America of a famous hospital Scientists by Cancer A cell-killing drug has been developed that destroys solid tumors through ‘targeted chemotherapy’.
The pill contains a protein, for example, that acts like a ‘blizzard that can shut down an airline’s main hub and thus stop the flow of only planes carrying cancer cells.’
The protein was developed by a research team at City of Hope Hospital, one of the largest cancer research and treatment organizations in the United States.
A molecule called AOH1996 works by targeting the cancer variant of PCNA, a protein important for DNA replication and tumor growth.
Developed over the past two decades, this drug has proven effective in clinical research to treat breast, prostate, brain, ovarian, cervical, skin and lung cancers.
In this study, published in the medical journal ‘Cell Chemical Biology’, this protein was tested on more than 70 cancer cell lines.
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The results showed that the AOH1996 molecule selectively killed cancer cells by disrupting the normal reproductive cycle of the cell. The next step is to advance these findings through clinical trials in humans.
Dr Linda Malkas, PhD, Professor of Molecular Diagnostics and Experimental Therapeutics at City of Hope and MT&BA Professor of Molecular Oncology, Ahmadineja said: ‘PCNA is like a large airline terminal hub with a More air gates are included. The data showed that PCNA is uniquely mutated in cancer cells and this fact helped us develop a drug that would target only the mutated form of PCNA in cancer cells. is.’
He added: ‘Our cancer-killing drug is like a blizzard that shuts down a major airline hub only to stop all flights carrying cancer cells.’
According to him: ‘The results have been promising. AOH1996 can inhibit tumor growth as a monotherapy without inducing toxicity in cell and animal models. The investigational chemotherapy is currently in a phase one human clinical trial at City of Hope.’
The study’s lead author, Long Guo, associate research professor in the Department of Molecular Diagnostics at Beckman Research Institute in the City of Hope, added: ‘No drug has ever targeted PCNA therapeutically. was made because it was considered ‘untreatable’ but clearly City of Hope was able to develop an investigational drug to target a challenging protein.’
According to him: ‘We discovered that PCNA is one of the possible causes of increased nucleic acid replication errors in cancer cells. Now that we know the specific part of the problem and can prevent it, we will go deeper to understand the process to develop more personalized and targeted cancer drugs.’
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What is the mechanism by which AOH1996 selectively targets cancer cells?
**Interview with Dr. Linda Malkas, City of Hope Hospital**
**Editor:** Thank you for joining us, Dr. Malkas. Can you start by explaining the significance of the drug AOH1996 in the treatment of cancer?
**Dr. Malkas:** Thank you for having me. AOH1996 is quite groundbreaking because it selectively targets cancer cells by disrupting their reproductive cycle, which essentially halts tumor growth. This approach allows us to attack solid tumors in a more refined way, minimizing damage to healthy cells.
**Editor:** You mentioned that this drug works by targeting the cancer variant of the PCNA protein. Could you elaborate on that?
**Dr. Malkas:** Absolutely. Think of PCNA as a central hub in an airport. In cancer cells, it’s uniquely mutated, which creates a ‘bottleneck’ that we can exploit. By targeting this mutated PCNA, AOH1996 acts like a blizzard shutting down the airport, effectively preventing the cancer cells from replicating and spreading.
**Editor:** That’s a fascinating analogy! Over what timeframe has AOH1996 been developed, and what are its implications for future cancer treatments?
**Dr. Malkas:** This research has been ongoing for about two decades. Our findings suggest that AOH1996 could be effective for a range of cancers, including breast, prostate, and lung cancers, among others. The next crucial step is to conduct clinical trials in humans, which will help establish its safety and efficacy in real-world scenarios.
**Editor:** In your study, you tested this drug on more than 70 cancer cell lines. What were the main outcomes of these tests?
**Dr. Malkas:** The results were promising; AOH1996 showed a strong capacity to selectively kill cancer cells without significantly harming non-cancerous cells. This selectivity is vital for improving patient outcomes while reducing side effects.
**Editor:** Thank you, Dr. Malkas, for sharing these insights. The development of AOH1996 represents an exciting advancement in oncology, and we look forward to hearing more about the clinical trials.
**Dr. Malkas:** Thank you for the opportunity to discuss our work! We’re hopeful about the future and committed to improving cancer treatment.
