Development of inhibitors of PC-PLC as anticancer therapeutics
Project Objective
Many patients with metastatic breast cancer do not respond to conventional chemotherapy and better strategies to treat these patients are urgently needed. An enzyme called phosphatidylcholine-specific phospholipase C (PC-PLC) is involved in allowing breast cancer cells to grow and invade other tissues. This project seeks to prepare potent and selective drugs that target PC-PLC in breast cancer. We will prepare and examine the effectiveness of these drugs in reducing cancer cell growth, with the aim of providing new treatment options for patients with triple negative breast cancer.
Outcome
This project successfully prepared the most potent and selective drugs that target PC-PLC in breast cancer including a response of 30% greater than the current standard, however it was not stable in-vivo and did not as a result reach the enzyme target in cells limiting their activity against tumours. Work is now underway on a new compound which does not include the structure believed to be causing the instability in vivo, therefore continuing the drive to find new treatment options for patients with triple negative breast cancer.
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From Evidence to Action: Expanding the ‘Not a One-Size-Fits-All’ Breast Cancer Screening Model for Aotearoa New Zealand.
Problem:Breast cancer screening in Aotearoa New Zealand does not benefit all women equally. Many cancers are still found outside the national screening programme, and Māori and Pacific women can fa...
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“Shielding” Macrophages: Uncovering Immune-Mediated Chemoresistance in Triple-Negative Breast Cancer
ProblemTriple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is one of the hardest types to treat and affects Māori and Pacific women more than others. Many patients with TNBC don’t fully respond to chemotherapy, a...
