Team of students and their professor make strides in cancer research

When not at the lab burning holes in their clothes, one professor and a duo of UCF students are helping research new ways to battle cancer.

College of Medicine professor Otto Phanstiel, doctorate of chemistry student Aaron Muth and undergraduate biology major Joseph Kamel presented their research at the most recent American Chemical Society regional meeting in New Orleans.

The team's research was on polyamines, which are molecules that are present in all living cells that are made or imported to facilitate growth within that cell.

"Polyamines are used in almost every compound that looked very similar to other compounds that we were making in our lab and we embarked on the total synthesis of that compound," Phanstiel said.

While Phanstiel knew plenty about polyamines, Muth, as an undergraduate student, began looking for projects to work on and found Phanstiel's research on polyamine transport activity, which is especially prevalent in colon and pancreatic cancers, the most appealing.

"I knew that I wanted to do something with a heavy organic chemistry component, but also have applications to the medical field so his research stood out to me in that aspect," Muth said.

Muth has been working with Phanstiel for more than two years. Alongside Muth was Kamel, who was new to working in a lab and doing research. Together they focused on the organic synthesis of a compound to make it pure and test it biologically with different cancer cell lines.

"Going in, I literally had no idea what they were and now I have a much better understanding," Kamel said.

Despite the duo's initial lack of knowledge, Phanstiel was there to guide the duo, giving them advice along the way and helping th em with their problems.

"He's very patient," said Kamel, who has been working with the professor for a year. "You can make mistakes left and right and he does not care. He just wants to teach and learn."

After a busy summer spending nearly six days a week in the lab, the group is hoping to see their research be utilized and put onto the market, but for now it's a waiting game that revolves around grants for funding, which Phanstiel is in the process of obtaining so they can continue their research.

"In research, it's kind of a never-ending story," Phanstiel said. "You're always looking to improve."

Whatever happens, Muth is happy to have been an integral part of the whole thing.

"It's very satisfying when you see something become a success and it's something that you did," he said.