A new approach to disrupt a key driver of prostate cancer

Grant information

Reference - RIA15-ST2-030
Researcher - Professor Michael Ladomery
Institution - University of the West of England
Status - Completed
Award - £136,390

Why did we fund this project?

• Around half of prostate cancers are ERG-positive, meaning they produce lots of a protein called ERG. This protein helps prostate cancer to grow and spread, and so a drug that can stop ERG in its tracks could be an effective treatment.
• While researchers have previously tried to develop new drugs that can target ERG directly, this has proved very difficult. ERG, it seems, is an elusive target.
• Professor Michael Ladomery and team proposed a completely different approach that they thought could stop ERG driving prostate cancer.
• All proteins, including ERG, are produced by cells based on instructions that are stored in our genes. Researchers have developed a new class of ‘disruptor’ drugs that can stop cells being able to read these instructions correctly, and so being able to produce a particular protein.
• In this project, the team wanted to develop a disruptor drug that could stop cells producing ERG, and to test this drug in prostate cancer models, to see if it could be an effective treatment for men with ERG-positive cancer.

What did the team do?

• The team studied the genetic instructions for ERG, and worked with a team of international experts to develop a disruptor drug that could stop this protein being produced.
• The team then tested their new drug in prostate cancer cells, mouse models of prostate cancer, and tissue taken from men as part of their routine biopsy.

What did the team achieve?

• The team successfully created a new disruptor drug that could stop cells producing ERG.
• This drug could slow the growth and spread of prostate cancer cells in the models tested. The drug caused many of the cancer cells to die.
• Their drug was also able to reduce the production of ERG in prostate cancer biopsy tissue taken from men, suggesting the exciting findings from the models could translate to the drug being an effective treatment for men.

What does this mean for men?

• The team have shown that targeting ERG using this innovative drug could be a new and effective treatment.
• The team now need to identify the best way to deliver this drug to prostate cancer, to work out how the drug should be given to men.
• This will help them generate the evidence they need to start clinical trials to test this drug. If successful, this drug could offer a new treatment option for men with ERG-positive prostate cancers.