National Network for Cancer Drug Development Launched

The acronym TACTIC stands for “Targeting Transcriptional Addiction in Cancer”. The aim is to develop drugs that specifically interact with dysregulated transcription factors in the tumor and restore cancer cells to their normal state. Transcription factors control which proteins are produced in a cell; in cancer cells, their regulation is often disrupted. Many transcription factors are already known to be associated with the development of cancer.

This is the starting point for the new network: The interdisciplinary research team is focusing on the “regulator molecules” of transcription factors associated with cancer. This means that the drugs are not intended to directly target the transcription factors that are dysregulated in the tumor and lead, for example, to increased cell division. Instead, the team is concentrating on structures that regulate the transcription factors at a superordinate level, i.e. further forward in the signaling chain. This is because tumor-specific transcription factors rarely respond to drugs – in complete contrast to their regulators. To date, however, these have not been given sufficient consideration in the development of new active ingredients for cancer drugs.

“Dortmund’s particular strengths in the field of drug research”

The researchers are using structural biology techniques to decipher the spatial structure of several promising regulators. Based on this, they model suitable small molecule drugs on the computer that – at least in theory – inhibit the regulator’s function. With the help of organic synthesis and extensive screening of active ingredients, the team then tests the efficacy of these drugs in cell culture models. “It’s great that we can be part of this network with our research in the field of structure-based drug design,” says Professor Daniel Rauh. “That other partners of the Drug Discovery Hub Dortmund (DDHD), such as MPI, IfADo, the Leibniz Research Center for Working Environment and Human Factors, and two Dortmund companies, LDC and Taros, are participating in TACTIC alongside TU Dortmund University underlines once again Dortmund’s particular strengths in the field of drug research.”

The TACTIC network bundles the expertise of 24 scientists at twelve cancer research institutions throughout Germany. In addition to Goethe University Frankfurt, which is coordinating the project, TU Dortmund University, the Drug Discovery Hub Dortmund (DDHD) under the leadership of TU Dortmund University, the Max Planck Institute of Molecular Physiology (MPI), the Leibniz Research Center for Working Environment and Human Factors (IfADo) at TU Dortmund University and the West German Cancer Center (WTZ) in Essen are also involved. 

Professor Daniel Rauh’s working group

German Cancer Aid press release (in German)

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