# Chemistry and Cancer Scientific Program

> **NIH NIH P30** · UT SOUTHWESTERN MEDICAL CENTER · 2020 · $32,164

## Abstract

Harold C. Simmons Cancer Center 
Chemistry and Cancer Scientific Program 
Project Summary/Abstract 
The Chemistry and Cancer (CC) Program combines the expertise of synthetic and medicinal chemists, 
molecular biologists, biochemists, structural biologists, and clinician scientists to discover, design, and optimize 
drug-like small molecules that regulate biological pathways deregulated in cancer. There are a total of 16 
members who are drawn from 4 departments on campus. CC's discovery process takes a two-pronged 
approach, starting from a chemistry-to-biology or a biology-to-chemistry direction. For the chemistry-to-biology 
approach, the discovery process starts with identifying natural or unnatural small molecules that are selectively 
cytotoxic to human cancer cell lines, followed by a rigorous target identification program. During this “discovery 
biology” phase, chemists design specific derivatives to aid in biochemical pull-down and cross-linking studies. 
Or, if specific drug-resistant clones against the small molecule of interest can be generated, genetic and 
molecular biological studies can provide additional approaches to identify target pathways and/or drug 
resistance mechanisms. This unbiased approach is expected to identify novel cancer-specific pathways that 
can be chemically interrogated/regulated for proof-of-concept, early drug-discovery efforts. In the biology-to- 
chemistry approach, hypotheses regarding the “drugability” and cancer relevance of specific biological 
pathways investigated by Simmons Cancer Center scientists can be tested with small-molecule agonists or 
antagonists. 
The CC Scientific Program will continue broadly with the following themes: 
· Theme 1. Identifying the molecular targets of cancer cell–specific small-molecule toxins; 
· Theme 2. Biochemical dissection of novel, cancer cell–specific pathways; 
· Theme 3. Proof-of-concept preclinical development of cancer cell–specific small-molecule toxins; and 
· Theme 4. Dissection, regulation, and targeting of the hypoxia response pathway. 
Current peer-reviewed funding for the CC Program is highlighted by $1.5 million from the NCI and $2.8 million 
from Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas for total peer-reviewed funding of $7.1 million. CC 
Program members have authored 103 peer-reviewed publications since 2009, of which 19% were intra- 
programmatic and 30% inter-programmatic, and 15% of them inter-institutional with investigators from other 
NCI-designated cancer centers.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10260734
- **Project number:** 3P30CA142543-10S3
- **Recipient organization:** UT SOUTHWESTERN MEDICAL CENTER
- **Principal Investigator:** JEF KAREL DE BRABANDER
- **Activity code:** P30 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $32,164
- **Award type:** 3
- **Project period:** 2010-08-03 → 2021-07-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10260734

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10260734, Chemistry and Cancer Scientific Program (3P30CA142543-10S3). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10260734. Licensed CC0.

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