Searching For Cancer Drugs And Antibiotics

Main Category: MRSA / Drug Resistance
Also Included In: Cancer / Oncology;  Genetics
Article Date: 14 Feb 2008 - 4:00 PDT

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A new company has joined the fight against MRSA and cancer. Researchers at the John Innes Centre (Norwich) have launched a new company, Inspiralis Ltd, based around their expertise in DNA topoisomerases - a group of enzymes that help DNA molecules to unravel and wind up properly and not to become tangled during replication.

"DNA becomes tangled as a result of various cellular processes, such as replication, which ultimately stops these processes continuing. DNA topoisomerases untangle it. Without them cells die", says Inspiralis co-founder Dr Nicolas Burton.

Topoisomerases are already targets for several drugs, including anti-tumour drugs and antibiotics, such as ciprofloxacin - the anti-anthrax drug. The search is now on for new ways of inhibiting them. Inspiralis Ltd make a range of products targeted to the pharmaceutical industry to enable drug-discovery work in this area including topoisomerase enzymes themselves as well as associated products.

A new high-throughput assay, developed recently in the laboratory of Prof. Tony Maxwell of the John Innes Centre (and co-founder of Inspiralis), will also provide a huge advance on the standard gel-based screening method for topoisomerase inhibitors. Inspiralis Ltd will develop the technique further as well as offering screening services to companies. "The assay will potentially allow millions of compounds to be screened for activity rather than just hundreds", says Dr Burton.

The technology can now be accessed as a service or as a kit helping pharmaceutical companies and academics to screen for new and better cancer drugs and antibiotics.

Some powerful antibiotics and key anti-cancer drugs act by inhibiting topoisomerases. In cancer, cells rapidly divide in an uncontrolled manner and topoisomerase inhibitors can block this uncontrolled cell division.

"Topoisomerase inhibitors are key targets for new drug development", says Mrs Alison Howells (co-founder). "We can test potential new drugs against topoisomerases as well as help discover new inhibitors as a first step to developing brand new drugs".

Inspiralis is based at the Norwich Bio-Incubator at JIC and was founded with backing from the ICENI fund, a private investor and the John Innes Centre.

The high-throughput assay is patented by JIC's and BBSRC's technology transfer company, Plant Biosciences Ltd, and non-exclusive licenses have already been granted to pharmaceutical companies.

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Article adapted by Medical News Today from original press release.
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For more information: http://www.inspiralis.com/

* The John Innes Centre, Norwich, UK is an independent, world-leading research centre in plant and microbial sciences with over 800 staff. JIC is based on Norwich Research Park and carries out high quality fundamental, strategic and applied research to understand how plants and microbes work at the molecular, cellular and genetic levels. The JIC also trains scientists and students, collaborates with many other research laboratories and communicates its science to end-users and the general public. The JIC is grant-aided by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council.

* The Norwich Bio-Incubator provides an innovative, dynamic and stimulating environment in which entrepreneurs and companies can develop their ideas and technologies. It has 20,000 sq. feet of state of the art laboratory and office facilities along with expert support and advice provided by both its own highly qualified staff and through its extensive network of business, scientific, financial and legal advisors. The purpose built incubator facility is located at the John Innes Centre, forming part of the Norwich Research Park. The Norwich Bio-Incubator invites inquiries and proposals from individuals and companies - from the Norwich Research Park and elsewhere - with innovative ideas or novel technologies that would benefit from being developed within the unique environment offered by this research cluster. http://www.norbio.com/

Source: Zoe Dunford
Norwich BioScience Institutes