Scientists secure funding to further develop novel precision therapies against major drivers of cancer
Published: 25 March 2025
Researchers at the University of Glasgow have secured industry sponsorship to accelerate the pre-clinical development of a novel precision therapy which may one day offer a new treatment option for patients living with cancers such as Acute Myeloid Leukaemia (AML) and Neuroblastoma
Researchers at the University of Glasgow have secured industry sponsorship to accelerate the pre-clinical development of a novel precision therapy which may one day offer a new treatment option for patients living with cancers such as Acute Myeloid Leukaemia (AML) and Neuroblastoma.
The industry sponsorship – granted through a partnership between leading biopharmaceutical company Bristol-Myers Squibb, clinical research organisation Evotec, and the University of Glasgow – will drive forward the pre-clinical development of therapeutic ‘Disruptors’.
These Disruptors work by harnessing the naturally evolved properties of disease-promoting proteins, blocking their ability to form protein complexes. Consequently, these Disruptors can fine-tune the disease environment, offering a precision medicine approach to treating a patient’s disease, whilst dramatically minimising the risk for side-effects.
In this instance, the Disruptors, developed by lead investigators Dr Connor Blair and Prof George Baillie, neutralise a major driver of cancer, MDM2. Current drug interventions against MDM2 cannot fully silence its cancer promoting functions, providing limited and short-lived benefit to cancer patients. These patients rapidly acquire resistance to these MDM2 therapies and suffer life-burdening side-effects as a result of treatment, warranting the need for better tolerated, more targeted approaches to stopping MDM2.
Using their novel MDM2 Disruptors, Dr Blair and Prof Baillie aim to pave the way for a more targeted approach to blocking MDM2 in cancer, where treatment related side-effects and resistance are less likely. The researchers hope this industry sponsorship will enable on-going pre-clinical development of their MDM2 Disruptors, bringing them one step closer to the clinic, where these novel therapies may one day benefit patients who need it most.
The £750,000 accelerator funding builds on over £300,000 of previous grant funding from the University of Glasgow’s Research and Innovation Services, Scottish Enterprise and the Medical Research Council (MRC), and continues to be supported through the University’s Translational Research Initiative.
The team are working alongside Prof Deborah Tweddle, a Paediatric Oncologist (Neuroblastoma) at Newcastle University, as well as two researchers from the University’s Paul O’Gorman Leukaemia Research Centre: Helen Wheadon, Professor of Stem Cell Regulation, and Dr Gillian Horne, Clinical Senior Research Fellow & Consultant.
Dr Connor Blair, Research Fellow at the University’s School of Cardiovascular and Metabolic Health, said: “We are incredibly grateful for this sponsorship and excited by the opportunity to accelerate our novel MDM2 Disruptor programme.
“Unlike other technologies, our Disruptors possess unparalleled target selectivity, offering a truly precision medicine approach to treating diseases such as cancer. This early-stage support from Bristol Myers Squibb and Evotec not only validate the potential of our technology, but significantly strengthen our chances of successfully developing a medicine that may one day benefit cancer patients with very high unmet needs.”
George Baillie, Professor of Molecular Pharmacology at the University’s School of Cardiovascular and Metabolic Health, added: “Currently, there is a serious lack of pharmacological interventions capable of treating a patient’s disease without inducing life burdening, and often dose-limiting, side effects and toxicities. This is true for so many traditional targeted therapies in the clinic, meaning there is a high unmet need for better tolerated and more effective targeted treatment options. Our work aims to directly address these challenges – in this case against MDM2-driven cancer.”
Advanced Diagnostics and Therapeutics research at the University of Glasgow supports the delivery of the next level of tailored, personalised therapies and interventions. Our research capitalises on strong medical and veterinary skills to drive the creation of a pipeline of new diagnostic technologies and therapeutics. Our work allows us to deliver significant advances in disease prevention and early diagnosis and intervention.
Enquiries: ali.howard@glasgow.ac.uk or elizabeth.mcmeekin@glasgow.ac.uk
First published: 25 March 2025