Breakthrough cancer drug targets tumors without harming healthy cells

Saturday, September 14, 2024 - In a major leap forward for cancer treatment, scientists at City of Hope Hospital in Los Angeles, California, have developed a revolutionary cancer drug that destroys solid tumours without damaging healthy cells.

 The drug, code-named AOH1996, targets the protein proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA), a key player in tumour growth previously considered "undruggable."

After two decades of intensive research, the drug has shown significant promise in laboratory tests, proving effective against 70 different cancer cell lines, including breast, prostate, brain, ovarian, cervical, skin, and lung cancers. The study, published in Cell Chemical Biology, highlights AOH1996’s potential to selectively disrupt cancer cell growth while sparing healthy cells.

Named in honour of Anna Olivia Healy, a young girl who passed away from childhood cancer in 2005, the drug offers new hope for patients battling solid tumours. The breakthrough treatment is currently undergoing a Phase 1 clinical trial at City of Hope to evaluate its safety and efficacy in human patients.

Dr. Linda Malkas, the molecular oncologist leading the research team, explained that PCNA, which plays a crucial role in DNA replication and repair, is uniquely altered in cancer cells. AOH1996 selectively targets this cancerous form of PCNA, effectively halting tumour growth.

"Our cancer-killing pill is like a snowstorm that shuts down flights in and out of an airport hub, but only for planes carrying cancer cells," said Dr. Malkas, referring to the drug’s unique mechanism. Results so far have been "promising," with the drug working effectively on its own or in combination with other cancer treatments, all without causing harmful toxicity.

Study co-author, Dr. Long Gu, added that targeting PCNA had long been considered impossible. "PCNA was viewed as 'undruggable,' but City of Hope developed an investigational medicine to target this challenging protein," said Dr. Gu. "Now that we can inhibit it, we’ll dig deeper to develop more personalized, targeted cancer medicines."

The next steps for the research include further investigation into the drug's mechanism and its potential in combination therapies, offering renewed hope for more personalized cancer treatments in the future.