Carlos Leon


About the Scientist

E-mail: cleon@interchange.ubc.ca
Phone: 604-822-6772
Fax: 604-822-3035

Training

Degree: MSc in Biochemistry
Institution: Peruana Cayetano Heredia Lima, Peru
Period: 1996
Degree: PhD in Microbiology and Immunology
Institution: University of British Columbia
Period: 2004

Previous Positions

Position: Post doctoral fellow
Research Group:

Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, UBC (2004-2006)

Current Position

Position: Research associate
Research Group: KM Wasan lab Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, UBC (2006-present)

Scholarships + Awards

Name: CIHR grant
Organization: Canadian Institutes of Health Research
Period: 2007-2011
Name: Outstanding Service Award
Organization: Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, UBC
Period: 2008 - 2009

Links

http://www.wasanlab.ubc.ca

 

About The Research

I am currently involved in three research projects:

  1. Role of cholesterol in prostate cancer (References 1 and 7). We have partially characterized the cholesterol metabolic pathways in vitro (prostate cell lines) and in vivo (xenograft model) in the progression to a castration-resistant prostate cancer phenotype. We would like to define if there is a link between cholesterol and de novo steroidogenesis, a key event in the development of castration-resistant prostate cancer.
  2. Role of p-glycoprotein in cholesterol metabolism (Reference 10 and manuscript in preparation). We have developed an RNAi system in vitro to assess the role of p-glycoprotein in cholesterol efflux.
  3. Novel amphotericin B formulations to treat fungal infections (References 3 and 5). Our lab has developed new oral formulations for Amphotericin B and I have assessed their efficacy in vitro (Aspergillus) and its (lack of) toxicity in vivo (creatinine assays).

Publications + Presentations

Selected Publications
  • Alterations in cholesterol processes contribute to de novo androgen synthesis in prostate cancer tumors during progression to castration-resistance. C. G. Leon *, J.A. Locke, H.H. Adomat, S.L. Ettinger, A.L. Twiddy, R.D. Neumann, C.C. Nelson, E.S. Guns and K.M. Wasan. Accepted to The Prostate September 9th 2009.
  • Haptoglobin Inhibits Phospholipid Transfer Protein Activity in Hyperlipidemic Plasma. R. Henderson, K. M. Wasan and C. G. Leon *. Lipids in Health and Disease. 2009, 8:27.
  • Pharmacokinetics and biodistribution of amphotericin B in rats following oral administration in a novel lipid-based formulation: comparison to intravenous bolus of commercial preparations. Pavel Gershkovich, Ellen K. Wasan, Molly Lin, Olena Sivak, Carlos G. Leon, John G. Clement and Kishor M. Wasan. Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy. 2009 July 64(1):101-8.
  • Differences in Human Phospholipid Transfer Protein Activity following Incubation of Fungizone compared to Lipid based Amphotericin B (AmpB) formulations in Plasma. Drug Development and Industrial Pharmacy. Published online on April 20, 2009. R. Henderson, C. G. Leon and K. M. Wasan.
  • Development and Characterization of Oral Lipid-based Amphotericin B formulations with enhanced drug solubility, stability and antifungal activity. Int J Pharm. 2009 May 8; 372(1-2):76-84. E.K. Wasan, B. Banno, K. Bartlett, P. Gershkovich, O. Sivak, Z. Wong, J. Gagnon, C.G. Leon and K. M. Wasan.
  • Discovery and Development of Toll-Like Receptor 4(TLR4) Antagonists: A new paradigm for treating sepsis and related disease. Pharmaceutical Research Aug 25(8):1751-61, 2008. C. G. Leon *, R. Tory, J. Jia, O. Sivak and K.M. Wasan.
  • Androgen-mediated cholesterol metabolism in LNCaP and PC-3 cell lines is regulated through two different isoforms of Acyl-coenzyme A:cholesterol acyltransferase (ACAT). The Prostate, Jan 1;68(1):20-33, 2008. J.A. Locke, K.M. Wasan, C. Nelson, E. Guns and C. G. Leon *.
  • Modifications in Low-Density Lipoprotein receptor expression affects Cyclosporin A cellular uptake and cytotoxicity Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences Jun 97(6):2350-61, 2008. C. Leon, J. Jia, G. Qiu, J. S. Hill and K. M. Wasan.
  • Acute P-407 Administration to Mice causes hypercholesterolemia by Inducing Cholesterolgenesis and downregulating the low-density lipoprotein receptor. Pharmaceutical Research. July, Vol 23(7):1597-1697, 2006. C. Leon, K. M. Wasan, K. Sachs-Barrable and T. P. Johnston.
  • Commentary: Does P-glycoprotein play a role in gastrointestinal absorption and cellular transport of dietary cholesterol? Drug Development and Industrial Pharmacy Vol 32:1-4, 2006. C. Leon, K. Sachs-Barrable and K.M. Wasan.
  • Annexin V binds to the interferon gamma receptor and modulates interferon gamma cell signaling. Journal of Immunology, 2006, 176:5934-5942. C. Leon, D. Nandan, M. Lopez, A. Moeenrezakhanlou and N. E. Reiner.
  • Commentary: The relationship between p-glycoprotein polymorphisms and cholesterol transport and metabolism: does p-glycoprotein play a role in the development of atherosclerosis? Online at the International Atherosclerosis Society website (www.ather.org). Published online February 2006. C. Leon, K. Sachs-Barrable and K.M. Wasan.
  • ACAT inhibitors as novel antihyperlipidemic and antiatherosclerotic drugs. Pharmaceutical Research Vol. 22, No 10, October 2005, 1578-1588. C. Leon, John Hill and Kishor M. Wasan.
  • The Effect of Heat-Treatment on Fungizone-Induced Renal Toxicity in Human Kidney Proximal Tubule Cells and Fungal Toxicity in Aspergillus fumigatus; the Role of Phospholipases. International Journal of Pharmaceutics 298, 2005: 211-218. C. Leon, R.Taylor, K. Bartlett, and K.M. Wasan.

 

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