Tools for New Cancer Medicines Prof Dr Steven Verhelst, a project manager in the Proteomics research group, and Dr Daniel Krahn still have plenty of tricks in their bags. They want to combine knowledge from chemistry and biology at ISAS in order to combat cancer more efficiently and with fewer side effects than before. The focus of their work in the Proteomics research group is on active pharmaceutical substances whose targets they hope to adjust with new chemical tools for cancer therapy. Cancer medicine has undergone tremendous development in the past decade, but some areas still require action or remain in the dark. For example, metastases are still the main cause of death in cancer patients. And while sufferers are fighting for their lives, other health complaints often come along, including side effects triggered by the drugs that are supposed to help. In some cases, they even hinder therapy or lead to concomitant diseases. The cardiovascular system suffers from the stress to which it is subjected in old age. In addition, cancer patients have a significantly elevated risk of stroke or heart failure, depending on the medication.
First hit the right target The research project on late stage functionalisation (LSF) in chemical proteomics is concerned with so-called target effects in the body. Every active pharmaceutical substance has a target for which it has been developed. These targets can be structures such as enzymes, ion channels or receptor proteins that are involved in the development of a disease – in Verhelst and Krahn’s case, cancer cells – and should be destroyed. Although the molecules are very specific, there are structures (off-targets) to which they bind, even though they are not intended to do so at all. This off-target effect often manifests as an agonising side effect or concomitant disease for patients. “A better understanding of off-target effects could make cancer treatments safer and more tolerable than before. In this way, we could find targets for new drugs in future that stop or even prevent metastases,” Verhelst explains.
A chemical toolbox In 2021, scientists at ISAS began researching chemical tools that can be used to identify desirable and undesirable targets. They hope to Prof Dr Steven Verhelst (photo above) is a project manager in the Proteomics research group, where Dr Daniel Krahn also conducts research.
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ANNUAL REPORT 2021
