Novel Anti-Metastatic Agents
Industry: Prostate cancer treatment
Small molecule inhibitors identified at Clark Atlanta University could disrupt the function of Giα2, a subunit of heterotrimeric G-protein that plays an essential role in cancer cell migration and invasion. These Giα2 inhibitors are a series of non-toxic compounds that can blunt both the innate and chemotherapy-induced metastasis of several cancer cell lines.
In preliminary studies, androgen deprivation therapy using androgen receptor antagonists (such as bicalutamide and enzalutamide) induced cell migration in androgen-dependent prostate cancer cells without affecting the viability of the cells. Both bicalutamide and enzalutamide induced cell migration in androgen-dependent prostate cancer cells at low doses — but this effect was blocked by simultaneous treatment with Giα2 inhibitors.
Previous studies have unraveled the essential roles of Giα2 in cancer cell migration and invasion. Other academic and pharmaceutical industry research groups are investigating strategies to inhibit tumor metastasis, but most approaches involve identifying small molecules that are cytotoxic and inhibit metastasis. The researchers' Giα2 inhibitors are non-toxic to cancer cells, but they effectively inhibit cancer cell migration and invasion.
The approach of combining the Giα2 inhibitors with androgen receptor antagonists may pose a therapeutic treatment for advanced-stage prostate cancer. The market for the proposed agents in prostate cancer therapy was valued at $6.9 billion in 2018, with projections to reach $9.9 billion by 2026.
