25 Jan Novel Compound May Shut Down Pancreatic and Triple Negative Breast Cancer Cells

MedicalResearch.com Interview with:
Dr. Patrick Griffin PhD
Professor and Chairman Department of Molecular Therapeutics
Director of the Translational Research Institute
Scripps Research Institute, Jupiter, Florida

MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings?

Dr. Griffin: We identified a novel synthetic compound known as SR1848 that sharply inhibits the activity and expression of “liver receptor homolog-1” or LRH-1, a protein that plays an important role in the progression of breast and pancreatic cancers.

Our new study shows that SR1848 removes LRH1 from DNA, shutting down expression of LRH-1 target genes, and halts cell proliferation. It’s a novel compound that appears to be a promising chemical scaffold for fighting tumors that are non-responsive to standard therapies.

MedicalResearch.com: What should clinicians and patients take away from your report?

Dr. Griffin: LRH-1 has been implicated in the proliferation and metastasis of estrogen receptor-positive breast cancers and the more difficult to treat estrogen receptor-negative breast cancers. Our new findings suggest that repressing LRH-1 could be useful in treating the more aggressive triple-negative breast cancer subtype where therapies are currently so limited.

MedicalResearch.com: What recommendations do you have for future research as a result of this study?

Dr. Griffin: Our new compound also appears attractive as a potential therapeutic because of its lack of impact on cells that do not express LRH1, which could mean few potential side effects.

Citation:

Antiproliferation activity of a small molecule repressor of liver receptor homolog 1.

Mol Pharmacol. 2015 Feb;87(2):296-304. doi: 10.1124/mol.114.095554. Epub 2014 Dec 3.

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Last Updated on March 4, 2015 by Marie Benz MD FAAD