Collaborative Next Generation Chemistry Center is Launched with Berkeley, Duke, and The Broad Institute

We are thrilled to announce the launch of a Next Generation Chemistry Center (NGC) focused on chemical biology and drug discovery for rare and neglected pediatric cancers. The NGC is part of a new network created by he National Cancer Institute focused on childhood cancers called the Target Fusion Oncoproteins in Childhood Cancers (TFCC) Network. This program aims to combine therapeutic approaches with continued mechanistic studies to reveal potential treatment targets and advance the development of therapeutic strategies for fusion oncoprotein-driven childhood cancers.  

Our center will initially focus on chemical biology strategies to target the PAX3::FOXO1 oncofusion that is a driver of fusion-positive rhabdomyosarcoma. This protein is highly disordered and considered to be undruggable. New methods are needed to target this fusion and many other fusions that drive cancers of childhood. The center will use a broad set of approaches to modulate oncofusion function or levels. We are fortunate to partner with the following labs in this endeavor:

Daniel Nomura, UC Berkeley: https://nomuraresearchgroup.com/

The Broad Institute Center for Development of Therapeutics (CDoT): https://www.broadinstitute.org/center-development-therapeutics-cdot

Corinne Linardic, Duke University: https://sites.duke.edu/corinnelinardiclab/

Animation of the floppy and undruggable PAX3::FOXO1 protein surveying various shapes. The disordered nature of this protein complicates drug discovery efforts.