New centre targets ‘undruggable’ cancers
pharmafile | April 4, 2022 | News story | Sales and Marketing |
The new Centre for Protein Degradation has been launched, made possible by a £9 million donation to The Institute of Cancer Research, London (ICR). The centre will focus on deadly and currently undruggable cancer proteins
Scientists at the centre will accelerate research in one of the most promising new areas of drug discovery, targeted protein degradation. The researchers will aim to discover new research tools and new treatments for hard-to-treat cancers that can work highly precisely.
David and Ruth Hill, a retired couple originally from Cumbria, who have been making donations to UK medical charities since 2007, made the new centre possible through a major philanthropic donation – following the sale of a business park in Oxfordshire.
David Hill commented:
“We have been donating to the ICR for several years and built a close relationship with their senior leadership. The ICR is a global centre of research excellence and, with the prospect of selling Grove Business Park, Oxfordshire, we consulted with the ICR and agreed the details of a four-year drug discovery programme. The programme is focussed on delivering treatments for as yet untreatable cancers and is likely to benefit research into other diseases. The work will be carried out in the UK by a dedicated, multi-disciplinary team of highly skilled researchers using world-leading technologies, including artificial intelligence.”
The major donation will fund a four-year programme of research led by over 15 drug discovery and cancer biology researchers.
Recent data released by the Less Survivable Cancers taskforce, which represents six less survivable cancers (lung, liver, brain, oesophageal, pancreatic, and stomach), showed that on average only 16 percent of people living with one of these cancers lives for five years.
For other common cancers, the average five-year survival rate is much higher, at 69 percent.
Scientists at the new centre will work on different emerging technologies to hijack the normal waste disposal process of protein destruction in cells, so that it wipes out cancer proteins which conventional targeted treatments have been unable to block.
“Medical research is long term and very expensive but the benefits to everyone’s health is incalculable,” concluded Hill. “We would encourage anyone in a position to assist in similar lifesaving research projects not to hesitate and to speak to the ICR without delay to discuss how they too can help the ICR improve the life chances for everyone.”
Ana Ovey
