A new study by researchers at the Weill Cornell Medical College shows a possible way to target a cancer's most important protein without impacting its additional support to several immune cells in the body, reports Medical Xpress.
The latest discovery can be a promising approach in the development of drugs that can target specific functions of BCL6 protein in a type of cancer called diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL), without affecting its additional functions, which are vital to support a healthy immune system. Dr. Ari Melnick, Gebroe family professor of hematology/oncology and director of the Raymond and Beverly Sackler Center for Biomedical and Physical Sciences at Weill Cornell calls it "a very welcome surprise."
"This means the drugs we have developed against Bcl6 are more likely to be significantly less toxic and safer for patients with this cancer than we realized," said Dr. Melnick, who is also a hematologist-oncologist at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center, according to Medical Xpress.
The risks involved in treating cancer by stopping the BCL6 protein completely may result in systematic inflammation and atherosclerosis. Researchers indulged in the study to examine the different functions of BCL6 and how it controls them. Finding an effective treatment for DLBCL, seventh most commonly diagnosed cancer, can be a breakthrough as currently there is no treatment which can effectively cure the disease, says the report.
"Scientists have been searching for the right answer to treat this difficult lymphoma, which, after initial treatment, can be at high risk of relapse and resistant to current therapies," Dr. Melnick said. "Believing that Bcl6 could not be targeted, some researchers have been testing alternative therapeutic approaches. This study strongly supports the notion of using Bcl6-targeting drugs."
Dr Melnick and his team have developed experimental drugs that target the specific functions of BCL6 rather shutting it down completely. These drugs are "RI-BPI, a peptide mimic, and the small molecule agent 79-6," said the report.
Previous researches Dr. Melnick had conducted showed that BCL6 is also linked to the most destructive forms of acute leukemia and few types of tumors.
On the other hand, BCL6 also plays an important role in controlling immune cells in the bone marrow, developing B-cells, T-cells, macrophages and other types of cells. They further support B-cells in the development of certain antibodies that fight against pathogens.
"When cells lose control of BCL6, lymphomas develop in the immune system. Lymphomas are 'addicted' to Bcl6, and therefore BCL6 inhibitors powerfully and quickly destroy lymphoma cells," Dr. Melnick said.
Dr. Melnick clearly explained the functions and how to target the specific functions of BCL6 protein with an example. "In this analogy, the Swiss Army knife, or transcription factor, keeps most of its tools folded, opening only the one it needs in any given cell type," Dr. Melnick said. "For B cells, it might open and use the knife tool; for T cells, the cork screw; for macrophages, the scissors."
"The amazing thing from a medical standpoint is that this means that you only need to prevent the master regulator from using certain tools to treat cancer. You don't need to eliminate the whole knife," he continued. "In fact, we show that taking out the whole knife is harmful since the transcription factor has many other vital functions that other cells in the body need."
The findings of the study are published in an online journal Nature Immunology.
