Centres for Doctoral Training

PROTAC-mediated phospholamban ablation as a therapeutic approach for heart failure

Supervisors:

Will Fuller, School of Cardiovascular & Metabolic Health

David France, COSE/School of Chemistry

Project Summary:  

In the cardiovascular system, one enzyme above all others controls a process that is fundamental to the working of the muscle of the heart. This enzyme, called SERCA, has the job of causing muscle cells to relax. SERCA going wrong is a fundamental cause of many types of cardiovascular disease. We propose to use a new way of switching SERCA on using a drug that ‘fools’ muscle cells into getting rid of a protein that usually turns SERCA off.

Our strategy is based on Targeted Protein Degradation using bi-functional molecules called PROTACs. This highly multidisciplinary project will train the student in areas ranging from compound design and synthesis to cellular assay, providing exemplary training for a career in pharmaceutical / chemical biology research