Feb 1, 2012 – Alectos today announced its support for NSERC funding for the group of Prof. R.A. Britton at Simon Fraser University, Department of Chemistry, in a project titled “Synthesis of small molecule modulators of cancer metabolism”.
Cancer is a worldwide health problem and is the leading cause of death in Canada. Novel treatment strategies are constantly being sought. Compared to normal cells, tumours exhibit aberrant metabolism characterized by increased glucose uptake and rapid growth. The use of small-molecules to selectively modulate cancer cell metabolism and thereby inhibit tumour growth represents an attractive strategy to treat the disease. The collaboration between Alectos Therapeutics and the Britton group at SFU aims to prepare and characterize a series of small-molecule drug candidates having the ability to selectively disrupt tumour metabolism. This research requires the synthetic expertise and analytical characterization capabilities of the Britton group at SFU. Using a collaborative approach, Alectos and the Britton group will optimize the lead compounds for potency and selectivity using medicinal chemistry techniques. The success of this project may lead to a better understanding of cancer cell metabolism and ultimately, a new treatment for cancer.