Event

Chemical Society Seminar: Inositol Phosphate Analogues Play a Trick on a C. difficile toxin, Dr. Bastien Castagner

Tuesday, March 22, 2016 13:00to14:30
Maass Chemistry Building Rm 10, 801 rue Sherbrooke Ouest, Montreal, QC, H3A 0B8, CA

Inositol phosphates are ubiquitous intracellular molecules in eukaryotes. They play important roles in essential processes such as signalling. In addition, some bacterial toxins such as the clinically relevant Clostridium difficile toxin B (TcdB) utilize inositol hexakisphosphate as a trigger for an intracellular auto-processing step that is important in the pathogenesis. We have prepared analogues of inositol phosphate that are capable of inducing premature TcdB auto-processing that result in inactive toxin. These molecules constitute an exciting therapeutic avenue against this alarming hospital infection. We are also exploring other interesting properties of the inositol phosphates, such as their strong interaction with inorganic material such as calcium phosphates, which has implication in drug delivery and bone targeting.

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