Cutting-edge Dundee researchers who discovered a new drug to treat skin cancer are to receive almost £30 million to help make new breakthroughs.
It will allow the 200-strong community of researchers in the city to continue searching for new treatments for conditions that have so far proved incurable.
The cash could help the scientists discover new treatments for conditions from Motor Neurone Disease to Crohn’s by supporting research into how signals are transmitted within the body’s cells.
UK Science Minister Lord Patrick Vallance told The Courier the investment in the “world-leading” work at the University of Dundee was a statement of faith.
Dundee unit’s role in developing 40 new drugs
The unit, known as the PPU at the university, has already been a key part in the development and clinical approval of over 40 drugs that are now widely used to treat patients, attracting almost £60 million in private investment.
Asked what kind of work the new investment could fund, Lord Vallance said: “They’ve got a track record of being successful.
“What’s really important about what they do is they are working at the fundamental level to understand how cells speak to each other.
‘They will find out stuff we don’t know’
“That may sound esoteric and long way from disease, but it isn’t. It’s the reason certain diseases occur. What they are doing is identifying targets that might be valuable to make a medicine against.
“They’ve been important in lots of drug discovery programmes, including for cancers they’ll continue doing more of that.
“One of the beauties of this type of work is I can’t tell you what they are going to find, because they will find out stuff we don’t know.”
The UK Government minister – who became a household name as the chief science adviser during the Covid-19 pandemic – also praised the Dundee unit’s innovative set-up.
He added: “What’s remarkable is that it’s not only important for an academic perspective, but they’ve set up to be an interactive unit for industry.
“It’s become a magnet for industry to come and work with them. It’s got that perfect mix of academic excellence and industry support.”
Professor Dario Alessi, director of the Medical Research Council PPU said: “We are incredibly grateful for the long-term support that ouruUnit has received from the MRC over the last 34 years.
“This has enabled our researchers to tackle the most important questions and greatly contributed to our understanding of how derailment of biological pathways causes human diseases including neurodegeneration, diabetes, cancer, and immune dysfunction.
“Our mission for the next five years will be to work with leading research centres, clinicians, and pharmaceutical companies to translate our discoveries into clinical progress and accelerate drug discovery.”
North East MSP Michael Marra also welcomed the investment.
The Dundee-based MSP said: “The University of Dundee’s global reputation for life sciences continues to draw the best scientists, research and investment to Dundee.
“Today’s announcement demonstrates the UK Government’s appreciation and support of that status as the UK’s leading life sciences university over the last two decades.”
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