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Author
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Peter Krutzik began
to do research as a member of the Chamberlin Group because
the project was a way of incorporating his two passions
of chemistry and biology. Working on this project was exciting
and challenging for Peter, giving him the "confidence
to pursue a future career in research." He feels that
his participation in research as an undergraduate has enhanced
his educational experience by allowing him to apply the
knowledge he has gained through his academic career. Peter
advises students considering research to ask "one
simple question…How much do you really want to learn?
If the answer is `everything,' undergraduate research is
the place to begin."
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Abstract
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Due
to their prevalence at brain synapses and their role
in eliciting excitatory responses upon binding glutamate,
glutamate receptors (GluRs) have recently become the
focus of much neurological research. Of particular interest
is the AMPA subclass of glutamate receptors present largely
in the hippocampus, the putative memory center of the
human brain. It has been found that by potentiating,
or up-modulating, the response of AMPA receptors, learning
and memory processes can be enhanced. In this study,
various analogs of an AMPA desensitization-inhibiting
compound, benzothiadiazine DP-60, were synthesized in
an attempt to find a better drug candidate. Of the drugs
synthesized, 2-hydroxyethyl-DP-60 (18b) and 2-acetonitrile-DP-60
(16) were found to be active inhibitors of desensitization.
The various synthetic routes employed also expand current
understanding of the reactivity of the benzothiadiazine
ring.
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Faculty
Mentor
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Peter Krutzik began
his research in my laboratory working on a project designed
to discover new compounds that might improve memory. For
many older people, including some of us "absent minded
professors," such a drug could make a significant
difference in our daily lives. A key element in the search
for any drug is stringing together entirely new molecules,
as Peter has done on this project. A typical characteristic
of this type of research, whether in an academic laboratory
or at a large pharmaceutical company, is that it requires
a joint effort between chemists and biologists working
as a team. It is hard work, and no one knows what is just
around the next corner. But that is part of the excitement,
along with the possibility that something we dream up could
truly improve the quality of life for many people.
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If
you wish to view the paper in its entirety, please select
the link given to the PDF file. [Peter
Krutzik.pdf]
If you wish to download the Adobe Acrobat Reader,
please go to Adobes website (www.adobe.com). |
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Copyright
© 1999
by the Regents of the University of California. All rights reserved.
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