Targeting the atypical chemokine receptor ACKR3 for improved cancer therapy

The atypical chemokine receptor ACKR3/CXCR7 acts as a key regulator of TME-derived chemokines and controls cancer cell proliferation, survival and metastasis. Our team has recently developed and patented several ACKR3 modulators and identified three compounds blocking its capacity to scavenge chemokines. Here we will establish the anti-cancer activity of these drugs in different in vitro and in vivo models of increasing complexity (organoids/syngeneic/PDXs) available within the consortium, including glioblastoma, breast cancer and leukaemia/lymphoma.