MD Anderson researchers identify new protein-based therapeutic pathways

Researchers at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center have published two separate studies involving protein-based therapeutic breakthroughs.

In one study, researchers identified a new way to target the MYC protein, a major driver in approximately 70% of human cancers that has long been considered ‘undruggable’. The experimental drug GT19630 works by disrupting a ‘feedforward loop’ between MYC and the GSPT1 protein. By marking MYC for disposal through the cell’s natural recycling system, the drug showed anti-cancer activity in preclinical models of leukemia, lymphoma, and multiple myeloma, including treatment-resistant cases.

In a separate study, researchers discovered that the BRAF protein, which is commonly linked to cancer, also plays a critical role in driving and maintaining chronic nerve pain following an injury. The study found that BRAF triggers changes that increase pain signaling in the spinal cord. Because BRAF inhibitors are already approved for cancer treatment, the findings suggest these existing therapies could potentially be repurposed to treat neuropathic pain.