Prof Paul Taylor
Chemical Genomics, Drug Reprofiling, Cancer Treatments, Evolution
A Chemical Genomics approach to Cancer Treatment: links drugs and natural products to genes that may affect cancer. The Evolutionary Origins of Chemical Messengers in Humans: building on the finding that retinoic acid is not, as generally thought, an animal "invention" but originates in cyanobacteria.
Current major projects include:- The evolutionary origins of chemical messengers in humans
- A new cancer biomarker and therapeutic target
A Chemical Genomics approach to Cancer Treatment: Our methods link drugs and natural products to genes that may affect cancer, for example drug candidate VAL401, being developed by ValiSeek Limited. VAL401 is the reformulation of an existing clinical drug to enable use instead in the treatment of cancer. Preclinical data indicate potential use of the reformulated drug in lung, pancreatic, breast and prostate cancers.
The Evolutionary Origins of Chemical Messengers in Humans: A collaborative programme with Professor David Scanlan (School of Life Sciences, University of Warwick) and Dr Andrew Millard (Warwick Medical School) building on the finding that retinoic acid is not, as generally thought, an animal "invention" but originates in cyanobacteria (Millard et al., 2014). We are currently studying further lateral genetic transfer events using phylogenetic analysis and experimental study of chemical signals in "model" cyanobacteria using analytical chemistry and genetics techniques, all leading to new insights into both ecology and medicine.
Detailed research programme Close ▲Professor of Chemical Education
Postdoc (Geneva) 1989-1991
Lecturer (Warwick) 1991-1999
Senior Lecturer (Warwick) 1999-2004
Reader (Warwick) 2004-2014
Chemistry G.52e
School of Chemistry
0113 3436529
p.c.taylor@leeds.ac.uk
Selected Publications
Dilly, SJ; Clark AJ; Marsh, A; Mitchell, DA; Cain, R; Fishwick, CWG; Taylor, PC A chemical genomics approach to drug reprofiling in oncology: Antipsychotic drug risperidone as a potential adenocarcinoma treatment. Cancer Letters, 393 , 16-21, 2017.
Marsh, A; Casey-Green, K; Probert, F; Withall, D; Mitchell, DA; Dilly, SJ; James, S; Dimitri, W; Ladwa, SR; Taylor, PC; Singer, DRJ Simvastatin sodium salt and fluvastatin interact with human gap junction gamma-3-protein PLOS ONE 11 e0148266, 2016
Millard A; Scanlan DJ; Gallagher C; Marsh A; Taylor PC Unexpected evolutionary proximity of eukaryotic and cyanobacterial enzymes responsible for biosynthesis of retinoic acid and its oxidation Molecular BioSystems 10 380-383, 2014
Taylor PC; Clark AJ; Marsh A; Singer DRJ; Dilly SJ A chemical genomics approach to identification of interactions between bioactive molecules and alternative reading frame proteins Chemical Communications 49 9588-9590, 2013