Discovery out of Nikolovska-Coleska Lab featured at Celebrate Invention

By Elizabeth Walker | November 20 2018

Nikolovska-Coleska, third from right, with members of her team.Dr. Zaneta Nikolovska-Coleska’s work was highlighted as part of the Featured Technology and Startup Kiosks during the University of Michigan Tech Transfer’s annual Celebrate Invention event on October 17th at the Michigan League. Nikolovska-Coleska’s project, Small-molecule dual inhibitors of the anti-apoptotic Mcl-1 and Bfl-1 proteins for the treatment of cancer, outlined the first-in-class dual inhibitors that the lab has developed which selectively inhibit the anti-apoptotic Mcl-1 and Bfl-1 proteins. These proteins are upregulated in many cancers and are key resistance factors in cancer cell death. Compounds developed by the team represent promising therapeutics in development for treatment of several cancers, including lymphoma, melanoma, and thyroid cancer and could lead to improved treatment outcomes for patients.

The project was also selected from more than 200 proposals as one of eleven finalists that were featured at the Science to Start-Up (S2S) event at the Broad Institute in Cambridge, MA in April. The event, co-hosted by Atlas Ventures, F-Prime Capital Partners, and SV Health Investors was designed in order to connect inventors from top research institutions to venture capitalists interested in funding commercially viable projects that are potentially life-changing for patients.