine double stranded DNA viruses that afflict humans, are herpes simplex (HSV) 1 and 2, and varicella zoster (VZV), all alpha herpesviruses; cytomegalovirus (CMV), a beta herpesvirus; and Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), a gamma herpesvirus.  All herpesviruses contain an essential viral protein known as the portal protein, which is critical to the packaging and release of viral DNA during infection.  These proteins possess remarkable structural and functional relatedness across all known members of this virus family.  Taken together, we believe the essential role these proteins play in replication and their structural similarity make them a viable target for a broad-spectrum anti-viral agent. 

Proposal:  The lead structure (3, WAY-150138) and its congeners for this project have been demonstrated to have cell-based activity against several variants of human herpesviruses (HHV).  The scope of this project is to a) prepare viable quantities of WAY-150138 and related analogs for screening against a panel Herpesviruses; and b) test these analogs in several animal infection models to probe for broad-spectrum activity.

Conclusions:  We have worked out the chemistry to produce gram quantities of the lead structure as well as all necessary intermediates for related analogs and have developed a chiral route to a key intermediate.