Dundee’s CeTPD joins global fight against childhood cancer

The University of Dundee’s Centre for Targeted Protein Degradation (CeTPD) is contributing in a global effort to explore new means of tackling solid tumours in children.  CeTPD director Professor Alessio Ciulli will be part of the Cancer Grand Challenges KOODAC team, which brings together clinicians, advocates and scientists with expertise in structural biology, chemical biology, paediatric oncology and medicinal chemistry, across ten institutions and five countries.

The Cancer Grand Challenges Initiative, founded in 2020 by Cancer Research UK and the National Cancer Institute in the US, will fund five teams for five years with sums of up to $25 million each. Team KOODAC will be supported by Cancer Research UK, Institut National Du Cancer and KiKa (Children Cancer Free Foundation).  

A leading cause of death due to disease among children globally, outcomes for some childhood cancers have not improved in more than 30 years. Treatments for solid tumours in children still rely on decades-old chemotherapies and often radiotherapy.

Team KOODAC will be using protein degradation strategies to target previously undruggable drivers of children’s cancers. Any drug that might emerge has the potential to transform the lives of those affected by that particular cancer type.

Professor Ciulli said: “We were honoured to be invited and immediately felt a sense of purpose, a strong focus on team science and realised the unique opportunity and call ahead of us. Revolutionising paediatric solid tumour treatment demands global collaboration in the face of persisting outdated therapies.

“We have assembled a team with unrivalled technology and expertise to realise our ambitious goal of driving innovation in targeted paediatric cancer therapeutics. Our vision is to pioneer drugs that will become the new standards of care for children with oncoprotein-driven solid malignancies.”

Dr David Scott, Director of Cancer Grand Challenges, added, “Together with our network of visionary partners and research leaders, Cancer Grand Challenges unites the world's brightest minds across boundaries and disciplines and aims to overcome cancer’s toughest problems.

“With this investment, our largest to date, we continue to grow our global research community and fund new teams that have the potential to surface discoveries that could positively impact cancer outcomes.”

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