New treatments for liver cancer
The CIMA of the University of Navarra has developed two molecules that inhibit tumor growth.
Scientists at research center Applied Medicine (CIMA ) of the University of Navarra have identified two molecules that prevent the growth of liver tumors. These proteins are emerging as new drugs for the treatment of this cancer subject . research The work, led by Drs. Cheng Qian and Jesús Prieto, has been published in the journal Cancer Research, the official publication of the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR),association .
Tumor tissue produces a protein, called WNT, which stimulates the proliferation of cancer cells by activating the beta-catenin factor. Due to a mutation, many tumors have this factor permanently activated. In these cases, inhibition of WNT does not prevent the growth of tumor cells cultured in vitro.
The work sample that WNT not only acts on cancer cells but also exerts a potent stimulatory effect on the normal cells of the blood vessels that feed the tumor. training "This angiogenic (vessel-promoting) action increases tumor irrigation and leads to cancer progression," explains Dr. Jesús Prieto, director of the area Gene Therapy and Hepatology Department of the CIMA.
The scientists administered two molecules (sFRP1-Fc and WIF1-Fc) to block the biological actions of WNT. "We have found that they significantly reduce the vascularization of experimental liver tumors, which prevents their growth and progression. Moreover, the potent antitumor effect of WNT inhibitors is not accompanied by adverse effects in the treated animals. Therefore, these molecules constitute a promising alternative for the treatment of liver cancer and other tumors with high angiogenic activity."
The clinical development of these WNT blockers will be carried out through the Spanish biotech business Digna Biotech, a company associated to the CIMA for the transfer of the new patents to clinical activity. "We are facing a truly novel alternative to slow the growth of liver cancer. Although the road is long and costly, this "double" WNT blocking approach can become a new therapeutic tool for these tumor diseases," says Pablo Ortiz, director general manager of the company.