# Gold-derived Therapeutic Compounds for Disease Application

> **NIH NIH R01** · UNIVERSITY OF KENTUCKY · 2022 · $70,311

## Abstract

Mitochondrial metabolism is crucial for physiological processes spanning cell signaling & growth, gene
expression, and immune response. At the same time, mitochondrial dysfunction contributes to
neurodegenerative, cardiovascular, ageing, and cancer progression. Current strategies with metal agents or
organic small-molecule probes that target mitochondria have either poor target potency (e.g metformin), unclear
mechanisms, or their toxicity (e.g rotenone) precludes in vivo application. Thus, potent, selective, and in vivo
tolerable chemical reagents are urgently needed. The major objective of our research program is to develop
novel gold-based compounds as agents that selectively alter and probe distinct mitochondrial
functions. The significance of this proposal is the development of new chemical modulators for the often-
intractable mitochondrial pathways including OXPHOS. Our research program has made significant
contributions already by developing biologically active gold compounds that either inhibit OXPHOS (AuDTC),
increase OXPHOS and mitochondrial biogenesis, or modify mitochondrial structure in vitro and in vivo. We have
made foundational discoveries regarding mitochondrial metabolism in triple negative breast cancer (TNBC),
defined how complex I impact cellular processes, developed cutting-edge tools to determine the underlying
cellular mechanisms, and established therapeutic platforms to inhibit mitochondrial complex I. We hypothesize
that mitochondrial metabolism are a driving force for disease progression in TNBC. Defining the
mechanisms of mitochondrial metabolism in TNBC provides insights into the dependence of aggressive tumors
on mitochondria for growth. This supplement will allow Mr. Omar Bojang to further hone his skills in translational
therapeutics. His results will assist in determining the role of mitochondrial complex I inhibition in TNBC. He will
look at modifications of lead AuDTC compound in perturbing the mitochondrial mechanisms at the molecular
level and establish novel therapeutic modalities at the organismal level.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10598722
- **Project number:** 3R01CA258421-02S1
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF KENTUCKY
- **Principal Investigator:** Samuel Gorman Awuah
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2022
- **Award amount:** $70,311
- **Award type:** 3
- **Project period:** 2021-08-04 → 2026-07-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10598722

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10598722, Gold-derived Therapeutic Compounds for Disease Application (3R01CA258421-02S1). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10598722. Licensed CC0.

---

*[NIH grants dataset](/datasets/nih-grants) · CC0 1.0*