GlaxoSmithKline
University of Oxford

Thomas is investigating how the inhibition of a specific human enzyme could be developed into a potential cancer therapy. The enzyme AspH appears more frequently in several human cancer cells, including pancreatic, bile duct and liver cancer. There is clear link between this enzyme and increased mortality rates from these cancers, so Thomas is investigating how stopping this enzyme could be an effective novel cancer treatment. The goal of his research is to design and synthesise an enzyme inhibitor to prevent the action of AspH, and then to evaluate its effectiveness in treating cancer.

Current inhibitors of the AspH enzyme have suffered from a lack of research. Many exhibit limited selectivity or ability to enter cells. Thomas’s project will exploit this gap in the pharmacological market, for the benefit of millions of patients worldwide. Ineffective medicines of this type can cause dangerous side-effects in other regions of the body. The research into this area will also have relevance for the treatment of other diseases affected by related human enzymes, including anaemia and inflammation.