Massey Cancer Center funds drug discovery projects targeting Hsp27-CerS1 and ferroptosis pathways

The VCU Massey Comprehensive Cancer Center has completed the first funding cycle of its VCU–Sanford Burnham Prebys Drug Discovery Collaborative Program, improving its efforts to accelerate cancer research and therapeutic development.

The initiative, developed in partnership with the Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute in La Jolla, California, is designed to help Massey researchers identify promising small-molecule agents targeting novel cancer mechanisms. By combining expertise across institutions, the programme aims to speed up the transition from early scientific discovery to viable treatment options. 

First projects receive funding

As part of its Molecules to Medicine initiative, the cancer centre has awarded two research projects $50,000 each to advance innovative drug discovery efforts.

“This milestone marks a new era in translational cancer research at Massey,” said Robert Winn, Director and Lipman Chair in Oncology at Massey. “By partnering with the world-class capabilities at SBP, we are enabling our investigators to move rapidly from biological discovery to the identification of potential therapeutic agents that could ultimately benefit patients.” 

The selected projects reflect cutting-edge approaches to understanding and targeting cancer biology. One project, led by Dr Can Senkal, focuses on targeting the Hsp27-CerS1 interaction in solid tumours. The second, led by Dr Anthony Faber, explores a cell-based screening method to identify compounds that induce ferroptosis by inhibiting selenocysteine incorporation. Both of these initiatives will be co-led in collaboration with scientists at Sanford Burnham Prebys.

Strengthening translational research

The collaborative programme is part of a broader push to strengthen translational cancer research, helping bridge the gap between laboratory discoveries and clinical applications. By supporting early-stage projects, the initiative can generate the data needed to move promising therapies towards clinical trials.

“We are extremely excited about this partnership between Massey and SBP,” said Dr Said Sebti, M2M Executive Director, Associate Director of Basic Research at Massey and Professor in the Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology at the VCU School of Medicine. “This collaboration complements our internal capabilities by providing access to outstanding assay development expertise and industry-level high-throughput compound screening, allowing our faculty to pursue ambitious drug discovery projects against novel cancer targets.”

The programme also provides researchers with access to advanced tools and resources that are often critical in early drug development, including high-throughput screening technologies and medicinal chemistry expertise.

Building a pipeline for future therapies

A key goal of the collaboration is to create a strong pipeline of research that can attract more funding opportunities and move further towards clinical development. By generating robust early data, the projects are expected to support competitive applications for major research grants, including those from the National Institutes of Health and the National Cancer Institute.

“Both projects are being executed in formal partnership with the Prebys Center for Drug Discovery at SBP,” said Dr Shamik Ghosh, M2M Director of Operations. “The center is one of the nation’s leading academic drug discovery facilities, renowned for its high-throughput screening platforms, medicinal chemistry expertise and track record of translating basic biology into therapeutic candidates.”

By bringing together complementary strengths in biology, chemistry and drug development, it is hoped that this programme can accelerate the discovery of new treatments and ultimately improve outcomes for patients.