Three new first-in-class cancer therapies developed at UA

Researchers at The University of Arizona’s BIO5 Institute and the Arizona Cancer Center have discovered three new therapies to treat cancer that are considered first in class because of their unique scientific approach. The university has filed patent applications for each of these new drugs. The therapeutics are specifically targeted to attack cancer cells with the advantage of fewer side effects for the patient. For each, the type of target and the type of protein also are unique. This process is part of the drug discovery initiative at BIO5.

Joyce A. Schroeder, PhD, has identified a peptide that significantly suppresses breast cancer metastasis by blocking protein interactions that allow tumor cells to break away from the initial tumor. This first-in-class potential drug not only blocks the spread of the tumor, but shrinks the primary tumor. As a targeted treatment, this should be less toxic to normal, non-cancerous cells while hindering the progression of the disease. The majority of cancer deaths result from the spread of the initial tumor to other sites. Common therapies used today, chemotherapy and radiation, are less effective when metastasis has occurred. They also are quite toxic, damaging normal cells and causing side effects such as nausea and hair loss. There is an overwhelming need for cancer-specific, less toxic treatments such as Dr. Schroeder’s research presents. BIO5 and Dr. Schroeder are looking for partners to develop this potential drug and take it through clinical trials.

Emmanuelle J. Meuillet, PhD, has used computer modeling to develop small molecules that inhibit an enzyme shown to be important in inflammation and cancer. This research has implications for not only cancer patients, but also may have treatment possibilities for patients afflicted with inflammation-related diseases such as cardiovascular diseases. These are being designed to avoid the side effects of cox-2 inhibitors such as Vioxx, which were removed from the market. Currently, her lab is conducting preclinical studies and synthesizing several novel classes of drugs that have shown potential to treat colon, breast, pancreatic and brain cancer. Her research has been funded by the National Institutes for Health.

Laurence Hurley, PhD, associate director of BIO5, has embarked on a small molecule drug development project that also targets cancer. Dr. Hurley has identified novel gene structures that control the c-Myc protein expression, a key molecule in promoting cancer cell growth. High levels of c-Myc protein are associated with a significant number of human malignancies. Discovering new cancer drugs is not new for Dr. Hurley. His earlier work on similar gene targets led him to found a company called Cylene Pharmaceuticals, which now has a cancer drug in phase II clinical trials.

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