Research Programs: Carcinogenesis and Chemoprevention
Assistant Professor, Department of Medicinal Chemistry, College of Pharmacy

sturl002@umn.edu
612-626-0496 — office
612-626-3485 — lab
Preferred method of contact: E-mail

Research Interests

Research in the Sturla lab is focused on understanding mechanisms by which environmental chemicals initiate the development of cancer, as well as how natural and synthetic agents can be used to treat and prevent cancer. We are investigating the role of bioactivation and DNA damage in chlorophenol carcinogenesis and natural-product derived chemotherapeutic agents. This program unites contemporary research in organic, medicinal, and analytical chemistry with the study of carcinogenesis.

For more information, see the Sturla Research Group Web site:
http://www.medicinal-chemistry.org/?q=node/2

Selected Publications

Liu X, Moody EC, Hecht SS, Sturla SJ. Deoxygenated phosphorothioate inositol phosphate analogs: Synthesis, phosphatase stability, and binding affinity. Bioorg Med Chem. [Epub ahead of print .

Sturla SJ, Irwin JJ, Leoppky RN, Mulvihill MJ, Searcey M. Chemistry in cancer research: a vital partnership. Cancer Res. 2007;67:6539-43.

Sturla S J. DNA-adduct profiles: Chemical approaches to addressing small molecule-DNA damage. Curr Opin Chem Biol. 2007;11:293-9.

Vaidyanathan, V. G.; Villalta, P. W.; Sturla, S. J. Nucleobase-dependent Reactivity of a Quinone Metabolite of Pentachlorophenol Chem. Res. Toxicol., 2007;20:913-919 .

Gong, J.; Sturla, S. J. A Synthetic Nucleoside Probe that Discerns a DNA Adduct from Unmodified DNA J. Amer. Chem. Soc., 2007, 129, 4882-4883.

Gong, J.; Vaidyanathan, V. G.; Yu, X.; Kensler, T. W.; Peterson, L. A.; Sturla, S. J. Depurinating Acylfulvene-DNA Adducts: Characterizing Cellular Chemical Reactions of a Selective Antitumor Agent. J. Amer. Chem. Soc., 2007, 129, 2101-2111.

Gong J, Neels JF, Yu X, Kensler TW, Peterson LA, Sturla SJ. Investigating the role of stereochemistry in the activity of anticancer acylfulvenes: synthesis, reductase-mediated bioactivation, and cellular toxicity. J Med Chem. 2006;49:2593-2599.

Nguyen TNT, Bertagnolli AD, Villalta PW, Bählmann P, Sturla SJ. Characterization of a deoxyguanosine adduct of tetrachlorobenzoquinone: Dichlorobenzoquinone-1,N2-etheno-2'-deoxyguanosine. Chem Res Toxicol. 2005;18:1770-1776.

Sturla SJ, Scott J, Lao YB, Hecht SS, Villalta PW. Mass spectrometric analysis of relative levels of pyridyloxobutylation adducts formed in the reaction of DNA with a chemically activated form of the tobacco-specific carcinogen 4-(methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone. Chem. Res. Toxicol. 2005;18:1048-1055.