International funding to help fight cancer evolution

International funding to help fight cancer evolution

A Massey University research project aims to prevent resistance to cancer treatment in some types of cancer.

The project ‘Stopping cancer evolution: dual-function inhibitors of DNA-mutator APOBEC3B’ has received funding worth £210,150 over three years from the Worldwide Cancer Research organisation and is led by Dr Vyacheslav Filichev, Dr Elena Harjes and Professor Geoffrey Jameson.

Dr Vyacheslav Filichev of the Institute of Fundamental Sciences says, “A key enzyme in our innate immune system can mutate the DNA in tumour cells and lead to resistance to drugs and radiation during cancer treatment. Our research is focused on combating this resistance and developing inhibitors with the potential to block the mutation of DNA caused by this enzyme in many cancer types.”

This funding allows us to build on our previous work and explore new ideas in the chemistry of DNA and potentially obtain the first-in-kind inhibitor of the enzyme.”

The Worldwide Cancer Organisation commented that the research has the potential to further both fundamental research into cancer development and also may lead to the development of agents with clinical utility; possibly to limit mutagenesis during cancer treatment.

Professor Reuben Harris of the University of Minnesota, a world leader in APOBEC3 research, will test the best inhibitors in cancer cells. Funding will also allow post-doctoral fellows to perform chemical functionalizations of DNA and their evaluation in enzymatic assays.

Preliminary results, which made the application successful, were obtained through a career grant awarded by the Health Research Council of New Zealand to Elena Harjes in 2014.

The Worldwide Cancer Research is a charitable organisation based in Scotland, which awards funds each year to cancer researchers around the world.

ENDS

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