Next Generation of Anti-Cancer Agents Show Promise

Scientists helping to develop the next generation of cancer-beating drugs report that they have had a major breakthrough with their latest findings.

A new class of drugs being developed targets an enzyme that helps cells divide. In cancer, this enzyme, called Aurora B, goes into overdrive, potentially leading to uncontrolled and abnormal cell divisions.

The investigators, from the University of Manchester (UK), have been evaluating a chemical that suppresses the catalytic mechanisms of Aurora B and has shown itself to be very effective at killing cancer cells in cultures grown in the laboratory. "The first compounds were developed to inhibit a related enzyme called Aurora A,” stated Dr. Stephen Taylor, who is leading the research at the University of Manchester's department of life sciences. "But our research has shown that inhibiting Aurora B is a far more successful method of killing cancer cells and we have been strongly encouraged by these latest results.”

The study, published in the October 15, 2006, issue of the Journal of Cell Science, will be of interest to scientists globally who are evaluating Aurora inhibitors; there are currently more than 10 companies conducting Aurora cancer studies. "Auroras have attracted worldwide attention but no one has been entirely sure which strategy to follow,” said Dr. Taylor. "Our paper clearly demonstrates that targeting Aurora B is a highly attractive avenue to pursue, although inhibition of Aurora A may still have some merits as a potential therapy.”

Early clinical trials of the Aurora-B's toxicity have also been encouraging, with no major adverse effects to patients being reported. The next phase of trials to test its effectiveness is likely to start shortly. "A lot of current cancer drugs, while effective, are also toxic; by contrast, the toxic effects of Aurora inhibitors have been relatively mild and so could provide a revolutionary new way to treat cancer in the future,” commented Dr. Taylor.

Aurora A and B are a class of enzymes known as protein kinases; they modify other proteins by chemically adding phosphate groups to them. In cancer processes, both these protein kinases are overexpressed.

The University of Manchester group has been working on the Aurora B inhibitor in collaboration with pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca (London, UK). The group published an earlier study in 2003 that highlighted the potential success of targeting Aurora B. These latest results additionally bolster the team's belief that Aurora B inhibition is the preferred route to an effective cancer therapy.



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University of Manchester
AstraZeneca