Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most aggressive type of brain tumour, and current chemotherapy options often cause significant side-effects while becoming less effective over time. This early-stage project, led by Dr Goreti Ribeiro Morais at the University of Bradford’s Institute of Cancer Therapeutics, aims to explore a new approach: linking two drugs together into a single compound that activates only when it comes into contact with cancer cells. One drug would target and kill the tumour cells, while the second would block their ability to repair themselves — a key reason why GBM becomes resistant to treatment.

 

This pump-priming research will assess whether this combined compound can be successfully created in the laboratory, and whether it releases both active drugs when exposed to GBM cells. Although at a very early stage, the project lays essential groundwork for future development of more targeted, less toxic treatment options. By funding this foundational work, YBTC is helping to generate the initial evidence needed to progress innovative ideas that could one day lead to improved therapies for people diagnosed with glioblastoma.