Cells treated with a caged iron chelator and light.
Design of isoform-selective inhibitors of PARP-2.
Cancer therapeutics and prevention
Research in the Cancer Theme focuses on new approaches to treatment and on light and cancer. Our research is integrated into the University-wide cancer research, through Cancer Research at Bath (CR@B).
We use the strategy of biochemical target identification, structure-based drug design and discovery, biochemical and cell biological studies through to development towards the clinic. A programme already advanced to clinical trial has developed steroid sulfatase and dual sulfatase / aromatase inhibitors for treatment of breast cancer. New potential drugs are being developed which inhibit non-redox enzymes which use NAD+ (tankyrases, poly(ADP-ribose)-polymerases and sirtuins), thus preventing cancer cells from growing and from protecting themselves against cytotoxic drugs. For treatment of prostate cancer, an increasingly important disease in older men, we are developing a new polymeric prodrug system to deliver extreme cytotoxins and exploit the metabolism of unusual fatty acids in prostate cancer to develop new therapies. Daffodils are highly toxic and analogues of the natural toxin are being explored as tubulin-binding anticancer drugs. The mechanisms by which sunlight and oxidative stress cause cancer are studied, leading to a new iron-based approach to protect the skin and light-activated caged iron chelators are being developed for topical therapy of non-melanoma skin cancer.
Members
- Prof Michael Threadgill (Lead) - Enzyme inhibitors in cancer treatment; PARPs; BNCT; drug design; heterocyclic chemistry; synthetic methods
- Dr Lorenzo Caggiano - Drug design and synthesis; synthesis of natural product analogues; tubulin binding agents; medicinal chemistry
- Dr Ian Eggleston - Peptide synthesis; medicinal chemistry; PDT; photochemical internalization; light-activated caged iron chelators; biomedical imaging
- Dr Matthew Lloyd - Drug design and optimization; enzyme inhibitors as drugs; branched-chain fatty acids
- Prof Randy Mrsny - Epithelial cells oncogene regulation; cancer cell targeting
- Prof Barry Potter – Synthesis; anticancer/anti-endocrine drug design and discovery; steroid sulfatase; 17-β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase; breast, prostate and endometrial cancers; endometriosis; translational & molecular medicine; chemistry of cellular signalling; chemistry of signal transduction involving second messengers
- Dr Charareh Pourzand - Skin cell biology; sunlight damage; UVA; iron; oxidative stress; skin photoprotection; iron chelation and photodynamic therapy of skin cancer
- Dr Andrew Thompson – DNA-drug interactions; DNA structure; high-field NMR; molecular modeling; drug design
- Prof Rex Tyrrell
- Dr Tim Woodman
