Projects
Signal transduction pathways
This project focuses on cancer, which is often caused by mutations in genes that control cell regulation. The aim of the project is to discover and develop new therapeutic drugs against novel targets in signaling pathways known to be involved in cancer: the Wnt, the receptor tyrosine kinase and GEF pathways. Richard Janssen, Senior Director of BioFocus DPI and research coordinator of the project: “Significant progress was made in 2008. Assays for compound screening and target discovery for the GEF pathway have been designed and assays to screen the targets Epac and PDZ-GEF in this pathway are being developed. Another screening assay has been set up for colon cancer and kinase targets have been identified that modulate metastatic properties of cancer cells. Additionally, a lead compound targeting the integrin pathway involved in bone metastasis is being profiled and a target in the Wnt signaling pathway (GPR5) was validated. Finally, a clinical candidate inhibiting Notch signaling is being formulated for preclinical toxicity studies.”
Partners: Agamyxis, Galapagos/Biofocus DPI, Hubrecht Laboratory and the University Medical Center Utrecht
Full project title: Novel cancer drugs based on signal transduction pathways