ACT’s grant of £5,000 will support Professor McHugh’s investigation into whether a protein called SNM1A represents a viable therapeutic target in ALT-dependent cancers — a specific type of tumour that currently offers few treatment options, particularly for young people.

Professor Peter J. McHugh and his team at the University of Oxford are investigating whether a protein called SNM1A is essential for the growth of ALT-dependent cancers — a type of cancer that relies on a specific mechanism to maintain its telomeres, making it particularly difficult to treat.

The project’s key objectives are to establish whether these cancer cells depend on SNM1A for continued growth, and whether the loss of this protein causes telomere damage that prevents the cells from proliferating. If the findings confirm that targeting SNM1A is effective, it could open the door to a new targeted therapy — with ALT-dependency used as an indicator of when SNM1A inhibitors may be of benefit.

Ultimately, this work has the potential to offer new treatment options for young people who currently have very limited choices.