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Document Type
Poster
Publication Date
2-2026
Abstract
Cancer is a broad term encompassing hundreds of distinct diseases, each arising from unique genetic and environmental factors. Because of this diversity, there is a continual need to develop new chemotherapies. Oral cancer, in particular, remains one of the most common cancers worldwide, yet effective therapeutic options for this malignancy remain limited. Although billions of dollars are invested annually in cancer drug discovery in the United States, the process of evaluating and advancing candidate compounds often represents a critical bottleneck, leading many promising therapies to be abandoned before their full potential is understood. In collaboration with the Hansen lab, we have embarked on a study to characterize candidate molecules developed through diversity-oriented synthesis. To evaluate their potential to move from the lab to the clinic, we sought to identify the in vitro behavior and dose-dependent response of three compounds against HN6, an aggressive oral cancer cell line. We observed rapid accumulation of two fluorescently conjugated compounds, hexylamine-BOPIDY and a hexylamine stereoisomer conjugated to BODIPY. Using both time-lapse and widefield microscopy, we observed rapid and specific accumulation of these compounds in a perinuclear pattern. We compared the anticancer activity of these compounds using a colorimetric viability assay. Both compounds demonstrate potent cellular toxicity, and conjugation with the BODIPY tag enhanced cytotoxic effects over the unconjugated compound.
Department
Department of Biology at DePauw University
Project Mentor
Dr. Colleen Doçi
Recommended Citation
Neven, Lydia '27 and Pittman, Dominic '26, "Investigating the Effects of Novel Hexylamine Compounds on HN6 Carcinoma Cell Survival" (2026). Annual Student Research Poster Session. 243.
https://scholarship.depauw.edu/srfposters/243
Funding and Acknowledgements
Department of Biology at DePauw University.