Scientists at Umeå University in Sweden and partner institutions have developed an experimental drug that could slow the growth of aggressive prostate cancer and prevent it from spreading.
According to the findings, published in the journal Signal Transduction and Targeted Therapy, the treatment may offer a new approach to tackling metastatic prostate cancer.
Maréne Landström, a professor of pathology at the Department of Medical Biosciences, Umeå University, said researchers had identified the mechanisms that drive cancer cell growth, invasiveness and metastatic spread.
“The new drug has been developed to prevent metastasis, and we are very pleased and proud that we have been able to identify the mechanisms that drive cancer cell growth, invasiveness, and metastatic spread,” Landström said.
Prostate cancer is one of the most commonldiagnosed cancers among men.
While many prostate tumours grow slowly and do not become life-threatening, some cases become aggressive and spread to other parts of the body, particularly the lymph nodes and bones.
To target this form of the disease, the researchers developed a fully human antibody designed entirely from human proteins, making it suitable for further development as a therapeutic drug.
Prostate cancer is one of the most commonldiagnosed cancers among men.
While many prostate tumours grow slowly and do not become life-threatening, some cases become aggressive and spread to other parts of the body, particularly the lymph nodes and bones.
To target this form of the disease, the researchers developed a fully human antibody designed entirely from human proteins, making it suitable for further development as a therapeutic drug.
According to the study, preclinical tests showed that the antibody halted tumour growth and prevented the spread of an aggressive form of prostate cancer.
The researchers said the treatment works through a newly identified mechanism, which they believe could also reduce the risk of side effects.
Landström described the findings as an important milestone but cautioned that more work is needed before the treatment can be made available to patients.
“This is a promising step forward, but several important stages remain before the treatment can benefit patients,” she said.
“We still need to conduct additional safety studies, and the treatment must be approved by regulatory authorities in Europe or the United States.”
She said the project aims to improve survival rates and quality of life for men living with advanced prostate cancer, adding that its progress reflects years of collaboration among researchers, organisations and funding partners.
The researchers said the next phase of the project will examine whether the same treatment approach could be effective against other solid tumours.
“The next step is to investigate whether this treatment can also be used against other types of solid tumors,” Landström said.
“We hope that our work will ultimately contribute to the development of a new cancer drug that can benefit patients.
The study involved drug development specialists at the SciLifeLab Drug Discovery and Development Platform, who contributed to the development of the antibody.
The research received additional support from the Umeå Biotech Incubator at Umeå University, while MetaCurUm Biotech AB, a biotechnology company based in Umeå, provided funding for the development and testing of the treatment.
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