Mitochondrial-targeted anticancer drug development

Focus
Cancer
Medicinal chemistry
Mitochondria
Breast cancer
Drug development
Brain cancer

Group leader
Tristan Rawling

Mitochondria are critical to cell health; they generate ATP to meet cellular energy requirements and regulate apoptotic cell death. Recent studies have identified structural and functional differences between cancer cell mitochondria and those found in noncancerous cells. Our group aims to leverage these differences to develop new mitochondria-targeted anticancer drugs to treat triple negative breast cancer and other highly lethal cancers. 

We take a multidisciplinary approach to drug development. We use chemical biology and medicinal chemistry approaches to design new drug candidates, which we synthesise and screen for anticancer activity using in vitro assays that measure cell health and mitochondrial function. We collaborate nationally with computational chemists and cancer biologists to understand the molecular determinants of drug potency and assess drug efficacy in animal models of cancer. Our research is funded by the NHMRC and has produced promising drug candidates that have been licensed to industry for clinical development. 

Acknowledgement of Country

UTS acknowledges the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation, the Boorooberongal people of the Dharug Nation, the Bidiagal people and the Gamaygal people, upon whose ancestral lands our university stands. We would also like to pay respect to the Elders both past and present, acknowledging them as the traditional custodians of knowledge for these lands.