On December 11, 2014, Bob Vince won the Impact Award for his development of the ground-breaking AIDS drug, Ziagen. At the ceremony, Made in Minnesota: Celebrating University Innovators, President Kaler awarded Prof. Vince with a trophy for his innovative work. This inaugural award was given by the Office of Vice President Research (OVPR). In the video below Prof. Vince discusses his innovation.
How many millions of lives has Dr. Robert Vince saved? It’s hard to put an exact number on it, but millions certainly, if not a good deal more. Vince invents drugs, and before he invented the anti-viral drug Ziagen, now known by its generic name abacavir, HIV/AIDS was a fast death sentence. Ziagen was the first drug specifically designed to combat AIDS that worked. Vince invented other anti-viral drugs, which when taken together, can make the disease more manageable and dramatically reduce transmission of HIV from infected pregnant mothers to their babies.
According to proverb, the eyes are the windows to the soul. According to researchers, they might also be windows to brain disease. Swati S. More and Robert Vince of the University of Minnesota’s Center for Drug Design have developed a noninvasive imaging technique that tracks accumulation of the Alzheimer’s peptide, amyloid-β, in the eye. Read full article by Lauren K. Wolf at: http://z.umn.edu/ssmrveyetest
CDD started offering its first course: HIV Drug Discovery. The course has been designed to cultivate an understanding of virology, medicinal chemistry, pharmacology, and regulatory aspects related to HIV drug discovery. Details at: http://z.umn.edu/ahs5100
Recently, University of Minnesota Center for Drug Design member, organic chemist and assistant professor Liqiang Chen, published a paper in the Journal of Medicinal Chemistry outlining the discovery of a potent and selective protein-inhibitor. Blocking the protein, Sirtuin 2 (SIRT2), also has the potential to block a primary contributor to Parkinson’s disease from causing harm. Full article by Miranda Taylor at: http://z.umn.edu/lcparkinsons
Even in the harshest conditions, life finds a way to thrive. University of Minnesota researchers have been studying microorganisms living in the Soudan Underground Mine, 224 miles north of the Twin Cities. For about five years, they’ve catalogued the organisms capable of living there despite the mine’s harsh conditions, and they hope that their discoveries will lead them to new treatments for disease and new technology. Full article by Kristoffer Tigue at: http://z.umn.edu/soudanmines
Even though sun damage may be the furthest thing from your mind right now, don’t let the cool weather fool you. Irreversible skin damage can happen all year round and excessive exposure to the damaging ultraviolet (UV) rays of the sun can have many adverse effects. So, just wear sunscreen, right? Well, here’s the kicker. Recent studies suggest that once exposed to UV, commercial sunscreens begin to breakdown. This breakdown not only compromises the sunscreen’s effectiveness, but the by-products can actually be harmful to the skin!
University of Minnesota researchers have found that two cancer drugs combined in pill form can be used to fight HIV. The research, published Aug. 30, still has a long road ahead before the pill can be tested on humans — a road that will take years to travel. “The road is littered with the carcasses of failed drug treatments,” said Dr. Keith Henry, director of HIV research at the Hennepin County Medical Center.
Chemical weapons like anthrax, sarin, mustard and ricin often make headlines, but what about the threat of a terrorist attack unleashing cyanide? Research undertaken by Steve Patterson, PhD, of the University of Minnesota’s Center for Drug Design, and colleagues have discovered a promising new alternative antidote. And this antidote could be self-administered, like the average allergy injection pens. Using a simpler procedure means a far larger number of cyanide victims in a mass casualty incident could be rapidly treated.
The Annual Chu Lecture for 2013, hosted by the University of Georgia College of Pharmacy explored "Acyclonucleosides to Ziagen: A Journey." Presented by Robert Vince, director of the Center for Drug Design at the University of Minnesota, it was held on March 6, at the Pharmacy South building. A reception was held after the talk, and the public was invited to attend. Full article by Sheila Roberson at: http://z.umn.edu/chulecturevince