August 9, 2018. Certain molecular drivers of cancer growth are “undruggable” – it’s been nearly impossible to develop chemicals that would block their action and prevent cancer growth. Many of these molecules function by passing cancer-promoting information through a gate in the nucleus, where the instructions are carried out.
Now researchers at the Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center – Jefferson Health have found a way to block the nuclear gates used by these molecules, and have shown that this inhibition can halt aggressive prostate cancer in mice implanted with human tumors.
Co-led by Veronica Rodriguez-Bravo, PhD, and Josep Domingo-Domenech, MD, PhD, this research is published in Cell August 9, 2018.
“We found that a particular gatekeeper, the nuclear pore protein called POM121, traffics molecules that boost tumor aggressiveness,” Dr. Rodriguez-Bravo said. “Blocking this gatekeeper prevents several molecules from reaching their targets in the nucleus, thus decreasing tumor growth.” The researchers also showed that blocking POM121 transport helps restore chemotherapy efficacy in pre-clinical models of the disease.
Continue reading “Nuclear Gatekeeper Could Block Undruggable Prostate Cancer Targets”
