The NICR consortium had, within its Research Programme 2 ‘Research and development of anticancer pharmaceuticals and therapeutic methods’, recently patented and published a number of new types of substances (small molecules, bioconjugates, polymers, and nanoparticles) with antitumour or immunostimulant effects. In the future, these substances may be further developed into new drugs or contribute to more effective combination therapies.
CD73 inhibition as a potential tumour immunotherapy method
Research teams of Tereza Ormsby (Jan Konvalinka’s group) and Michal Hocek (Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the CAS) have jointly discovered and patented a new class of modified nucleotides whose most active derivatives inhibit the CD73 ecto-5′-nukleotidase in sub-pico molecular concentrations. This enzyme is present on cellular surfaces, where it plays a key role in regulating the immune response, and its inhibition may restore an anti-tumour immune response.
A new mechanism of the antitumour effect of triterpenoids
The teams of Milan Urban and Marián Hajdúch (Faculty of Medicine of the Palacký University) have jointly published an important study on a newly discovered mechanism of functioning of modified triterpenoids. They inhibit hedgehog signalisation by directly interacting with the Gli 1 transcription factor in glioblastoma tumour cells, which limits the transcription and translation of some proteins linked to proliferation of these tumour cells.
Conjugates of antibodies and polymer pharmaceuticals for targeted therapy
The teams of Tomáš Etrych (Institute of Macromolecular Chemistry of the CAS) and Pavel Klener (First Faculty of Medicine of the CU) have jointly published a study on conjugates of antibodies and polymer pharmaceuticals which target the CD38 membrane glycoprotein in lymphomas and have potential use in in a targeted treatment of lymphomas after a relapse.
A combined therapy of fluorouracil and disulphiram for treating colorectal carcinomas
In the translational phase of antitumour therapies, the team of Petr Beneš (Faculty of Science of Masa
ryk University) in collaboration with the teams of Jan Preisler (Faculty of Science of Masaryk University) and Markéta Hermanová (Faculty of Medicine of Masaryk University, St Anne’s University Hospital Brno) have published an important study on the synergic effect of fluorouracil with disulphiram copper complex. This disulphiram complex significantly increases the effect of fluorouracil against colorectal tumours in vitro in organotypic cultures and suppresses the emergence of resistance. This combined therapy has potential for further preclinical and clinical research.
Numerous further highly promising substances are studied in a research stage, which does not permit publication until the studies are completed, and the substances patented. Nevertheless, these studies are expected to appear in the near future.
Researchers active in Research Programme 2 have been awarded a number of significant awards. Among the winners of the most notable awards, let us mention Zuzana Kečkéšová, who received the NextGen Stars 2025 Award, which is awarded by the American Association for Cancer Research for creativity and originality in cancer research.
Michal Hocek, head of RP2