In a significant advancement for cancer treatment, scientists at City of Hope Hospital in Los Angeles, California, have introduced a groundbreaking cancer drug that targets solid tumors while leaving healthy cells unharmed.
The drug, known as AOH1996, specifically targets the protein proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA), a crucial component in tumor development that was previously deemed “undruggable.”
Following two decades of intensive research, AOH1996 has demonstrated remarkable effectiveness in laboratory tests against 70 different cancer cell lines, including those for breast, prostate, brain, ovarian, cervical, skin, and lung cancers. Published in Cell Chemical Biology, the study underscores AOH1996’s ability to selectively disrupt cancer cell growth while preserving normal cells.
Named in memory of Anna Olivia Healy, a young girl who lost her battle with childhood cancer in 2005, this innovative drug offers new hope to patients with solid tumors. It is currently undergoing Phase 1 clinical trials at City of Hope to assess its safety and efficacy in humans.
Dr. Linda Malkas, the molecular oncologist leading the research, explained that PCNA, which is critical for DNA replication and repair, is uniquely altered in cancer cells. AOH1996 targets this altered form of PCNA, effectively inhibiting tumor growth.
“Our drug acts like a snowstorm that halts flights only for those carrying cancer cells,” Dr. Malkas said, highlighting the drug’s distinctive mechanism. The results have been “promising,” showing effectiveness both alone and in combination with other treatments, without causing significant toxicity.
Dr. Long Gu, a co-author of the study, noted that targeting PCNA was once thought impossible. “PCNA was considered ‘undruggable,’ but we have developed a medicine that targets this challenging protein,” Dr. Gu remarked. “With this breakthrough, we aim to further develop personalized, targeted cancer therapies.”
Future research will focus on exploring the drug’s mechanism and its potential in combination therapies, paving the way for more personalized cancer treatments.
