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David Kingston

University Distinguished Professor Emeritus
David Kingston
dkingsto@vt.edu

Research Interests

Natural products have made a huge contribution to drug discovery and especially to treatment of malaria and cancer. Both artemisinin for treatment of malaria and paclitaxel (Taxol) and its analogs for treatment of cancer are major drugs in their disease areas. Research in our group is focused on the chemistry of biologically active natural products related to cancer and malaria. In the malaria area we are involved in a collaborative search for novel anti-malarial agents from Nature in a collaborative project with Professor Belen Cassera in the Department of Biochemistry. Plant extracts from the former Merck Natural Products Repository are evaluated for antimalarial activity using selective bioassays, and the active constituents are obtained by bioassay-directed fractionation. Structure elucidation is carried out primarily by spectroscopic methods, and in some cases synthetic approaches to the isolated compounds are also employed, in order to confirm structures and to obtain adequate material for biological testing. The mallatojaponins and the kniphofiones are examples of compounds isolated in this work.

The cancer-related project involves improved methods of delivery of the drugs paclitaxel and doxorubicin to tumors using gold nanoparticles linked with the tumor-targeting protein TNF. This project is in collaboration with CytImmune Sciences Inc.

  1. Chen, Q.-H., Kingston, D. G. I. Zampanolide and Dactylolide: Cytotoxic Tubulin Assembly Agents and Promising Anticancer Leads. Nat. Prod. Rep. 2014, 31, 1202-1226. DOI: 10.1039/c4np00024b.
  2. Kingston, D. G. I.; Snyder, J. P. The Quest for a Simple Bioactive Analog of Paclitaxel as a Potential Anticancer Agent. Acc. Chem. Res. 2014, 47, 2682–2691. DOI: 10.1021/ar500203h. PMCID: PMC4139185.  
  3. Rakotondraibe, L. H.; Graupner, P.; Xiong, Q.; Olson, M.; Wiley, J.; Krai, P.; Brodie, P. J.; Callmander, M.; Rakotobe, E.; Ratovoson, F.; Rasamison, V. E.; Cassera, M. B.; Hahn, D.; Kingston, D. G. I.; Fotso, S. Neolignans and Other Metabolites from Ocotea cymosa from the Madagascar Rain Forest and their Biological Activities. J. Nat. Prod. 2015, 78, 431–440. doi: 10.1021/np5008153 PMCID: PMC4410025.
  4. Presley, Christopher C.; Krai, Priscilla; Dalal, Seema; Su, Qingxi; Cassera, Maria B.; Goetz, Michael; Kingston, David G. I. New potently active antiplasmodial alkaloids from Crinum erubescens. Bioorg Med. Chem. 2016, 24, 5418-5422. PMCID: PMC5065785.
  5. Paciotti, G. F.; Zhao, J.; Cao, S.: Brodie, P. J.; Tamarkin, L.; Huhta, M.; Myer, L. D.; Friedman, J.; Kingston, D. G. I. Synthesis and Evaluation of Paclitaxel-Loaded Gold Nanoparticles for Tumor-Targeted Drug Delivery. Bioconj. Chem. 2016, 27, 2646-2657. doi 10.1021/acs.bioconjchem.6b00405. PMCID: PMC5356508
  6. Du, Yongle; Pearce, Kirk C.; Dai, Yumin; Krai, Priscilla; Dalal, Seema; Cassera, Maria B.; Goetz, Michael; Crawford, Daniel; Kingston, David G. I. Antiplasmodial sesquiterpene lactones from Trichospiras verticillata: Structure elucidation by spectroscopic methods and comparison of observed and calculated ECD data. J. Nat. Prod. 2017, 80, 1639-1647. PMCID: PMC5679103
  7.  Presley, Christopher C.; Valenciano, Ana L.; Fernández-Murga, Maria Leonor; Du, Yongle; Shanaiah, N.; Cassera, Maria B.; Goetz, Michael; Clement, Jason A.; Kingston, David G. I. Antiplasmodial Chromanes and Chromenes from the Monotypic Plant Species Koeberlinia spinosa. J. Nat. Prod. 2018, 81, 475-483 http://dx.doi.org/10.1021/acs.jnatprod.7b00579 PMCID: PMC5866173
  8. Du, Yongle; Xia, Long; Jo, Ami; Davis, Richey M.; Bissel, Philippe; Ehrich, Marion F.; Kingston, David G. I. Synthesis and Evaluation of Doxorubicin-Loaded Gold Nanoparticles for Tumor-Targeted Drug Delivery. Bioconj. Chem. 2018, 29, 420-430.    
  9. Du, Yongle; Valenciano, Ana L.; Goetz, Michael; Cassera, Maria B.; Kingston, David G. I. Four New Diterpenoids and a New Benzotropolone from Petradoria pumila. J. Nat. Prod. 2018, 81, 1260-1265. doi: 10.1021/acs.jnatprod.8b00135.
  • Appointed Research Associate of Missouri Botanical Garden, 1998
  • Gene Wise Award, Blue Ridge Section, American Chemical Society, April 1999
  • Research Achievement Award, American Society of Pharmacognosy, July 1999
  • Virginia Scientist of the Year, 2002
  • Cook Award for Research, Department of Chemistry, Virginia Tech, May 15, 2004
  • Virginia Tech Alumni Association Award for Excellence in International Outreach and Research, 2004–2005
  • Ernest Guenther Award in the Chemistry of Natural Products from the American Chemical Society, 2008
  • Special birthday issue of the Journal of Natural Products, March 2009


  • University Distinguished Professor

    Bioorganic and Natural Products Chemistry

    Email: dkingsto@vt.edu
    Office: 3111 Hahn Hall South
    Phone: 540-231-6570
    Fax: 540-231-3255
    Group Website: http://www.kingston.chem.vt.edu

    Education & Appointments:
    B.A. Cambridge University, 1960
    M.A. Cambridge University, 1963
    Ph.D. Cambridge University, 1963
    Research Fellow, Queens' College, Cambridge, 1962-66
    Research Associate and Fulbright Grantee, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 1963-64
    NATO Fellow, Cambridge University, 1964-66
    Assistant Professor of Chemistry, SUNY at Albany, 1966-1971
    Associate Professor of Chemistry, Virginia Tech, 1971-1977
    Professor of Chemistry, Virginia Tech, 1977-1999
    University Distinguished Professor, Virginia Tech, 1999-present

    Honors & Awards:
    Appointed Research Associate of Missouri Botanical Garden, 1998
    Gene Wise Award, Blue Ridge Section, American Chemical Society, April 1999
    Research Achievement Award, American Society of Pharmacognosy, July 1999
    Virginia Scientist of the Year, 2002
    Cook Award for Research, Department of Chemistry, Virginia Tech, May 15, 2004
    Virginia Tech Alumni Association Award for Excellence in International Outreach and Research, 2004-2005
    Ernest Guenther Award in the Chemistry of Natural Products from the American Chemical Society, 2008
    Special birthday issue of the Journal of Natural Products, March 2009
    The plants Cordia kingstoniana and Taxus kingstonii named in his honor
    Member, National Advisory Council for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, 2010-2014

  • B.A. Cambridge University, 1960
  • M.A. Cambridge University, 1963
  • Ph.D. Cambridge University, 1963
  • Research Fellow, Queens' College, Cambridge, 1962–1966
  • Research Associate and Fulbright Grantee, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 1963–1964
  • NATO Fellow, Cambridge University, 1964–1966

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