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Bioinspired chemical probe approach targeting telomerase reverse transcriptase

Award Number: R01CA254047
ORGANIZATION: NATIONAL CANCER INSTITUTE
OPDIV: NIH
AWARD CLASS: DISCRETIONARY
AWARD ACTIVITY TYPE: SCIENTIFIC/HEALTH RESEARCH (INCLUDES SURVEYS)
PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE START DATE: 09/01/2020
PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE END DATE: 05/31/2025

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Bioinspired chemical probe approach targeting telomerase reverse transcriptase - PROJECT SUMMARY Telomerase has attracted significant attention as a potential target for understanding the aging process and for the treatment of cancer, since telomeres and telomerase have important roles in the transformation and survival of cancer cells. Previous prevailing strategies for targeting telomerase were based on the assumption that in cancer cells, telomere-length maintenance was the sole pro-survival function of this assembly. However, increasingly evidence strongly indicates that a) inhibition of the telomere-lengthening activity of telomerase is not a magic bullet treatment for cancer, and b) there is a much larger role for telomerase in key cellular pathways and these functions are not well understood. Although there have been promising clinical candidates among telomerase inhibitors, the translation of telomerase-targeted therapies to the clinic remains elusive and frustratingly slow. This lack of progress is due in part to the growing list of unanswered questions surrounding telomerase and its role in cancer biology; notably, that hTERT has non-canonical functions separate from its telomere-lengthening activity that are linked to cancer cell survival. This proposal builds on the collaboration between the Scheidt and Kron research groups to bring our expertise in chemical synthesis and cancer biology to bear on key gaps in the knowledge surrounding hTERT, its non-canonical functions, and its involvement in cancer cell survival. We have discovered that small molecules based on the natural product chrolactomycin inhibit telomerase and provide a unique platform for probe development. Based on robust chemical and biological results, we propose to first develop enhanced small molecule probes with improved efficacy. These compounds will enable precise covalent modification of hTERT catalytic function without perturbing the overall complex assembly. The following Aims will focus on exploring the use of these new tools to explore the role(s) of telomerase in DNA damage repair and cell senescence through in-depth analysis of multiple functions of telomerase as a buffer of cell stress and determinant of cell immortality. The long-term goal of this project is to understand and leverage the molecular basis for how these natural product-based molecular tools impact the telomere lengthening and most importantly, non-canonical functions of hTERT. Ultimately, this new knowledge will drive the development of new understanding of telomerase and its biological roles.


Issue Date FY	Funding FY	Legal Entity Name	Legal Entity Address	Legal Entity City	Legal Entity State	Legal Entity Zip Code	Legal Entity COUNTY	Legal Entity COUNTRY	Assistance Listing	Award Code	Budget Year	Action Date	Action Type	Action Amount

Issue Date FY: 2024 ( Subtotal = $366,747 )
2024	2024	NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY	633 CLARK ST	EVANSTON	IL	60208	COOK	USA	Cancer Treatment Research	000	5	5/22/2024	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$366,747
														Subtotal = $366,747

Issue Date FY: 2023 ( Subtotal = $378,329 )
2023	2023	NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY	633 CLARK STREET	EVANSTON	IL	60208	COOK	USA	Cancer Treatment Research	000	4	6/20/2023	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$378,329
														Subtotal = $378,329

Issue Date FY: 2022 ( Subtotal = $378,327 )
2022	2022	NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY	633 CLARK	EVANSTON	IL	60208	COOK	USA	Cancer Treatment Research	000	3	5/25/2022	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$378,327
														Subtotal = $378,327

Issue Date FY: 2021 ( Subtotal = $385,304 )
2021	2021	NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY	633 CLARK	EVANSTON	IL	60208	COOK	USA	Cancer Treatment Research	000	2	5/26/2021	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$385,304
														Subtotal = $385,304

Issue Date FY: 2020 ( Subtotal = $397,571 )
2020	2020	NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY	633 CLARK	EVANSTON	IL	60208	COOK	USA	Cancer Treatment Research	000	1	7/17/2020	NEW	$397,571
														Subtotal = $397,571

Grand Total All Awards = $1,906,278

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Bioinspired chemical probe approach targeting telomerase reverse transcriptase

Award Number: R01CA254047

ORGANIZATION: NATIONAL CANCER INSTITUTE

OPDIV: NIH

AWARD CLASS: DISCRETIONARY

AWARD ACTIVITY TYPE: SCIENTIFIC/HEALTH RESEARCH (INCLUDES SURVEYS)

PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE START DATE: 09/01/2020

PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE END DATE: 05/31/2025

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