Professor Emeritus
Depts. Biochemistry and Pharmacology
Tufts University School of Medicine
136 Harrison Avenue
Boston, MA 02111
Phone: 617-636-6869
Email: Roy.Kisliuk@Tufts.edu

Research Interests:

Work in Dr. Kisliuk's laboratory concerns the discovery and evaluation of antifolate agents as anticancer and antiparasitic agents. Compounds are evaluated as enzyme inhibitors and as inhibitors of cell growth. Combinations of antifolate agents have been found which are strongly synergistic. The synergism is enhanced by increasing the concentration of folic acid. Synergism is quantitated using rigorous statistical methods which can be used in evaluating combinations in which the individual drugs have dose-response curves which differ. Experiments are designed to determine the mechanism of the synergistic interactions.

Recent Publications:

Gangjee, A., Vidwans, A., Elzein, E., McGuire, J.J., Queener, S.F., and Kisliuk, R.L. Synthesis, Antifolate and Antitumor Activities of Classical and Nonclassical 2-Amino-4oxo-5-substituted Pyrrolo[2,3-d] pyrimidines. J. Med. Chem. 44(2): 1993-2003, 2001.

Gangjee, A., Dubash, N.P., and Kisliuk, R.L. Synthesis of Novel, Nonclassical 2-amino-4-oxo-6(arylthio)ethylpyrrolo[2,3-d]pyrimidines as Potential Inhibitors of Thymidylate Synthase. J. Heterocyclic Chem. 38(2):349-354, 2001.

Gangjee, A., Yu, J., McGuire, J.J., Cody, V., Galitsky, N., Kisliuk, R.L. and Queener, S.F. Design, Synthesis and X-ray Crystal Structure of a Potent Dual Inhibitor of Thymidylate Synthase and Dihydrofolate Reductase as an Antitumor Agent. J. Med. Chem. 43(21):3837-3851, 2000.

Kisliuk, R.L. Synergistic Interactions Among Antifolates. Pharmacology and Therapeutics. 85(3):183-190, 2000.