FUSION TRANSCRIPT AND REPURPOSED DRUG – SCI & TECH
News:
Indian team uses
repurposed drug to treat oral cancer subtype
What's
in the news?
●
A novel fusion transcript in head and neck
cancer identified by Mumbai-based researchers presents a promising therapeutic
target.
Key
Findings:
●
The fusion transcript discovered can be
targeted by the FDA-approved deworming
drug, pyrvinium pamoate, to treat head and neck cancer.
●
The study highlights the fusion
transcript’s potential in altering cancer cell behaviour and improving
treatment approaches.
Fusion
Transcript and its Implications:
●
A fusion transcript occurs due to the structural rearrangement of chromosomes,
leading to the creation of a chimeric
gene.
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This study focused on the UBE3C-LRP5
fusion, resulting from translocation between chromosomes 11 and 7.
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Found in 5.3% of the 151 Indian oral
cancer patients screened and 1.2% of 502 Caucasian patients.
●
With around 200,000 new oral cancer cases
annually in India, this fusion transcript could be relevant for approximately
10,000-11,000 patients each year.
Impact:
●
The UBE3C-LRP5
fusion activates the Wnt/beta-catenin signaling pathway, known for promoting
cancer cell growth, migration, and invasion.
●
This discovery marks a significant
advancement in understanding head and neck cancer.
Pyrvinium
Pamoate as a Potential Treatment:
●
The drug targets the signalling pathway
activated by the fusion transcript, significantly reducing cancer cell aggressiveness in laboratory studies and
animal models.
Findings:
●
Genetic studies by the Advanced Centre for
Treatment, Research, and Education in Cancer (ACTREC) team showed that blocking
the pathway downstream of the fusion transcript curtailed cancer cell
proliferation and invasive capabilities.
Future
Prospects:
●
With promising animal study results,
clinical trials in oral cancer patients are planned, leveraging the drug’s
established safety profile.
Significance
of the Research:
●
The identification of the UBE3C-LRP5
fusion transcript and its targeting by an existing FDA-approved drug offers a
novel approach to treating head and neck cancer, potentially applicable to
other cancer types as well.
●
The findings pave the way for new
therapeutic strategies, emphasizing the importance of genetic research in
advancing cancer treatment.
●
The planned clinical trials will further
elucidate the drug’s effectiveness in a clinical setting.
Go
back to basics:
Repurposed
Drug:
●
Drug repurposing is using an approved drug for the treatment of a
disease or medical condition other than what it is approved for.
●
In surprise pandemics like COVID-19 that
have no available ‘cure’, drug repurposing is one of the core research
strategies for finding a treatment.
●
This method is very useful in addressing
the disease quickly since these drugs are approved, readily available off the
shelf, their safety for human use is established and their side effect profile
is well known.