Scientists Discover a Way to “Turn Off” Prostate Cancer Genes
Nature: The drug CBPD-409 blocks the genetic mechanisms of prostate cancer.
Researchers at the University of Michigan have developed a drug capable of halting the growth of prostate cancer by blocking its genetic mechanisms. The results of the study were published in Nature Genetics.
The study showed that malignant prostate cells depend on specific regions of DNA called enhancers, which act as “switches” for tumor growth. Scientists identified a key chemical marker of these enhancers — H2BNTac acetylation — as well as the enzymes p300 and CBP, which trigger this modification.
Based on this discovery, the team created a compound named CBPD-409, which selectively destroys the enzymes p300 and CBP. By removing these enzymes, the drug eliminates the H2BNTac marker and thereby suppresses the activity of androgen receptors, the main drivers of tumor progression.
In experiments with cell cultures and animal models, CBPD-409 effectively stopped the development of therapy-resistant prostate cancer and induced tumor regression without significant side effects.
According to the authors, this approach paves the way for a new type of cancer therapy — targeted protein degradation, which directly dismantles proteins that drive malignancy. Researchers believe this method could form the basis for treating the most aggressive and drug-resistant forms of prostate cancer.
