Download Developing chemically modified, non

Developing chemically modified, non-anticoagulant
heparin derivatives as galectin-3-targeted novel anticancer/anti-metastasis drugs
Professor Lu-Gang Yu
Gastroenterology Unit
Institute of Translational Medicine
 Research interests:
o Carbohydrate-binding proteins (lectins) from endogenous (e.g. galactoside-binding
galectins) as well as dietary sources in cancer progression and metastasis
o Development of galectin-targeted anti-cancer/anti-metastasis agents
 Recent research from our lab as well as others has identified a circulating protein
(galectin-3) as an important metastasis promoter in cancer
 Several biotech companies have initiated galectin-3 –targeted therapeutic
programmes for cancer treatment
Poster T6
Chemically modified forms of an existing anti-coagulant
drug (heparin) are potent galectin-3 inhibitors and have
great potential to be developed as novel, first in class,
anti-cancer/anti-metastasis drugs
(in collaboration with Prof Jeremy Turnbull, Institute of Integrative Biology)
 Heparin: an existing anti-coagulant drug for treatment
of thromboembolism with proven safety and efficacy
profile
 The modified heparin derivatives: inhibit galectin-3-mediated
cancer cell activities in vitro and metastasis in vivo in mice; no
detectable cytotoxicity and off-target effects
 The modified compounds are IP protected:
PCT/GB2012/052428, entered into US national phase on 26
March 2014 and European regional phase on 31 March 2014
Poster T6
We are looking for:
Industrial partners to:
o develop this promising class of compounds as
novel, first in class anti-metastasis drugs (jointly or
by license)
o conduct further research on potential effect of
these compounds to inhibit primary tumour
growth hence for the compounds to be developed
as novel anti-cancer drugs
Poster T6