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This study presents an AI-driven drug repurposing framework to identify new tubulin inhibitors targeting the colchicine binding site for cancer therapy. By screening ~4500 FDA-approved molecules and combining with structure-based virtual screening, four promising candidates were identified. Computational analyses and experimental assays confirmed omeprazole and podofilox as stable tubulin inhibitors with low-micromolar anticancer activity. We combined machine learning, virtual screening, biochemical and biological evaluation to identify new repurposed hit molecules that have shown great anticancer potential. Overall, the work demonstrates an efficient ML-guided pipeline that integrates computational prediction with biological validation to accelerate anticancer drug discovery.

"This work was carried out with one of my MRes student (Neelima, MRes Drug Development 2025). This work was also supported by in-house academics: Amalia, Wahajuddin, Sneha, Hussein, alongside international collaboration with Dr Gaurav Joshi, HNB Garhwal University, India"- Vibhu Jha

Since the TGN1412 clinical trial failure to predict cytokine release syndrome (CRS) during preclinical trials, alternative in vitro models have become increasingly important for identifying potential adverse outcomes in early drug development. Considering this, in 2019 the IMI2/EU immune safety avatar (imSAVAR) consortium was established, encompassing academic, industry, and regulatory organizations. ImSAVAR aims to deliver a broad range of tools to enhance our ability to assess the efficacy and safety of immunomodulatory therapies.

In addition, imSAVAR uses the adverse outcome pathway (AOP) concept to describe immune-related adverse effects, such as CRS, thereby facilitating the discovery of new biological markers for clinical management and prediction of immune-related adverse effects in nonclinical development. ImSAVAR unanimously agreed that CRS and advanced cytokine release assay (CRA) development is a key focus with regards to immunological safety testing and hazard identification. The CRA field has rapidly accelerated in recent years, with the rise of New Approach Methodologies (NAMs) to provide enhanced predictive immunological safety testing within a clinical setting.

Here, we provide an up-to-date review of recent developments of advanced, in vitro CRA models, discuss how these advances may impact the future field of nonclinical toxicology and the understanding of immune-related adverse outcomes and offer guidance on appropriate model selection.

"It has been a fantastic experience, writing this review with imSAVAR partners and, whilst the imSAVAR project has now ended, I look forward to working with some of the strong collaborators I have formed during my time as part of the consortium." -Ethan Perkins

Link to article-  https://doi.org/10.3389/fimmu.2025.1732193

Last week, we celebrated World Cancer Day, a moment to focus on research that is changing how cancer is treated and who benefits from it. Our Institute of Cancer Therapeutics is targeting one of the most aggressive and difficult-to-treat forms of the disease.

We would like to congratulate our Honorary Visiting Researcher, Francis Mprah Barnieh, Ph.D. who has recently secured a £234k Award to develop safer smart cancer drugs for triple negative breast cancer, where treatment options remain limited, and outcomes are often poor.

His research, “Uncovering a Non-canonical Role of ATR Kinase in Tumor Hypoxia for Safer Breast Cancer Therapy”, centres on therapies that activate only inside oxygen-poor tumours. By switching on precisely where cancer cells thrive, the approach aims to increase treatment effectiveness while reducing damage to healthy tissue. 

The Wellcome Accelerator Award supports early- to mid- career researchers with ambitious ideas, helping them to advance their academic careers. By focusing on cancers that do not respond well to existing therapies, the work also has the potential to address long-standing inequalities in cancer outcomes.

Breast cancer (BC) is still the leading cause of mortality and one of the most prevalent malignancies worldwide. Even after extensive research and significant advancements, the treatment of BC remains a major challenge because of its complexity, tumor cell heterogeneity, and patient-to-patient variability. Also, nonselective toxicity and limited targetability are other key issues associated with the conventional chemotherapeutic delivery for BC.

It is anticipated that advanced drug delivery approaches might overcome these challenges. Recent advancements in cancer target therapies with tumor-specific localization have been made through stimuli-based drug delivery systems due to their promising characteristic features. This book chapter extensively discusses the impact of stimuli-responsive drug delivery on achieving selective drug targeting to BC without compromising normal cells. The current chapter will benefit a wide community of researchers and provide insight into targeted and stimulus-based drug delivery strategies in treating BC.

Reference: Innovative Targeting Strategies in Breast Cancer Therapy, 2026, Pages 65-84 https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-443-33349-1.00003-X

"This manuscript highlights how stimuli-responsive drug delivery systems can address key challenges in breast cancer therapy by enabling precise, tumour-specific drug release. These insights have the potential to guide next-generation treatments that improve efficacy, reduce toxicity, and support more personalized clinical applications"- Dr Wahajuddin

As part of our commitment at the University of Bradford to continue supporting UK based Oncology companies developing novel therapeutics, our Commercial manager and Head of Business Engagement at University of Bradford Jason Jones and Associate Professor in Tumour Biology Steve Shnyder from our Institute of Cancer Therapeutics, University of Bradford team exhibited at the Bionow Oncology conference held in Alderley Park, Manchester.

The Bionow Oncology Conference brought together around 100 delegates, speakers and exhibitors for an in-depth exploration of current advancements and challenges in cancer research, encouraging collaboration and innovation across the healthcare sector. The agenda covered areas such research & development, clinical & supply considerations amongst others and also included patient perspectives, a state-of-the-nation panel, and a poster session showcasing the work of oncology researchers.

We have very strong and unique Cancer research expertise at the University of Bradford and deliver valuable contract research projects for our industry clients. Get in touch by emailing cancer@bradford.ac.uk or completing the contact form.

Cancer significantly impacts human quality of life and life expectancy, with an estimated 20 million new cases and 10 million cancer-related deaths worldwide every year. Standard treatments including chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and surgical removal, for aggressive cancers, such as glioblastoma, are often ineffective in late stages. Glioblastoma, for example, is known for its poor prognosis post-diagnosis, with a median survival time of approximately 15 months.

Novel therapies using local electric fields have shown anti-tumour effects in glioblastoma by disrupting mitotic spindle assembly and inhibiting cell growth. However, constant application poses risks like patient burns. Wireless stimulation via piezoelectric nanomaterials offers a safer alternative, requiring ultrasound activation to induce therapeutic effects, such as altering voltage-gated ion channel conductance by depolarising membrane potentials.

This review highlights the piezoelectric mechanism, drug delivery, ion channel activation, and current technologies in cancer therapy, emphasising the need for further research to address limitations like biocompatibility in whole systems. The goal is to underscore these areas to inspire new avenues of research and overcome barriers to developing piezoelectric nanoparticle-based cancer therapies.

Dr Jacobo Elies Gomez

The mitochondrial enzyme methylenetetrahydrofolate dehydrogenase (MTHFD2) is involved in purine and thymidine synthesis via 1C metabolism. MTHFD2 is exclusively overexpressed in cancer cells but absent in most healthy adult human tissues.

However, the two close homologs of MTHFD2 known as MTHFD1 and MTHFD2L are expressed in healthy adult human tissues and share a great structural resemblance to MTHFD2 with 54% and 89% sequence similarity, respectively. It is therefore notably challenging to find selective inhibitors of MTHFD2 due to the structural similarity, in particular protein binding site similarity with MTHFD1 and MTHFD2L.

Tricyclic coumarin-based compounds (substrate site binders) and xanthine derivatives (allosteric site binders) are the only selective inhibitors of MTHFD2 reported till date. Nanomolar potent diaminopyrimidine-based inhibitors of MTHFD2 have been reported recently, however, they also demonstrate significant inhibitory activities against MTHFD1 and MTHFD2L.

In this study, we have employed extensive computational modeling involving molecular docking and molecular dynamics simulations in order to investigate the binding modes and key interactions of diaminopyrimidine-based inhibitors at the substrate binding sites of MTHFD1, MTHFD2 and MTHFD2L, and compare with the tricyclic coumarin-based selective MTHFD2 inhibitor. 

Dr Vibhu Jha

Read the Selectivity analysis paper

The outcomes of our study provide significant insights into desirable and undesirable structural elements for rational structure-based design of new and selective inhibitors of MTHFD2 against cancer.