Ahmad Ghavami

2001 Research Trainee Award, PhD

Synthesis and Evaluation of a Novel Class of Glycosidase Inhibitors for the Treatment of Type-2 Diabetes

“This award permitted Ahmad to dedicate a larger proportion of his time to medically oriented research and also permitted travel to conferences to give him exposure to the greater science. Overall, the trainee program gives the student the necessary freedom to learn and expand his/her horizons.”
– Trainee Supervisor Dr. Mario Pinto Ahmad Ghavami's PhD research involved a rare South Asian plant containing compounds that could be helpful in the treatment of type 2 diabetes. The Salacia reticulata climbing plant has been used for centuries in treatment of diabetes in Sri Lanka and India. Researchers have isolated compounds from the plant and demonstrated their effectiveness in inhibiting glycosidases, the enzymes that break down starch into smaller sugars, and finally into glucose. Using the compounds to inhibit these enzymes in people with type 2 diabetes could lower blood glucose concentration, which is critical in treatment of the disease. Ahmad and his colleagues designed a method to synthetically produce the plant's compounds, together with the next generation analogues, and they tested the inhibitory effects on a wide range of enzymes. More importantly, in vivo studies with rats have shown effective control of blood glucose levels with use of Ghavami’s compounds. Results from the study confirm the effectiveness of the method for designing and synthesizing a new class of molecules that function as glycosidase inhibitors, which can control the breakdown of carbohydrates. These findings were patented, with Ahmad listed as part inventor, and were responsible for securing venture capital and the formation of a spin-off company, Mimos Therapeutics, Inc. Completed PhD, August 2003

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