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Dr. Steven Corsello and Dr. Nathanael Gray receive the 2026 Mark Foundation Drug Discovery Award for pioneering TRIM21 E3 ligase reprogramming and molecular glue technology for pancreatic cancer therapy.
The 2026 Mark Foundation Drug Discovery Award has been awarded to Dr. Steven Corsello and Dr. Nathanael Gray of Stanford University for their pioneering research on TRIM21 Ligase Reprogramming for Pancreatic Cancer Therapy. Their ground-breaking initiative aims to create a novel therapeutic approach that uses molecular glue technology to specifically eliminate cancer-causing proteins, giving patients new hope to combat the most aggressive type of cancer that is resistant to treatment.
Pancreatic Cancer remains one of the deadliest malignancies worldwide, with limited treatment options as well as a low rate of survivor for patients suffering from advanced stage disease. There is an urgent need for novel therapeutic strategies as conventional therapies have difficulty achieving long lasting responses. Having characterised a clear and unmet clinical need, Dr. Corsello and Dr. Gray have directed their attention towards developing a more specific therapeutic strategy that will overcome the biological barriers of pancreatic tumours.
The award Winning Research focuses on TRIM21, an E3 Ubiquitin Ligase that is expressed in multiple solid tumours such as pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma. The researchers used especially designed in molecular glue compounds to reprogram TRIM21 so that it could deliver a cell’s protein degradation machinery directly against proteins necessary for cancer cell viability. This strategy allows for the selective degradation of disease-causing proteins rather than just blocking them, marking an important advance in targeted cancer therapy.
One of the most interesting new developments in drug research is molecular glues. These tiny molecules effectively designate harmful proteins for breakdown by encouraging the interaction of proteins that are not intended to bind together. Dr. Corsello and Dr. Gray have discovered a new class of molecular glues that engage TRIM21 and the nuclear pore proteins for degradation, leading to inhibition of cancer cell growth but sparing normal tissues. Their work broadens the potential for targeted protein degradation therapies beyond blood cancers to hard- to- treat solid tumours.
The research team will enhance these potential hits using sophisticated structural biology, structure-guided medicinal chemistry, and thorough preclinical profiling.Their studies will analyse the therapies in engineered cell models, patient derived pancreatic cancer organoids and animal models to characterize efficacy, safety, pharmacological properties and biomarkers. This broad based strategy focuses on speeding up translational development of a clinical candidate for future human studies.
The Mark Foundation Drug Discovery Awards support bold scientific ideas with the potential to transform cancer treatment. Beyond funding research, the program provides investigators with experienced drug development advisors and commercialization expertise to help bridge laboratory discoveries with therapies that can eventually be tested in patients. The Foundation recently recognised Dr Corsello and Dr Gray as examplars of its mission to promote innovative, high impact cancer research.
The outstanding achievement of Dr. Steven Corsello and Dr. Nathanael gray is recognized with the 2026 Mark Foundation Drug Discovery Award in advancing precision oncology future.The Groundbreaking Development of TRIM21 Ligase reprogramming opens a new therapeutic paradigm that may alter the guidelines for treating pancreatic cancer and possibly other solid tumors that produce TRIM21.
This data represents an important step forward in translating this innovative research to the clinic and holds great promise for more effective ,focused and durable therapies that could meaningfully improve outcomes for patients with some of oncologist toughest cancers.
