James Bradner

James Bradner pioneered the development of JQ1, the first potent and selective BET bromodomain inhibitor, demonstrating that blocking BRD4 binding to acetylated histones selectively disrupts super-enhancer-driven oncogene transcription in cancer. His chemical biology approach revealed that BET inhibition preferentially silences MYC and other oncogenic transcription programs that depend on super-enhancer architecture. He established the concept that epigenetic reader proteins are druggable therapeutic targets, catalyzing a new class of cancer therapeutics now in clinical trials. His work fundamentally changed how the field approaches transcriptional addiction in cancer.