Protein discovery sparks treatment hope for aggressive cancer
Treating acute lymphoblastic leukaemia cells with the drug CX-5461 disrupts the nucleolar ribosome machinery shown by the fibrillarin protein (green) in the nucleus (blue) that stimulates the nucleolar stress response and initiates leukaemia cell death
Researchers have found a new way to potentially treat one of the most common forms of acute lymphoblastic leukemia.
The study, led by WEHI and the Peter MacCallum Cancer Center, was able to kill leukemia cells in the lab and stop cancer cells from growing after identifying two new proteins critical for the development of the aggressive disease. The findings could lead to enhanced treatment options in the future, and plans are underway to develop a clinical trial based on the research.
About 5,200 people are diagnosed with a form of leukemia in Australia each year. An estimated 1,500 of these cases are acute—meaning the blood cancer appears suddenly and grows quickly.
Blood cancers like leukemia are notoriously difficult to treat in adults, with 50% of Australian patients relapsing after the first round of chemotherapy and subsequently becoming resistant to further treatments
"About 135,000 people live with a blood cancer or blood disorder in Australia, with 16 people dying every day from the disease," Assoc Prof Ng, a WEHI researcher and clinical hematologist at the Peter MacCallum Cancer Center and Royal Melbourne Hospital, said. "Despite the medical advancements made in the cancer field over the years, the incidence of blood cancer has grown by 47% in the past decade. The best way to enhance treatment options for patients is to continually improve our understanding of how leukemia cancers behave and what drives their growth.
New research has identified two proteins that are critical for the development of B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia, expanding our knowledge into how these cancers can form.
The research has been published in the journal Science Advances.
March 15, 2024
