Chemistry and Modelling for Biology of Cancer (UMR9187 / U1196)

The research unit aims at promoting a highly integrated interdisciplinary research spanning from the conception of mechanistic probes (Chemical Biology) and anticancer drug candidates (Drug Discovery) to the analysis of their in vitro efficacy, and biological activity in cells, tissues, and animal models.

The projects developed in the Unit range from fundamental research (comprehension/study of biological mechanisms with molecular probes) to the ambition of preclinical applications (therapeutic, diagnostic and theranostic). The 3 teams are devoted to the design and synthesis of molecular probes or drug candidates and they lead projects at the chemistry-biology interface. These projects will benefit from the integration of two transversal poles:

• The modeling pole will enable us to rationalize drug-target interactions, but also protein-protein or nucleic acid-protein interactions. Creating virtual chemical libraries containing diverse compounds and fragments of interest would provide tools for suggesting chemical modifications to enhance lead compounds and predict compound activities, ultimately advancing our ability to design effective therapeutic agents.

• The biology pole will provide possibilities to test biological activity of synthetized compounds and to go further in their mechanism of action. This pole and will be able thanks to its technical support and expertise to explore more deeply the mechanism of action of the molecules by cellular biology and also to perform in vivo experiments.