Professor Udai Banerji has led a team responsible for the early development of a new targeted drug for ovarian cancer. This drug, which was created by researchers at our Centre for Cancer Drug Discovery, works by targeting a protein called the alpha folate receptor.
Results of the 1st clinical trial showed promise for treating some ovarian cancer patients. The drug is now set to advance to the next stage of development, with the hope that it will ultimately become an effective new treatment option.
Another innovative drug going through clinical trials could help patients with certain types of ovarian cancer.
The drug targets a pathway that cancer cells are highly dependent upon, involving the heat shock factor (HSF1) protein. This protein acts as ‘master switch’ in cells that controls the activity of a variety of genes - and its signalling can be hijacked by cancer to support their growth and spread. Our scientists have found ways to block the pathway, to slow cancer growth.
