A revolutionary cancer treatment has been developed by scientists at City of Hope Hospital in Los Angeles, California, USA, after two decades of research.
The breakthrough drug, code-named AOH1996, targets and destroys solid tumors without harming healthy cells.
This achievement offers new hope for patients with various types of solid tumors, representing a significant advancement in cancer treatment.
The molecule targets a protein called proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA), which is crucial for tumor growth and was previously considered “undruggable.”
PCNA plays a critical role in DNA replication and repair in cancer cells, making it an attractive target for cancer therapy.
Laboratory tests on 70 different cancer cell lines, including breast, prostate, brain, ovarian, cervical, skin, and lung cancers, demonstrated the drug’s effectiveness against all.
The latest study, published in Cell Chemical Biology, revealed the drug’s ability to selectively kill cancer cells while sparing healthy cells.
Dr. Linda Malkas, the lead researcher, explained that the molecule disrupts DNA replication and repair in cancer cells, leaving healthy cells unaffected.
“Most targeted therapies focus on a single pathway, which enables cancer to mutate and eventually become resistant. PCNA is like a major airline terminal hub containing multiple plane gates.
We designed a drug that targets only the form of PCNA in cancer cells, shutting down all flights in and out only in planes carrying cancer cells.”
A Phase 1 clinical trial is currently underway at City of Hope to evaluate the drug’s safety and efficacy in patients.
The researchers aim to understand the mechanism of action better to further improve the ongoing clinical trial in humans.
Study co-author Dr. Long Gu emphasized that the discovery of PCNA’s role in cancer cells opens up new avenues for personalized, targeted cancer medicines.
Experiments showed that AOH1996 makes cancer cells more susceptible to chemical agents that cause DNA or chromosome damage, hinting at its potential in combination therapies and new chemotherapeutics.
