Grant: Collaborative Health Research Projects (NSERC partnered)

The proposed work involves the development of a drug that will improve the effectiveness of radiation therapy. Since radiation therapy is used to treat about 50% of all cancers this drug could have very wide impact, improving cure rates as well as quality of life. The drug works by preventing the repair of DNA damage induced by radiation. The main advantage of this drug is that it is targeted to tumours due to its limited activity anywhere but in hypoxic cells. Hypoxic cells are rare in the body but are common in cancers, and are responsible for resistance to radiation. We already have lead compounds that work in cells and early animal data, but new chemistry and screening work need to be done to develop these compounds into drugs suitable for use in humans. We will synthesize new compounds based on our understanding of how our lead compound works, and will test them in cells and rodent models of human cancer. We have invaluable guidance to the clinic and eventual commercial opportunities through our partnership with the Clinical Oncology department at the BC Cancer Agency, and with DelMar Pharmaceuticals, a Canadian biotechnology company. The final result of this program will be the nomination of a clinical candidate that can be advanced to regulatory processing and commercial partnership. This outcome will produce excellent academic science, an economic benefit to the BC Cancer Agency, and could impact the approximately half of all Canadian cancer patients who receive radiation therapy.