Dr. Joseph Hennessy

Background: BSc. (Hons) Chemical and Pharmaceutical Science (2016) – Dublin City University.

Research Project: Mitchondrial Targeted Copper Complexes: New Agents for Site Selective Therapeutic Intervention.

The development of targeted strategies in the design of therapeutic agents for human cancer is now a major driving force of inorganic medicinal chemistry research. This targeted approach has largely come about through the repeated use of the highly successful anticancer drug agent cisplatin; despite its success, numerous resistance and severe dose-limiting toxicity issues have been associated with this drug. Recently, a large portion of chemotherapeutic drug design has investigated the use other transition metal elements that possess similar chemotherapeutic activity without related resistance and toxicity issues. Indeed, copper(II) has emerged as a transition metal with strong chemotherapeutic activity and unique mechanism compared with platinum(II) drugs. This project seeks to develop a new class of targeted chemotherapeutic agents that are specific for mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA). We believe that mtDNA could be a unique target to exploit in the search for successful metallodrug lead agents that offer unique mechanism compared with cisplatin and related agents. 

Funding body: Irish Research Council (IRC) Government of Ireland Postgraduate Scheme.

Research Gate Profile: www.researchgate.net/profile/Joseph_Hennessy2