Laurence H Hurley, PhD

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Professor Emeritus, Pharmacology & Toxicology
Biography
Laurence Hurley is Professor Emeritus of medicinal chemistry at the University of Arizona. After obtaining his PhD at Purdue University, he was a postdoc in the Chemistry Department at the University of British Columbia. He has held appointments at the Universities of Maryland, Kentucky, and Texas (Austin), and since 2000 he has been at the University of Arizona, where he has served as Co-Director of the Molecular Therapeutics Program at the Arizona Cancer Center. His long-time research interest is in molecular targeting of DNA, first by covalent binders (CC-1065 and psorospermin), then as compounds that target protein–DNA complexes (pluramycins and Et 743), and most recently as four-stranded DNA structures (G-quadruplexes).
Cancer Focus
Dr. Hurley’s present research interests are in the areas of design and development of antitumor agents. Most recently his research has centered on secondary DNA structures, particularly G-quadruplexes and C-quadruplexes (also called i-motifs), as gene targets for drug design. While he was CSO of Cylene Pharmaceuticals a first-in-class G-quadruplex-interactive compound (Quarfloxin), developed from this technology and licensed from the University of Arizona, was advanced into phase 1 and 2 clinical trials in 2007.
Selected Publications
Kaiser, C. E., N. A. Van Ert, P. Agrawal, R. Chawla, D. Yang, and L. H. Hurley, "Insight into the Complexity of the i-Motif and G-Quadruplex DNA Structures Formed in the KRAS Promoter and Subsequent Drug-Induced Gene Repression.", J Am Chem Soc, vol. 139, issue 25, pp. 8522-8536, 2017 06 28. PMCID: PMC5978000 PMID: 28570076
Brown, R. V., T. Wang, V. Reddy Chappeta, G. Wu, B. Onel, R. Chawla, H. Quijada, S. M. Camp, E. T. Chiang, Q. R. Lassiter, et al., "The Consequences of Overlapping G-Quadruplexes and i-Motifs in the Platelet-Derived Growth Factor Receptor β Core Promoter Nuclease Hypersensitive Element Can Explain the Unexpected Effects of Mutations and Provide Opportunities for Selective Targeting...", J Am Chem Soc, vol. 139, issue 22, pp. 7456-7475, 2017 06 07. PMCID: PMC5977998 PMID: 28471683
Kendrick, S., A. Muranyi, V. Gokhale, L. H. Hurley, and L. M. Rimsza, "Simultaneous Drug Targeting of the Promoter MYC G-Quadruplex and BCL2 i-Motif in Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma Delays Tumor Growth.", J Med Chem, vol. 60, issue 15, pp. 6587-6597, 2017 08 10. PMID: 28605593
Sutherland, C., Y. Cui, H. Mao, and L. H. Hurley, "A Mechanosensor Mechanism Controls the G-Quadruplex/i-Motif Molecular Switch in the MYC Promoter NHE III.", J Am Chem Soc, vol. 138, issue 42, pp. 14138-14151, 2016 Oct 26. PMID: 27669098
Kang, H-J., Y. Cui, H. Yin, A. Scheid, W. P. D. Hendricks, J. Schmidt, A. Sekulic, D. Kong, J. M. Trent, V. Gokhale, et al., "A Pharmacological Chaperone Molecule Induces Cancer Cell Death by Restoring Tertiary DNA Structures in Mutant hTERT Promoters.", J Am Chem Soc, vol. 138, issue 41, pp. 13673-13692, 2016 Oct 19. PMID: 27643954