The collaboration explores strategies to identify inhibitors for a promising new drug target.
Finnish Drug Discovery Center (FDDC) has initiated a new Proof-of-Idea (PoI) project in collaboration with the University of Eastern Finland (UEF) to assess the feasibility of developing inhibitors against a novel small GTPase target. Small GTPases are key regulators of cellular signalling pathways and are implicated in a range of diseases. Identifying molecules capable of modulating these proteins could open new avenues for therapeutic intervention.
The project is led by Dr. Tatu Pantsar, an Academy Research Fellow at the UEF School of Pharmacy and leader of the Pantsar dynamics research group, which is part of the Drug Discovery and Delivery Technologies (DrugTech) research community at UEF. The group has extensive expertise in computational drug discovery, applying molecular modelling and simulation techniques to early-stage therapeutic development.
In this project, the research team will use molecular dynamics simulations and molecular modelling to identify potential inhibitor molecules against a novel target. Selected compounds will then be tested experimentally to validate their activity. This work will generate early feasibility data needed to evaluate the project hypothesis and guide decisions on further development and investment.
The collaboration began in March 2026 and is supported through FDDC’s Proof-of-Idea instrument, which invests in early feasibility studies for promising therapeutic targets. UEF also served as a key partner in developing the agreement framework utilised for the FDDC’s Proof-of-Idea projects.
About the Proof-of-Idea Program:
FDDC’s Proof-of-Idea program supports early-stage drug discovery projects by providing resources and up to € 30000 funding for defined feasibility studies. Supported activities vary by project and may include medicinal chemistry services, ADMET characterization, assay development, or protein production. The program aims to help researchers generate the evidence required to advance promising therapeutic concepts toward further development and collaboration.
About FDDC:
The Finnish Drug Discovery Center helps researchers and startups turn drug discoveries into successful products and companies — through investments and drug development expertise. As a state-owned special assignment company, FDDC combines drug discovery and business expertise to advance competitive drug discovery in Finland.
About the researchers:
https://uefconnect.uef.fi/en/pantsar-dynamics/
https://www.uef.fi/en/research-community/drug-discovery-and-delivery-technologies-drugtech