Oncology
Oncology and Immune Oncology (IO)
- Collaboration between CMD and external oncology experts on central molecular pathways leading to cancer progression, including brain tumours and oesophageal cancer.
- Exploring opportunities in early cancer detection and new oncology targets.
- Collaborations between CMD and external oncology experts (OxfordCancer) on immune oncology pathways including the exploration of potential therapeutic opportunities
Current collaborative projects
- Cancer Grand Challenge (Frank von Delft / Cassandra Adams CMD leads) https://www.cmd.ox.ac.uk/news/research-team-receives-25m-cancer-grand-challenges-award
- Cancer Discovery (Joe Newman CMD collaborator)
- Medulloblastoma CRUK Programme Grant (Alex Bullock CMD collaborator)
- Glioblastoma CRUK Grant (Daniel Ebner CMD collaborator)
- Pfizer CTI / ORU project: (Benedikt Kessler, Adan Pinto-Fernandez CMD leads) https://www.pfizer.com/und/news/press-release/press-release-detail/pfizer_establishes_new_partnering_model_for_early_stage_academic_research
Key people
- Cassandra Adams, Oncology/IO Pillar Coordinator
- Benedikt Kessler, Oncology/IO Pillar lead
- Alex Bullock
- Daniel Ebner
- Frank von Delft
- Other CMD researchers with cancer research activities (e.g. Kilian Huber, Roman Fischer etc)
Neuroscience
- Neuroscience research at the CMD is currently focussed on understanding the cellular and biochemical mechanisms of neurodegeneration, and translating findings to drug discovery programs via the ODDI.
- We have collaborative links with colleagues in the Dunn School of Pathology, DPAG, and The Department of Psychiatry, which supports a broad portfolio of research.
- The group interacts and collaborates with the UK Dementia Research Institute with the aim of translating the deep disease understanding to drug discovery programs.
Key People
Rare Disease
- We have a strong background in working with patient groups, clinicians and industry to advance drug discovery for rare diseases – see our highlights here.
- This work has spanned from gene to clinic. For example, with support from the charity FOP Friends we established assays, structures and compound screens to identify saracatinib as a drug candidate for fibrodysplasia ossificans progressiva (FOP) and have taken this drug into the “STOPFOP” phase 2A clinical trial.
- We are particularly interested in small molecule drug discovery for rare diseases of the central nervous system, including neuromuscular and neurometabolic conditions. This is exemplified by our discovery of SUV4-20 inhibitors that rescue frataxin expression in models of Friedreich's ataxia.
- We are highly collaborative and welcome interest from rare disease experts with project ideas for discussion. Past collaborations are illustrated by our Wellcome strategic grant that delivered target-enabling packages (TEPs) as toolkits for drug discovery for genetic hits.
KEY PEOPLE
Anti-infective
- Anti-infective work focuses on exploring new targeting opportunities in infectious diseases, including antiviral, antibacterial and antiparasitic targets.
- We foster collaboration within the University, nationally and internationally.
- We progress targets from early target validation through pre-clinical development through partnerships
Ongoing projects
COVID Moonshot. Target: Coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 main protease. Project stage: Preclinical development. CMD involvement in target enablement, hit finding, hit progression, lead optimization and preclinical development. Lead investigator: Peter Sjo, DNDi.
ASAP discovery. Targets: Corona, Entero, Flaviviruses. CMD involvement in target enablement, hit finding, hit progression, lead optimization. Project stage: Discovery. Lead investigator: John Chodera, MSKCC.
READDi AViDD: Coronavirus. CMD involvement in target enablement, structural biology. Lead investigator: Nat Moorman, UNC.
PAD Influenza Targets: Influenza replication machinery and neuraminidase. Project stage: Discovery. CMD involvement in hit progression/medicinal chemistry. Lead investigator: Thomas Bowden, NDM Oxford.