Protein That Can Destroy ‘Hard to Treat’ Cancers Possibly To Become ‘One Size Fits All’ Pill Treatment

Scientists have recently discovered a protein that destroys otherwise known hard-to-treat cancers, paving the way for new and effective treatments.

The experiments that have been done on both mice and human tissue have been found to be effective against even the most aggressive types of tumors, such as those found in pancreas, ovaries, breast, and brain cancers. The compound that was discovered is known as ERX-41, has even left the health tissue unharmed.

The scientists have even shared that this is one of the most promising breakthroughs to date, even offering a possible ‘one size fits all’ type of pill that was believed to be impossible before. With such encouraging and promising results, the clinical trials are predicted to begin quite soon, possibly in the next few months.

Lead author and professor at the University of Texas, Ratna Vadlamudi, shared, “We identified a critical vulnerability in multiple cancers and have validated our findings in multiple cancer cell types and animal models. The range of cell lines and xenografts in which the compound has been shown to work is compelling and indicates that it is targeting a fundamental vulnerability in cancer cells.”

These xenografts are human tumors that are grown in mouse models used for research purposes. Their findings could eventually lead to new and exciting drugs for cancers that can make treatments not only less, but more effective.

Considered Breakthrough Research

With the goal of developing small-molecule inhibitors for tumors that have shown resistance to currently used therapies, Professor Vadlamudi’s lab staff study ovarian and breast cancer.

Back in 2017, the team identified a compound called ERX-11, which targets the oestrogen receptor (ER) protein that’s known to drive most types of breast cancer. Through screening similar chemicals, the research group managed to show how ERX-41 killed ER-positive and triple-negative breast cancers (TNBCs) in petri dishes. These are the lack receptors for the hormones oestrogen, progesterone, and human epidermal growth factor 2, which are known to be the most deadly.

Then, the researchers showed how ERX-41 also attacked a big number of human tumors that were grown from several of these cell lines in mouse models. The protein also showed to be potent against patient-derived xenografts, shrinking human tumors that were grown in lab rodents without affecting the normal breast cells nor causing any seen toxicity.

Professor Vadlamudi added, “The safety profile and high therapeutic index of this compound is particularly notable and bodes well for clinical translation.”

Further tests also found that ERX-41 was shown to be effective against brain, ovarian, and pancreatic tumors, which are considered to be the most lethal while having few effective treatments presently.

“This vulnerability has a large therapeutic window, with no adverse effects either on normal cells or in mice. Our study implicates a targeted strategy for solid tumors including breast, brain, pancreatic, and ovarian whereby small, orally bioavailable molecules result in tumor cell death,” Prof. Vadlamudi added.

The hope is that by early 2023, the Dallas-based biotech company, EtiraRx, will begin clinical trials.

You can see the published study in Nature Cancer journal.