The Development of Therapeutic Leads for Prostate Cancer - Targeting the Androgen Receptor

This research project will extend previous work in the research group developing a new classes of molecules that are designed to mimic the 3D chemical functionality presented by secondary structural motifs/epitopes in certain proteins.

In particular, alpha-helical secondary structural motifs are partners in innumerable important protein-protein interactions (PPIs) that mediate signal transduction events in humans.

As such, molecules that can mimic these important structures, but which are not susceptible to proteolytic degradation by proteases, provide interesting opportunities for intervening in these pathways for therapeutic effect.

The PPI to be targeted initially is that of the Androgen Receptor (AR) with various coactivator proteins and a lead into prostate cancer therapeutics either as small molecules or as part of a proteolysis targeting chimera (PROTAC).