-  Discovery platform  -

Background

The main goal of the discovery platform within the vALA is to identify potential drugs and possible drug target molecules that are specific for tumor endothelial cells.

Apart from serendipity, there are several approaches to identify potential drugs for anti-angiogenesis therapy. Your goal is to identify the drug/receptor pair that has the highest potential of becoming a therapeutic drug. In the subsequent labs you will determine whether you indeed picked the best candidate.

There are several factors that influence the potential success of a angiostatic drug/receptor pair. The most important features are illustrated in the figure below and relate to:

1) Specificity: Is the receptor specific for tumor endothelial cells and is the drug specific for the receptor?

2) Activity: Is the receptor important for the function of tumor endothelial cells and does the drug actively alter this function?

3) Availability: Is the receptor easily accessible for the drug and is the drug available in the circulation?

First, you will have to identify a target molecule on the tumor endothelial cells that can serve as drug target.

Target finder