Synthesis of Antitumor Natural Products

描述（由申请人提供）：本研究的主要目的是通过合成具有抗肿瘤活性的天然产物，包括软海绵素、海绵抑素和菌内酯，对有机化学和医学做出重大贡献。我们相信有机化学的力量，特别是有机合成的力量，是通过挑战复杂的系统来最有效地扩展的，医学的许多进步当然依赖于化学力量的扩展。更具体地说，研究工作将首先致力于开发某些天然产物的通用、灵活和有效的合成方法，然后将这些方法应用于它们的类似物和衍生物的合成。这些研究将为开发更好的抗肿瘤药物和/或将有助于以可接受的成本为患者提供新的抗癌药物提供线索。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The major objective of this research is to make significant contributions to organic chemistry and medicine through synthetic studies of the natural products with antitumor activity, including the halichondrins, the spongistatins, and the mycolactones. We believe that the power of organic chemistry, especially organic synthesis, is most effectively extended by challenging complex systems, and much of the progress of medicine certainly depends upon the extension of the power of chemistry. More specifically, research efforts will be made first to develop general, flexible, and efficient syntheses of certain natural products and then to apply these to the synthesis of their analogs and derivatives. These studies will provide clues for developing better antitumor drugs and/or will help to deliver a new anticancer drug to patients at an acceptable cost.