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| 7/11/2008 11:07:00 AM | Email this article • Print this article | SPHS graduate does cancer research
LAURI ZACHRY
Education Reporter
Instead of basking in the lazy days of summer, Jennifer Pitzen is helping to discover a cancer treatment drug without the harmful side effects of current anti-tumor medications.
Pitzen, a junior chemistry major at Southwestern University and a 2006 graduate of Stony Point High School, is working with Frank Guziec, professor of chemistry, to synthesize bis-anthrapyrazoles, which are potential anti-tumor agents. The bis-anthrapyrazoles can stop cancerous tumor growth without the same side effects as current anti-tumor agents, called anthraquinones. Anthraquinones, which are more commonly known as chemotherapy drugs such as Doxorubicin and Daunorubicin, cause side effects such as heart damage.
Pitzen will work two weeks on the project and then pick up where she left off on the project in the fall. She has been working on the project for six weeks and is adding to the research of Southwestern graduate Kyle Marshall. Pharmacy students at the University of Manitoba in Canada are conducting the biological testing for this project.
"One of the benefits of going to a small school is we get to do this research as undergrad students," Pitzen said.
Pitzen's research is through the Welch Summer Research Program funded by the Robert A. Welch Foundation of Houston. The summer research program pays for student housing, chemicals and research for the summer projects.
The Welch Foundation has funded the summer research program in Southwestern's Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry since 1985.
Thirteen students were selected to participate in the program this year.
Guziec said the goal of this project is make cancer drugs more effective so patients can take doses of them and not run the risks of side effects, such as heart disease. He said the bis-anthrapyrazoles will bind more effectively to human DNA and be more effective than anthraquinones.
"Jennifer will be working on the next generation of this study," Guziec said. "To be able to do complex synthesis in the lab so quickly is remarkable. We have some talented Round Rock ISD students who have been part of this program and have gone on to finish medical school and graduate school."
Guziec said Pitzen will present her work regarding the anti-tumor agents in the future at a National American Chemical Society meeting. He also anticipated her work will be published in a peer-reviewed medical and cancer journal in the future.
Pitzen's love of science grew while attending Stony Point after she took Advanced Placement chemistry.
"I've always enjoyed science, especially when I was younger," Pitzen said. "I really love organic chemistry because you get to do things like actually mix chemicals instead of just putting things into a machine and then pushing a lot buttons. The professors here are amazing and really love what they are teaching. It makes it that much easier to enjoy science."
Along with working on the anti-tumor agent project this week, Pitzen and other Welch Summer Research Program students completed science outreach activities at the Boys and Girls Club of Georgetown, Kid City and Getsemani Community Center. All of these venues have summer programs designed for children in the Georgetown community who may not normally have the opportunity for "camp-like" experiences.
Pitzen volunteered at the Boys and Girls Club of Georgetown, teaching approximately 90 students science experiments and lessons.
Some of the lessons students learned were that oil and water don't mix and droplets of food coloring won't mix if placed on a pool of milk. However, if soap is mixed in with the food coloring, the droplets will mix in with the pool of milk.
After graduating from Southwestern, Pitzen plans to attend medical school.
She is a junior chemistry major at Southwestern and hopes to attend medical school after graduation.
"Research is still fun even though your research never goes right the first time," Pitzen said.
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