Stopping Breast Cancer Evolution: Evaluation of APOBEC3 Inhibitors in Live Cells

FIRST NAMED INVESTIGATOR: Associate Professor Vyacheslav Filichev 
HOST INVESTIGATOR: Massey University Department School of Fundamental Sciences

Problem
Drug resistance complicates breast cancer treatment by enabling the cancer to spread and recur.

Project
This study is developing a new drug that targets and stops cancer cells from adapting to treatments like chemotherapy, targeted therapy and immunotherapy. It focuses on an enzyme family called APOBEC3, which cancer cells use to mutate and resist treatment.

Outcome
The project aims to create the first drug that specifically inhibits APOBEC3 in live cells, potentially making current anti-cancer treatments more effective for a longer time.

Future
If successful, this new drug could lead to better cancer therapies and improve treatment outcomes by preventing cancer cells from developing resistance.

Project Update
Cancers constantly evolve, becoming resistant to treatments and spreading to other parts of the body. APOBEC3A is an enzyme that plays a major role in this process and contributes to drug resistance. Researchers have created the first inhibitors for this enzyme and have studied how they work and their impact on cancer cells. These findings could help make cancer treatments more effective and affordable. The team plans to test these inhibitors in mouse models, as part of a long-standing collaboration with experts in cancer cell biology.