Article Image

IPFS News Link • Science, Medicine and Technology

Genetic screening exposes weakness in "Achilles' heel" of solid cancers

• https://newatlas.com, By Nick Lavars

 A research team in Canada has now identified a new vulnerability in an enzyme considered the "Achilles' heel" of solid tumor cells, and demonstrated how it can be targeted to drive them to a "catastrophic death."

The research was carried out by scientists at the University of British Columbia, and centers on an enzyme by the name of Carbonic Anhydrase IX (CAIX). This is one of a number of enzymes that solid tumor cells release in response to rising acidity within the tumor. These acidic conditions occur as the tumor expands and blood vessels are unable to provide all parts of it with the oxygen and nutrients that it needs to to survive.

CAIX and the other enzymes the cancer cells release play an important role in neutralizing these acidic conditions, and not only allow the cancer cells to survive, but see the tumor take on a more aggressive form and spread the disease to other organs around the body.

"Cancer cells depend on the CAIX enzyme to survive, which ultimately makes it their 'Achilles heel,'" explains the study's senior author, Dr. Shoukat Dedhar. "By inhibiting its activity, we can effectively stop the cells from growing."

Progress is being made in the development of compounds that can inhibit the CAIX enzyme to suppress tumor growth, including one by the name of SLC-0111 which is currently in Phase 1 clinical trials. While promising, other properties of the cancer cells do hamper the compound's effectiveness, so the authors of this new study set out to explore these and search for alternative avenues of attack.


AzureStandard