Project Acronym: DAADRAC
Project title: Development of Anticancer Agents for Drug-Resistant Cancers
Project ID/Number: HR-RS00053
Project PI and Coordinating Institution: Srđan Bjedov, Faculty of Sciences, University of Novi Sad (Lead Partner, Serbia)
Funding Institution / Programme: European Union – Interreg VI-A IPA Cross-border Cooperation Programme Croatia–Serbia
Call Information: Interreg VI-A IPA Croatia–Serbia (Specific Objective: developing and enhancing research and innovation capacities and the uptake of advanced technologies)
Fields of Science: Medicinal/Organic Chemistry; Cancer Biology; Biomedicine/Oncology
Consortium/Participating Institutions: Faculty of Sciences, University of Novi Sad (Serbia) – Lead partner; Faculty of Dental Medicine and Health Osijek, Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek (Croatia) – Project partner.
Grant Duration: 01.07.2024 – 31.12.2025
Budget: 306.892,00 €
Project Abstract:
Drug resistance remains one of the most serious barriers to successful cancer therapy, often leading to relapse and limited treatment options. DAADRAC addresses this challenge by creating a cross-border, interdisciplinary research pipeline that connects medicinal chemistry and cancer biology to discover and refine novel anticancer candidates with relevance to drug-resistant tumors. The project builds on a compound library at the University of Novi Sad and combines (i) selection and rational design of candidate structures, (ii) synthesis, purification and full analytical characterization, and (iii) systematic biological screening in resistant cancer models with appropriate non-malignant controls. Beyond basic cytotoxicity, DAADRAC integrates mechanistic and resistance-relevant readouts (e.g., apoptosis signaling and transporter-related resistance) and uses structured data interpretation (SAR) to iteratively optimize promising scaffolds. This joint workflow enables evidence-based identification of refined lead candidates and strengthens research capacity in the Programme area through knowledge exchange, trainings and workshops. DAADRAC also emphasizes dissemination of results through peer-reviewed publication, conference presentations, media coverage and digital communication, aiming to expand scientific collaboration and raise public awareness that meaningful solutions for drug-resistant cancers can be advanced through shared cross-border research efforts.
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