A breakthrough in cancer research has revealed a potential new molecular pathway that could be a game-changer in the fight against lung cancer and the development of anti-cancer drugs.
ADVERTISEMENTScientists have pinpointed a protein, RBM10, that shows promise in slowing down the progression of lung cancer and could serve as the foundation for new cancer-fighting medications.
In a recent study published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, researchers demonstrated the ability of RBM10 to inhibit the growth of lung cancer by interfering with the activity of c-Myc, a protein known to drive the proliferation of cancer cells.
This groundbreaking finding represents the first instance in which the connection between RBM10 and the inhibition of cancer has been unveiled, offering hope for new approaches to cancer treatment.
Collaborating with RPL5 and RPL11, RBM10 works to suppress c-Myc and prevent the spread of lung cancer, as revealed by the team from Tulane University in the US.
Dr. Hua Lu, a professor at Tulane University, remarked, “We found that RBM10 can directly target c-Myc for degradation and reduce its cancer-causing effects by binding with RPL5 and RPL11.”
“We know a lot about cancer, but the molecules involved are still a black box. Piece by piece, we are gaining a better understanding,” added Dr. Lu.
Lung cancer, the second most prevalent cancer in European men, affects an estimated 320,000 individuals in EU countries annually.
Current lung cancer treatments encompass surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and immunotherapy.
Targeting a key protein in cancer progression
C-Myc plays a critical role in regulating cell growth and proliferation. However, in the context of cancer, increased activity of c-Myc is frequently observed, contributing to the development of the disease.
According to estimates, Myc deregulation is implicated in 70% of human cancers.
The overactive c-Myc acts as a “gas pedal” for the cell cycle, driving uncontrolled cell reproduction that leads to tumor formation.
RBM10, in conjunction with RPL5 and RPL11, disrupts c-Myc, effectively halting cancer progression.
“RBM10 is an important protein that can suppress cancer cells, but when a cancer wants to develop, it will mutate RBM10 and block that function,” explained Lu.
Importantly, the study unveiled that a mutant form of RBM10, commonly found in lung cancers, loses its ability to inhibit c-Myc, promoting tumor growth rather than impeding it.
“Hopefully we can design a molecule to specifically target the mutant since that’s a special structure not existing in the normal tissue,” Lu said.
“If we can convert this mutant, we can hopefully make it suppress c-Myc’s cancer-causing activity.”
