Breast cancer, the second most common cancer among women is often caused by mutations in the gene p53 as are several other cancers. Because p53 is such a common target for mutation in various cancers, related molecular pathways could provide an extremely effective therapeutic route. This technology uses fatostatin and its analogues to target the mevalonate pathway, which is involved in mutated p53. This technology enables a targeted treatment for p53-specific cancers through a straightforward and rapid inhibition of SCAP and SREBP proteins.
Fatostatin specifically targets SCAP and SREBP transcription factor proteins within the mevalonate pathway. By utilizing a 3D culturing system in conjunction with molecular inhibitors, this technology can detect whether a patient sample would benefit from the treatment even before beginning therapy. Such a method for treating p53 tumors takes into consideration the genetic makeup of the patient and allows for a more personalized approach. This type of treatment yields significant advantages over typical therapeutic options that are more generic in approach. In addition, it would allow treatment for a large patient population, given the frequency of p53 mutations observed in human tumors. Such a technology allows for specific and effective treatment of cancers that arise from a commonly mutated gene.
The technology has been validated in 3D cultures of human patient samples.
Patent Pending (WO/2013/110007)
Tech Ventures Reference: IR CU12116