Education

Davidson College, B.S. (1982)
Wake Forest University, Ph.D. (1987)
Post Doctoral Fellowship, University of Vermont (1990)

Research Interests     

Drug-Induced Cytotoxicity in Neoplastic Cells

The general aim of my laboratory's research is to influence the potential for clinical trials through laboratory investigations of anticancer drugs or combinations of anticancer drugs that affect cellular proliferation through signaling pathways. In addition, the lab is interested in the synthesis and testing of novel chemotherapeutic agents that potentially have dual mechanisms of action and can overcome drug resistance in order to maximize tumor cell cytotoxicity. These new chemical entities are constructed by combining synthetic lipid molecules with chemotherapy agents. The goal is to improve the efficacy of the chemotherapy agent by increasing the bioavailability of the agent. In addition, the selection of the synthetic lipid carrier is important not only for the delivery of the chemotherapeutic agent but also for the modulation of signaling pathways specific for enhancing the activity of the chemotherapeutic agent.

Our research has shown that conjugation of small molecular weight compounds to synthetic phospholipids increases the half-life of the active drug moiety, decreases toxic side effects, delivers more active drug to diseased sites, and allows for the entry of drug into the CNS and lymphoid tissues. Furthermore, because of the specific nature of the synthetic phospholipid carrier molecules the prodrug conjugates can be given orally and they are only activated intracellularly. The results obtained from these laboratory investigations will be ushered into clinical pharmacologic studies and into clinical trials in patients with malignant disease.

Recent Publications

(out of 46 total)

Pickin, K.A., Alexander, R.L., Morrow, C.S., Morris-Natschke, S.L., Ishaq, K.S., Fleming, R.A., and Kucera, G.L.  Phospholipid/deoxycytidine analogue prodrugs for the treatment of cancer.  J. Drug Deliv. Sci. Tec. (in press).

Ma, Z., Choudhury, J.R., Wright, M.W., Day, C.S., Saluta, G., Kucera, G.L., Bierbach, U.  A Non-Cross-Linking Platinum-Acridine Agent with Potent Activity in Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer.  J. Med. Chem. 51: 7574–7580, 2008.

Ma, Z., Saluta, G., Kucera, G.L., and Bierbach, U.  Effect of linkage geometry on biological activity in thiourea- and guanidine-substituted acridines and platinum-acridines.  Bioorg. Med. Chem. Lett. 18:3799-3801, 2008.

Choudhury, J.R., Guddneppanavar, R., Saluta, G., Kucera, G.L., and Bierbach, U.  Tuning the DNA conformational perturbations induced by cytotoxic platinum-acridine bisintercalators: effect of metal cis/trans isomerism and DNA threading groups.  J. Med. Chem. 51:3069-3072, 2008.

Lentz, S.S., Miller, B.E., Kucera, G.L., and Levine, E.A.  Intraperitoneal Hyperthermic Chemotherapy Using Carboplatin: A Phase I Analysis in Ovarian Carcinoma.  Gynecol. Oncol.  106: 207-210, 2007.

Guddneppanavar, R., Choudhury, J.R., Kheradi, A.R., Steen, B.D., Saluta, G., Kucera, G.L., Day, C.S., and Bierbach, U.  Effect of the Diamine Nonleaving Group in Platinum-Acridinylthiourea Conjugates on DNA Damage and Cytotoxicity.  J. Med. Chem. 50:  2259-63, 2007.

Pitmann Barnes, A., Miller, B., and Kucera, G.L. Cyclooxygenase inhibition and hyperthermia for the potentiation of the cytotoxic response in ovarian cancer cells. Gynecol. Oncol. 104:  443-50, 2007.

Guddneppanavar, R., Saluta, G., Kucera, G.L., and Bierbach, U. Synthesis, Biological Activity, and DNA-Damage Profile of Platinum-Threading Intercalator Conjugates Designed to Target Adenine.  J. Med. Chem.  49:  3204-3214, 2006.

Alexander, R.L., Greene, B.T., Torti, S.V., and Kucera, G.L. A Novel Phospholipid Gemcitabine Conjugate is Able to Bypass Three Drug Resistance Mechanisms. Cancer Chemother. Pharmacol. 56: 15-21, 2005.

Alexander, R.L., and Kucera, G.L. Lipid Nucleoside Conjugates for the Treatment of Cancer.Curr. Pharm. Design 11:1079-1089, 2005.

Phone: 336-716-6348
e-mail address: gkucera@wfubmc.edu

Updated 12/19/08