RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) — A team of scientists at the VCU Massey Comprehensive Cancer Center has successfully developed a therapy that hones in on a protein that drives some of the deadliest human cancers, including pancreatic, lung and colon tumors.
A spokesperson for the university said the targeted therapy focuses on the KRAS protein, and that a new inhibitor drug could be used to target a subset of the KRAS gene — KRAS G12D.
The university said the research involved efforts of scientists from multiple cancer centers, including the Moffitt Cancer Center, Montefiore Einstein Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Florida Health Cancer Center and the Cancer Center at Illinois.
“This discovery is a major step forward in our battle against some of the most aggressive forms of cancer,” said Saïd Sebti, the associate director for basic research and the Lacy Family Chair in Cancer Research at Massey. “Our collaborative effort signifies a leap forward in the development of targeted therapies against KRAS-driven cancers such as pancreatic cancer.”
“Further investigation is planned to test the drug in combination with therapeutic options to explore its potential as an effective supplement to cancer treatment, or to possibly inform the development of a more potent or selective drug against KRAS G12D-driven tumors,” Sebti said.
More than 90% of pancreatic cancers, about 35% of colon tumors and roughly one-quarter of lung tumors have a mutant KRAS gene, according to Sebti.
“It’s about targeting the mutation, not necessarily the disease,” Sebti said. “We anticipate that our findings will help identify a therapeutic option that would also work for lung and colon tumors that also have this specific KRAS G12D mutation.”
