Abram Axelrod

Title:

Assistant Professor

PhD Granting Institution:

University of Texas at Austin

Contact:

Email Address: aaxelro@purdue.edu
Lab Website Link: https://www.chem.purdue.edu/axelrod/

Primary Training Group:

Chemical Biology

Secondary Training Groups:

Microbiology, Immunology and Infectious Diseases

Research Areas:

Research in our Laboratory focuses on developing new chemistries to enable the preparation of small-molecules, glycoproteins, and oligosaccharides capable of modulating the immune system and combating cancers. The projects we investigate are chosen based on the complexity and broader applicability of the involved chemistry, its ability to probe a significant biological problem, and the greater implications for translational research. This begins with the development of novel synthetic methods or tactics making difficult chemistry accessible, accelerating pharmacological investigation and discovery, especially in the context of material unreachable through isolation or expression-based methods. Fundamentally, we look for problems where unique chemical approaches function as the proper tools to manipulate and interrogate biological systems. Our long-term goals are to impact immunology and drug discovery (with clinicians), concurrently expanding our methodological ability to make molecules in a predictable and selective fashion.

Current Projects:

Our current work is focused on: (a) Catalytic carbohydrate synthesis toward the preparation of immunomodulatory oligosaccharides which remodel the tumor microenvironment, activate natural killer (NK) cell functions, inhibit primary and secondary lung cancers, and target inflammatory bowel diseases. (b) Total synthesis of tumor inhibiting natural products, alkaloids capable of restoring normal p53 functions, and have anti-pancreatic cancer activities.