Research on drugs to treat cancer and heart disease get funding boost
Ferrier scientists receive $2 million to research new medicines.
Two projects led by scientists from the Ferrier Research Institute have received funding as part of the 2024 Endeavour Fund round.
Professor Peter Tyler leads one of the projects, which will research new treatments for drug-resistant breast and ovarian cancers.
A key issue being faced in cancer therapy today is the evolution of biological mechanisms that have properties of drug resistance, with 90 percent of all cancer mortality attributed to such resistance. In Aotearoa New Zealand, a woman dies of breast or ovarian cancer every 10 hours. New approaches that prevent the development of drug resistance are urgently needed.
Professor Tyler’s research will focus on investigating a new treatment for cancers caused by BRCA mutations, in collaboration with Professor Vern Schramm at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York.
“The BRCA1/2 genes are tumour suppressor genes that are important in DNA repair. Individuals who are deficient in these genes are predisposed to developing breast, ovarian, and prostate cancers. New drugs have emerged as front-line therapy for breast and ovarian cancers with BRCA mutations. However, in most cases, the patients relapse over time due to acquired resistance. Our research will focus on discovering powerful inhibitors of a nucleotide salvage enzyme DNPH1, which could be a ground-breaking new treatment for patients by re-sensitising their tumours to standard therapy” says Professor Tyler.
The second project, led by Dr Andreas Luxenburger, is aimed at the development of a safer drug for heart failure.
Heart failure is a serious, progressive condition that occurs when the heart struggles to consistently pump sufficient blood around the body. It affects millions of people worldwide and its prevalence is predicted to rise as the global population ages and risk factors such as obesity and stress continue to increase. Currently, there is no cure for heart failure and despite many medical advances, the disease remains a leading cause of hospitalisations, morbidity, and mortality. While therapies to address heart failure are aimed at relieving symptoms and slowing down the disease’s progression, most patients are still faced with a significant reduction in life expectancy and quality of life.
“Inappropriate activation of the mineralocorticoid receptor (MR) in the heart is a key factor in heart failure. Therefore, drugs that can downregulate the activity of this receptor, such as mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists (MRAs), have enormous potential to deliver major benefits to patients. However, because currently available MRA drugs act in a systemic, non-selective manner, they also disrupt the function of the same receptor in the kidneys which leads to serious side effects in patients, including hyperkalemia and kidney damage. Our vision is to create an MR drug with a selective mode of action that will target cardiac tissue without adversely affecting kidney function” says Dr Luxenburger.
Professor Gary Evans, director of the Ferrier Research Institute, says the new funding helps support the institute’s ongoing work to improve treatments for major diseases.
“Backed by strong experience and international partnerships, scientists at Ferrier are keen to explore innovative solutions to improve healthcare. These two projects have the potential to create a wide, long-lasting impact for millions of people around the world. They also present a good opportunity to think about how the resulting drugs could be commercially viable, potentially leading to more jobs and investment in New Zealand,” he says.