Michael Ihnat, Ph.D.

Associate Professor

Pharmaceutical Sciences

Phone (405) 271-6593 x47965

Office CPB 319

Email michael-ihnat@ouhsc.edu


Summary

A main focus of the Ihnat laboratory research is on micrometastatic tumor ‘dormancy,’ the period from when micrometastatic cancer cells sit down in the secondary organ/site to the time in which they reactivate. We also have studied the environmental toxicology of metals, arsenic and chromium in particular, for many years and we have recently developed a collaborative project looking at the nephrotoxicity of water-soluble components of lignite coal in drinking water.



Research

Tumor dormancy. Projects in this area include determining the role of aspects of the immune system in dormancy/reactivation, identifying drugs to target dormant cells and modeling aspects of dormancy/reactivation in culture and in animals. We collaborate with many folks including Drs. Randle Gallucci and Lucila Garcia-Contreras in the OU College of Pharmacy; Dr. Jeff Eckert in the Department of Pediatrics/Neonatology; Dr. Aleem Gangjee at Duquesne University; Dr. Pui-Kai Li at The Ohio State; and Drs. David Warshawsky, Robert Hurst and others at Vuja De Sciences, a company devoted to studying tumor dormancy.

Lignite coal nephrotoxicity. We have been working with two geologists, Dr. R. Paul Philp at The University of Oklahoma in Norman, and Dr. Ann Ojeda at Auburn University to examine the nephrotoxic components of a low-rank coal called lignite, found in the gulf region of the US and the Balkan areas of europe. These components can leach into drinking water, particularly in private wells, and we have shown that lignite extracts are toxic to kidney cells in culture. Ongoing studies are examining the nephrotoxicity of these extracts in the drinking water in animals and determining which specific components of the extracts are nephrotoxic.






Publications & Presentations

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    16. Ziegler J, Bastian A, Lerner M, Bailey-Downs L, Saunders D, Smith N, Sutton J, Battiste J D, Ihnat M, Gangjee A, Towner R A. AG488 as a therapy against gliomas. Oncotarget. 2017; 8 : 71833-71844

    17. Bastian A, Matsuzaki S, Humphries K M, Pharaoh G A, Doshi A, Zaware N, Gangjee A, Ihnat M. AG311, a small molecule inhibitor of complex I and hypoxia-induced HIF-1α stabilization. Cancer letters. 2017; 388 : 149-157

    18. Pavana R K, Choudhary S, Bastian A, Ihnat M, Bai R, Hamel E, Gangjee A. Discovery and preclinical evaluation of 7-benzyl-N-(substituted)-pyrrolo[3,2-d]pyrimidin-4-amines as single agents with microtubule targeting effects along with triple-acting angiokinase inhibition as antitumor agents. Bioorganic & medicinal chemistry. 2017; 25 : 545-556

    19. Hurst R E, Bastian A, Bailey-Downs L, Ihnat M. Targeting dormant micrometastases: rationale, evidence to date and clinical implications. Therapeutic advances in medical oncology. 2016; 8 : 126-37

    20. Towner R A, Ihnat M, Saunders D, Bastian A, Smith N, Pavana R K, Gangjee A. A new anti-glioma therapy, AG119: pre-clinical assessment in a mouse GL261 glioma model. BMC cancer. 2015; 15 : 522

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Grants

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    1. A Novel Small Molecule for The Prevention and Treatment of Diabetic Retinopathy. HHS. Start Date: 2022. End Date: 2024.

    2. Development of a Novel Class of LDH inhibitors for pancreatic cancer. HHS. Start Date: 2022. End Date: 2024.

    3. Experimental and computational studies to identify optimal conditions for immune-cytotoxic combination therapy. State Agency. Start Date: 2022. End Date: 2024.

    4. Nephrotoxic mechanisms of low-rank coal (lignite) leachates in drinking wate. NIH. Start Date: 2020. End Date: 2023.

    5. Development of Small Molecules Targeting Cancer Metabolism. NIH. Start Date: 2019. End Date: 2022.

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Awards and Honors


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Education


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