Ken Audus
Research Interests
Professor Audus' research interests are focused on the application of endothelial and epithelial cell
and tissue culture systems to study mechanisms of drug transport, metabolism, and tissue permeability regulation.
His research has included establishment of tissue culture systems comprised of brain microvessel endothelium
(i.e., the blood-brain barrier), alveolar epithelium (i.e., the respiratory epithelial barrier), and trophoblasts
(i.e., the placental barrier). In general, Dr. Audus' research group conducts investigations that are directed at
developing a basic understanding of drug, tissue, disease, and environmental factors and mechanisms that regulate
the distribution of drugs across epithelial and endothelial tissue interfaces into either the systemic circulation or
specific tissue compartments from the vasculature. Specific examples of recent and ongoing research projects in Dr. Audus'
group have included characterization of nutrient and peptide carriers, catecholamine and peptide regulation of permeability
of the blood-brain barrier; macromolecule transfer mechanisms in alveolar epithelium; enzyme expression and induction
in trophoblasts; and the transport and metabolism of drugs of abuse at the human placental barrier.
Representative Publications
Ge, H., Himes, R.H., Vasandani, V., Audus, K.L., Seelig, A., and Georg, G.I. (2006) Synthesis and interactions of 7-deoxy-, 10-deacetoxy and 7,10-dideoxypaclitaxel with MCF7-ADR cancer cells and bovine brain microvessel endothelial cells. Bioorg. Med. Chem. Lett., 16, 433-436.
Spletstoser, J.T., Turunen, B.J., Desino, K., Rice, A., Himes, R.H., Audus, K.L., and Georg, G.I. (2006) Single-site chemical modification of the Baccatin core of Paclitaxel analogs reduces P-glycoprotein interactions and retains potency. Bioorg. Med. Chem. Lett., 16, 495-498.
Young, A.M., Yazdanian, M., and Audus, K.L. (2006) Tetrazole compounds: The effect of structure and charge on Caco-2 permeability. J. Pharm. Sci. 95, 717-725.
Chappa, A.K., Desino, K.E., Lunte, S.M., and Audus, K.L. (2006) Functional aspects of vasoactive peptides at the blood-brain barrier, in Handbook of Biologically Active Peptides (Kastin, A.J., Ed.), pp 1461-1468, Elsevier, San Diego, CA.
Chappa, A.K., Audus, K.L., and Lunte, S.M. (2006) Characteristics of substance P transport across the blood-brain barrier. Pharm. Res. 23, 1201-1208.
Chappa, A.K., Cooper, J.D., Audus, K.L., and Lunte, S.M. (2007) Investigation of the metabolism of Substance-P at the blood-brain barrier using LC-MS/MS. J. Pharm. Biomed. Anal.43, 1409-1415.
Rytting, E., Bryan, J., Southard, M., and Audus, K.L. (2007) Low-affinity uptake of the fluorescent organic cation 4-Di-1-ASP in BeWo cells. Biochem. Pharmacol. 73, 891-900.
Ansar, S., Burlison, J.A., Hadden, M.K., Yu, X.M., Desino, K.E., Bean, J., Neckers, L., Audus, K.L., Michaelis, M.L., and Blagg, B.S.J. (2007) A non-toxic Hsp90 inhibitor protects neurons from Aβ-induced toxicity. Bioorg. Med. Chem. Lett. 17, 1984-1990.
Karunaratne, D.N. and Audus, K.L. (2007) Use of fluorescent probes to monitor the efflux transporters P-glycoprotein and MRP-1 in BeWo cells. J. Natl. Sci. Found. (Sri Lanka) 35, 19-27.
Rytting, E. and Audus, K.L. (2007) Effects of low oxygen levels on the expression and function of transporter OCTN2 in BeWo cells. J. Pharm. Pharmacol., 59, 1095-1102.
Yusuf-Makagiansar, H., Yakovleva, T.V., Tejo, B.AA., Hamilton, K.O., Hu, Y., Verkihvker, G.M., Audus, K.L., and Siahaan, T.J. (2007) Sequence recognition of α-LFA-1-derived peptides by ICAM-1 cell receptors: Inhibitors of T-cell adhesion. Chem. Biol. Drug Des. 70, 237-246.
Rytting, E. and Audus, K.L. (2008) Contributions of phosphorylation to regulation of OCTN2 uptake of carnitine are minimal in BeWo cells. Biochem. Pharmacol.75, 745-751.
Mitra, P. and Audus, K.L. (2008) Multidrug resistance mechanisms and in vitro models of the placental barrier, in Preclinical Biopharmaceutics – In Situ, In Vitro, and In Silico Tools for Drug Absorption Studies (Ehrhardt, C. and Kim, K.-J., Eds.), pp. 368-396, Springer, New York, NY.