Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences

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André S. Bachmann, Ph.D. Andre S. Bachmann

Chair and Associate Professor

André S. Bachmann, Associate professor and Chairman of the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, studies polyamine inhibitors that affect the proliferation of cancer. Much of his research is providing new insights into neuroblastoma and other pediatric forms of cancer. Bachmann has been studying ODC, a protein that often is over-expressed in cancer. He has shown that this protein promotes neuroblastoma tumor growth, while a specific inhibitor of ODC called DFMO promotes cancer cell death. Bachmann's lab also is studying the molecular mechanisms of cell death in neuroblastoma, with the goal of trying to identify novel, natural product-derived drugs that inhibit these processes. Bachmann has advanced his laboratory research with DFMO to the clinic and a phase I clinical trial with relapsed neuroblastoma patients is underway, in collaboration with Giselle Sholler of the University of Vermont.

Education

  • M.S., Microbiology, University of Zurich, Switzerland
  • Ph.D., Biology, University of Zurich, Switzerland
  • Postdoctoral Fellow with Karin Moelling, Molecular Oncology & Medical Virology, University of Zurich, Switzerland

Selected Presentations and/or Publications

  • Oncogene, 2005, 24(36):5606-18
  • Clinical Cancer Research, 2007, 13(21):6312-9
  • Cancer Research, 2008, 68(23):9825-31
  • Nature, 2008, 452(7188):755-8
  • Molecular Cancer Therapeutics, 2009, 8(7):2067-75
  • PNAS, 2009, 106(16):6507-12
  • Int. Journal of Cancer, 2010, 126(9):2012-24
  • Cancer Science, 2010, 101(7):1624-31
  • Biochemical Pharmacology, 2010, 80(2):170-8

Selected News Releases

  • Star Bulletin, Honolulu, April 27, 2008
  • Star Advertiser, Honolulu, June 26, 2010
  • Tribune Herald, Hilo, August 31, 2010

Active Grants

  • R01, National Cancer Institute (NCI), NIH
  • Hawaii Community Foundation (HCF)
  • Magic Water Foundation
  • Weinman Foundation

Awards and Honors

  • Swiss National Science Foundation Award, 1994
  • Siemens National Mentor Award, 2007
  • Inaugural Weinman Award for Translational Research, 2010