An 'undruggable' cancer target meets an RNA-based strategy to curb tumor growth
Researchers at Umeå University have developed a strategy to slow the growth of tumor cells. By targeting the genetic instructions that control the production of a key cancer-related protein, they were able to inhibit tumor cell growth. The findings are published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
Researchers at Umeå University have devised a novel approach to curb tumor growth by targeting an undruggable cancer protein called c-Myc. The c-Myc protein is an oncogene that drives tumor growth, but it has been difficult to develop drugs that directly inhibit it due to the lack of well-defined binding sites for small molecules.
The scientists took a different approach by targeting the genetic blueprint of c-Myc, its mRNA, for treatment. Using an existing drug that had been tested in clinical trials for a different purpose, they were able to induce the protein MDM2 to bind to c-Myc mRNA, effectively blocking the production of c-Myc and causing tumor cells to stop growing.
This innovative strategy, which targets cancer proteins at the RNA level rather than the protein itself, opens up new possibilities for drug development, particularly for cancers where c-Myc plays a crucial role. The researchers hope their findings will pave the way for new treatments for cancers driven by c-Myc and inspire other research groups to explore the potential of RNA-targeting for regulating proteins associated with various diseases.
Further studies will involve testing the strategy in additional models, evaluating its clinical potential, and optimizing the drug for future use.
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