Benzimidazole synthesis for anti-cancer therapeutics

Abstract

Cancer is a continuous barrier than many individuals know and face today. There are on average 1.8 million newly diagnosed cancer cases every year in the Unites States. Around a third of those individuals will die because of it. Due to the overall impact this disease has on individuals, finding treatment is a large priority in science. Dr. Mereddy’s lab utilizes organic synthesis and purification techniques to yield effective anti-cancer therapeutics. In particular, the formulation of benzimidazoles has become one of the current focuses within the lab. Benzimidazoles are privileged organic structures that occur in a wide variety of therapeutics. Some instances of benzimidazoles are used to treat viral infections, inflammation, and more importantly cancer. Utilization of varying benzaldehydes within the below reaction scheme resulted in unique benzimidazoles. By altering the given functional group(s), each benzimidazole yielded varying levels of effectiveness on cancer inhibition. Each formulated drug was tested on cancer cells in vitro following purification steps and 1H NMR analysis. The cell lines used for testing were WiDr, MCF-7, MDA-MB-231, and 4T1. A measurement known as the IC50 value was used to determine the most effective anti-cancer agent(s). Synthesized benzimidazoles that yielded high activity may be utilized in further studies to optimize its activity and targeted delivery.