Small molecule shows promise as anti-cancer therapy

Johns Hopkins scientists say a previously known but little studied chemical compound targets and shuts down a common cancer process. In studies of laboratory-grown human tumor cell lines, the drug disrupted tumor cell division and prevented growth of advanced cancer cells. In a recent study, Marikki Laiho, M.D., Ph.D., and her colleagues say their work focused on the ability of a chemical dubbed BMH-21 to sabotage the transcription pathway RNA Polymerase pathway, shutting down the ability of mutant cancer genes to communicate with cells and replicate. Read more here.

Study mentioned: Peltonen K, et al. A Targeting Modality for Destruction of RNA Polymerase I that Possesses Anticancer Activity. Cancer Cell. 2014 Jan 13;25(1):77-90. PMID: 24434211