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Scientists discovered a new molecule that kills even the deadliest cancer
Interesting Engineering ^ | 6.10.2022 | Deena Theresa

Posted on 06/12/2022 11:08:17 AM PDT by libh8er

Recently, a tiny group of people with rectal cancer saw their disease vanish after experimental treatment.

Now, in another breakthrough, a new compound synthesized by Dr. Jung-Mo Ahn, a University of Texas at Dallas researcher, has been found to kill a broad spectrum of hard-to-treat cancers, including triple-negative breast cancer, leaving healthy cells unscathed.

He exploited a weakness in cells that were hitherto not targeted by the other drugs.

The study, which was carried out in isolated cells, both in human cancer tissue and in human cancers grown in mice, was published in the journal Nature Cancer.

Only a few options for patients with triple-negative breast cancer

Ahn, a co-corresponding author of the study and a UT Dallas associate professor of chemistry and biochemistry in the School of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, has been working on small molecules that target protein-protein interactions in cells for more than a decade. Previously, he had developed potential therapeutic candidate compounds for treatment-resistant breast cancer and prostate cancer.

In his current research, Ahn and his colleagues tested a new compound he synthesized called ERX-41 for its effects on breast cancer cells - those that contained estrogen receptors (ERs) and those that do not.

Now, there are effective treatments for patients with ER-positive breast cancer, but only a few treatment options for patients with triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) exist. It lacks receptors for estrogen, progesterone, and human epidermal growth factor 2. TNBC is known to affect women under 40 and has worse outcomes than other types of breast cancer.

"The ERX-41 compound did not kill healthy cells, but it wiped out tumor cells regardless of whether the cancer cells had estrogen receptors," Ahn said. "In fact, it killed the triple-negative breast cancer cells better than it killed the ER-positive cells.

"This was puzzling to us at the time. We knew it must be targeting something other than estrogen receptors in the TNBC cells, but we didn't know what that was."

Soon, the researchers discovered that ERX-41 binds to lysosomal acid lipase A (LIPA), a cellular protein. LIPA is found in a cell structure called the endoplasmic reticulum, an organelle that processes and folds proteins.

"For a tumor cell to grow quickly, it has to produce a lot of proteins, and this creates stress on the endoplasmic reticulum," Ahn said. "Cancer cells significantly overproduce LIPA, much more so than healthy cells. By binding to LIPA, ERX-41 jams the protein processing in the endoplasmic reticulum, which becomes bloated, leading to cell death."

The team tested the molecule in healthy mice and noted that there were no ill effects. "It took us several years to chase down exactly which protein was being affected by ERX-41. That was the hard part. We chased many dead ends, but we did not give up," Ahn said.

"Triple-negative breast cancer is particularly insidious - it targets women at younger ages; it's aggressive, and it's treatment-resistant. I'm really glad we've discovered something that has the potential to make a significant difference for these patients," Ahn said.

Can defeat the deadliest cancer

The researchers then fed the compound to mice with human forms of cancerous tumors, and they got smaller.

The molecule also killed cancer cells in human tissue that were gathered from patients who had their tumors removed.

There's more.

They found that ERX-41 is effective against other cancer types with elevated endoplasmic reticulum stress, including hard-to-treat pancreatic and ovarian cancers and glioblastoma, the most 'aggressive and lethal primary brain cancer'.

To investigate the ERX-41 molecule, Ahn worked with collaborators, including co-corresponding authors Dr. Ganesh Raj, professor of urology and pharmacology at the Harold C. Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center at UT Southwestern Medical Center, as well as Dr. Ratna Vadlamudi, professor of obstetrics and gynecology at UT Health San Antonio. Dr. Tae-Kyung Lee, a former UTD research scientist in Ahn's Bio-Organic/Medicinal Chemistry Lab, was also involved in synthesizing the compound.

Ahn is a joint holder of patents issued and pending on ERX-41 and related compounds, which have been licensed to the Dallas-based startup EtiraRX, a company co-founded in 2018 by Ahn, Raj, and Vadlamudi. The company has announced that it plans to begin clinical trials of ERX-41 as early as the first quarter of 2023, which offers the hope of effective new treatments. to-treat cancers, including triple-negative breast cancer, leaving healthy cells unscathed.

He exploited a weakness in cells that were hitherto not targeted by the other drugs.

The study, which was carried out in isolated cells, both in human cancer tissue and in human cancers grown in mice, was published in the journal Nature Cancer.

Recently, a tiny group of people with rectal cancer saw their disease vanish after experimental treatment.

It was a very small trial done by doctors at New York's Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, wherein the patients took a drug called dostarlimab for six months. At the end of their trial, every single one of their tumors disappeared.

Now, in another breakthrough, a new compound synthesized by Dr. Jung-Mo Ahn, a University of Texas at Dallas researcher, has been found to kill a broad spectrum of hard-to-treat cancers, including triple-negative breast cancer, leaving healthy cells unscathed.

He exploited a weakness in cells that were hitherto not targeted by the other drugs.

The study, which was carried out in isolated cells, both in human cancer tissue and in human cancers grown in mice, was published in the journal Nature Cancer.

Only a few options for patients with triple-negative breast cancer

Ahn, a co-corresponding author of the study and a UT Dallas associate professor of chemistry and biochemistry in the School of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, has been working on small molecules that target protein-protein interactions in cells for more than a decade. Previously, he had developed potential therapeutic candidate compounds for treatment-resistant breast cancer and prostate cancer.

In his current research, Ahn and his colleagues tested a new compound he synthesized called ERX-41 for its effects on breast cancer cells - those that contained estrogen receptors (ERs) and those that do not.

Now, there are effective treatments for patients with ER-positive breast cancer, but only a few treatment options for patients with triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) exist. It lacks receptors for estrogen, progesterone, and human epidermal growth factor 2. TNBC is known to affect women under 40 and has worse outcomes than other types of breast cancer.

"The ERX-41 compound did not kill healthy cells, but it wiped out tumor cells regardless of whether the cancer cells had estrogen receptors," Ahn said. "In fact, it killed the triple-negative breast cancer cells better than it killed the ER-positive cells.

"This was puzzling to us at the time. We knew it must be targeting something other than estrogen receptors in the TNBC cells, but we didn't know what that was."

Soon, the researchers discovered that ERX-41 binds to lysosomal acid lipase A (LIPA), a cellular protein. LIPA is found in a cell structure called the endoplasmic reticulum, an organelle that processes and folds proteins.

"For a tumor cell to grow quickly, it has to produce a lot of proteins, and this creates stress on the endoplasmic reticulum," Ahn said. "Cancer cells significantly overproduce LIPA, much more so than healthy cells. By binding to LIPA, ERX-41 jams the protein processing in the endoplasmic reticulum, which becomes bloated, leading to cell death."

The team tested the molecule in healthy mice and noted that there were no ill effects. "It took us several years to chase down exactly which protein was being affected by ERX-41. That was the hard part. We chased many dead ends, but we did not give up," Ahn said.

"Triple-negative breast cancer is particularly insidious - it targets women at younger ages; it's aggressive, and it's treatment-resistant. I'm really glad we've discovered something that has the potential to make a significant difference for these patients," Ahn said.

Can defeat the deadliest cancer

The researchers then fed the compound to mice with human forms of cancerous tumors, and they got smaller.

The molecule also killed cancer cells in human tissue that were gathered from patients who had their tumors removed.

There's more.

They found that ERX-41 is effective against other cancer types with elevated endoplasmic reticulum stress, including hard-to-treat pancreatic and ovarian cancers and glioblastoma, the most 'aggressive and lethal primary brain cancer'.

To investigate the ERX-41 molecule, Ahn worked with collaborators, including co-corresponding authors Dr. Ganesh Raj, professor of urology and pharmacology at the Harold C. Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center at UT Southwestern Medical Center, as well as Dr. Ratna Vadlamudi, professor of obstetrics and gynecology at UT Health San Antonio. Dr. Tae-Kyung Lee, a former UTD research scientist in Ahn's Bio-Organic/Medicinal Chemistry Lab, was also involved in synthesizing the compound.

Ahn is a joint holder of patents issued and pending on ERX-41 and related compounds, which have been licensed to the Dallas-based startup EtiraRX, a company co-founded in 2018 by Ahn, Raj, and Vadlamudi. The company has announced that it plans to begin clinical trials of ERX-41 as early as the first quarter of 2023, which offers the hope of effective new treatments.


TOPICS: Health/Medicine
KEYWORDS: breastcancer; cancer; cancercells; cancerresearch; cancertherapy; dostarlimab; jemperli
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To: Mom MD

This is the most amazing part to me...

“They found that ERX-41 is effective against other cancer types with elevated endoplasmic reticulum stress, including hard-to-treat pancreatic and ovarian cancers and glioblastoma, the most ‘aggressive and lethal primary brain cancer’.”


41 posted on 06/12/2022 1:09:40 PM PDT by steve86 (Prophecies of Maelmhaedhoc O'Morgair (Latin form: Malachy))
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To: libh8er

I have seen this movie. Will Smith was great in it.


42 posted on 06/12/2022 1:55:44 PM PDT by Fai Mao
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To: libh8er

THIS is the type of research true scientists practice in the lab.

Exciting stuff, even more exciting results (though the results were admittedly accidental early on).

I just wonder what they’ll charge for it...


43 posted on 06/12/2022 1:59:16 PM PDT by logi_cal869 (-cynicus the "concern troll" a/o 10/03/2018 /!i!! &@$%&*(@ -)
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To: TexasGator

I don’t care what you say.


44 posted on 06/12/2022 2:05:33 PM PDT by Savage Beast ("Saints are sinners who never gave up." St. Theresa of Avila)
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To: libh8er

A bump for later. Big news if the results can be replicated.


45 posted on 06/12/2022 2:11:52 PM PDT by Billthedrill
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To: TexasGator

And you do sir?


46 posted on 06/12/2022 2:18:13 PM PDT by whistleduck
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To: guido911

This has happened over and over. It will be the last we hear about it. Some scientist will commit suicide, others disappear


47 posted on 06/12/2022 2:45:17 PM PDT by roving (Blue Lives Matter More Than Children)
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To: TexasGator

I’ll take God’s word over you or any scientists. If God says he can cure, he can cure. You can’t prove God didn’t.


48 posted on 06/12/2022 2:47:35 PM PDT by roving (Blue Lives Matter More Than Children)
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To: Howie66

There already is one. It involves an application of Pb.


49 posted on 06/12/2022 2:51:26 PM PDT by curious7
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To: libh8er

Rectum? Dang near killed em!


50 posted on 06/12/2022 2:52:55 PM PDT by DannyTN
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To: libh8er

You know the pharma industry will not permit this drug to be released just as they blocked HCQ hydroxychloroquine and ivermectin. Disparage them and zinc and vitamin D3 and sunlight!


51 posted on 06/12/2022 2:52:55 PM PDT by minnesota_bound (Need more money to buy everything now)
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To: libh8er

52 posted on 06/12/2022 3:12:59 PM PDT by SunkenCiv (Imagine an imaginary menagerie manager imagining managing an imaginary menagerie.)
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To: Savage Beast

That’s a wonderful story!
Praise God, indeed!🙏


53 posted on 06/12/2022 3:24:12 PM PDT by telescope115 (Proud member of the ANTIFAuci movement. )
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To: griswold3

Remember when Biden said this.
“That’s why I’ve worked so hard in my career to make sure that... I promise you if I’m elected president, you’re going to see the single most important thing that changes America, we’re gonna cure cancer,” Biden declared.
Thanks, Joe! /s

It wouldn’t surprise me in the least if he took credit for it!


54 posted on 06/12/2022 3:26:44 PM PDT by telescope115 (Proud member of the ANTIFAuci movement. )
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To: Savage Beast

How wonderful to have witnessed such powerful answers to prayer! Maybe you have been given some kind of spiritual gift to help your patients.


55 posted on 06/12/2022 3:46:04 PM PDT by KittyKares
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To: Savage Beast

Amen.


56 posted on 06/12/2022 3:49:51 PM PDT by lilypad
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To: roving

“You can’t prove God didn’t.”

Yep!. I can’t prove God didn’t cause the cancer.


57 posted on 06/12/2022 4:30:36 PM PDT by TexasGator (UF)
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To: roving

“San Ramon, Calif., April 29, 2022 – Chevron Corporation (NYSE: CVX) today reported earnings of $6.3 billion ($3.22 per share - diluted) for first quarter 2022, compared with $1.4 billion ($0.72 per share - diluted) in first quarter 2021.”

God told you he cured the two cases you referenced?


58 posted on 06/12/2022 4:43:19 PM PDT by TexasGator (UF)
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To: libh8er

With such success, they should immediately open it up to those with critical cancers. That should forward their research quickly.


59 posted on 06/12/2022 4:44:38 PM PDT by Twotone (While one may vote oneself into socialism one has to shoot oneself out of it.)
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To: Mom MD
Don’t wear one.

I seem to recall you defended them vigorously.

60 posted on 06/12/2022 5:24:10 PM PDT by itsahoot (Many Republicans are secretly Democrats, no Democrats are secretly Republicans. Dan Bongino.)
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