Samantha Yee

Research

My current research focuses on evaluating the pharmacological and physiological effects of a novel class of microtubule stabilizers, the taccalonolides, in both in vitro and in vivo cancer models. The taccalonolides are natural products that have superior efficacy to clinically approved microtubule targeting agents in drug-resistant tumor models, as a result of its covalent interaction with tubulin that promotes distinct effects on the microtubule polymer. Ultimately, the goals of my work are 1) to identify an optimal taccalonolide for future clinical development and 2) elucidate the molecular and cell biological mechanisms underlying the antitumor efficacy of this novel class of drugs.

Affiliations

Professional Affiliations:

2014- Present              SLU Tri-Beta National Biological Honor Society- Member
2018- Present              American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) – Associate Member
2019- Present              National Ovarian Cancer Coalition: San Antonio Chapter- Member

Publications

Yee, S.S. and Risinger, A.L. Efficacy of a covalent microtubule stabilizer in taxane-resistant ovarian cancer models. Molecules. 2021, 26, 4077. https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules26134077

Stanton, N.A., Foultz, G., Contreras, J., Hastings, S.D., Yee, S.S., Arman, H.D., Risinger, A.L. Frantz, D.E. Synthesis and Biological Evaluations of a Novel Class of Electro-phillic Steroids Inspired by the Taccalonolide Covalent Microtubule Stabilizers. ACS Medicinal Chemistry Letters. 2020 Nov 20; 11(12): 2534-2543. doi: 10.1021/acsmedchemlett.0c00534. PMID: 33335677; PMCID: PMC7734803.

Yee, S.S., Du, L., Risinger, A.L. Taccalonolide Microtubule Stabilizers. Prog Chem Org Nat Prod. 2020;112:183-206. doi: 10.1007/978-3-030-52966-6_3. PMID: 33306174; PMCID: PMC7800047.

Du, L.*, Yee, S.S.*, Ramachandran, K., Risinger, A.L. Elucidating target specificity of the taccalonolide covalent microtubule stabilizers employing a combinatorial chemical approach. Nat Commun. 2020 Jan 31;11(1):654. doi: 10.1038/s41467-019-14277-w. PMID: 32005831; PMCID: PMC6994698. *co-first author

Sharp, A.M, Lertphinyowong, S., Yee, S.S., Paredes, D., Gelfond, J., Johnson-Pais, T.L., Leach, R.J., Liss, M., Risinger, A.L., Sullivan, A.C., Thompson, I.M., Morilak, D.A. Vortioxetine reverses medial prefrontal cortex-mediated cognitive deficits in male rats induced by castration as a model of androgen deprivation therapy for prostate cancer. Psychopharmacology (Berl). 2019 Nov;236(11):3183-3195. doi: 10.1007/s00213-019-05274-4. Epub 2019 May 28. PMID: 31139875; PMCID: PMC6832770.

Du, L., Risinger, A.L., Yee, S.S., Ola, A.R.B., Zammiello, C.L., Cichewicz, R.H., Mooberry, S.L. Identification of C-6 as a New Site for Linker Conjugation to the Taccalonolide Microtubule Stabilizers. J Nat Prod. 2019 Mar 22;82(3):583-588. doi: 10.1021/acs.jnatprod.8b01036. Epub 2019 Feb 25. PMID: 30799622; PMCID: PMC6952213.

Sreelatha, A., Yee, S.S., Lopez, V.A., Park, B.C., Kinch, L.N., Pilch, S., Servage, K.A., Zhang, J., Jiou, J., Karasiewicz-Urbańska, M., Łobocka, M., Grishin, N.V., Orth, K., Kucharczyk, R., Pawłowski, K., Tomchick, D.R., Tagliabracci, V.S. Protein AMPylation by an Evolutionarily Conserved Pseudokinase. Cell. 2018 Oct 18;175(3):809-821.e19. doi: 10.1016/j.cell.2018.08.046. Epub 2018 Sep 27. PMID: 30270044; PMCID: PMC6524645.

Nguyen, K.B., Sreelatha, A., Durrant, E.S., Lopez-Garrido, J., Muszewska, A., Dudkiewicz, M., Grynberg, M., Yee, S., Pogliano, K., Tomchick, D.R., Pawłowski, K., Dixon, J.E., Tagliabracci, V.S. Phosphorylation of spore coat proteins by a family of atypical protein kinases. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2016 Jun 21;113(25):E3482-91. doi: 10.1073/pnas.1605917113. Epub 2016 May 16. PMID: 27185916; PMCID: PMC4922149.