Dr. Laura Hanold receives UFHCC Research Symposium trainee award

Postdoctoral associate Laura E. Hanold, Ph.D., won a UF Health Cancer Center trainee award at the organization’s Virtual Research Symposium, Dec. 8-10. Hanold, whose faculty mentor is medicinal chemistry professor Jane Aldrich, Ph.D., was one of 14 trainee winners from the university’s health colleges.

Laura Hanold, Ph.D.
Laura Hanold, Ph.D.

Hanold’s research presentation was titled, “Exploring the role of the Macrocyclic Peptide [D-Trp]CJ-15,208 in the c-Myc Degradation Pathway.” The research focuses on understanding how the peptide — “[D-Trp]CJ-15,208” — reduces cancer cell proliferation and decreases cellular levels of c-Myc, a protein whose dysregulation contributes to cancer growth and survival.

Hanold examined the peptide’s effects on proteins that regulate c-Myc degradation and identified a set of proteins that were altered by its treatment. Like c-Myc, these proteins are frequently dysregulated in cancer. This information provides insight into the peptide’s mechanism of action, which may help guide the development of promising anti-cancer agents.