New cancer drugs could spare healthy cells
Big news from researchers at the Francis Crick Institute and Vividion Therapeutics: they've created new compounds that have been shown in preclinical models to block tumor growth while leaving healthy cells alone.
These compounds block the interaction between mutated RAS and PI3K, a pathway involved in about 20% of cancers.
If all goes well, this could mean future cancer treatments with fewer nasty side effects.
The team used clever chemical screening
The team used clever chemical screening to block just the harmful part of the RAS-PI3K pathway, so normal cell functions stay safe (goodbye, unwanted side effects like high blood sugar).
Tests in mice with breast cancer mutations showed tumors stopped growing.
Even cooler: combining these compounds with other drugs made them work even better.
Human trials are up next—this could be a big step forward for smarter, kinder cancer therapies.