DALLAS Oct. 3, 2022 Expected to be diagnosed in 2% of men and 1% of women in the U.S., kidney cancer has traditionally been one of the most challenging cancers to treat. Until 2005, only one drug had been approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to treat kidney cancer, which is resistant to both chemotherapy and conventional radiation. Since then, discoveries about its biology have led to a flurry of targeted and immune therapies. But despite these advances, still today, most patients succumb to the disease once the cancer has spread.
Discovered at UTSouthwestern Medical Center (UTSW), theHIF2 protein is the most important driver of kidney cancer, which has traditionally been regarded as undruggable. UTSW scientists identified avulnerability in the HIF2 protein structure and identifiedchemicals blocking HIF2. Licensed to Peloton Therapeutics in the UTSW BioCenter, these chemicals set the foundation for the development of PT2977 (also called belzutifan), which receivedFDA approval for the treatment of hereditary kidney cancer in 2021, and is currently being evaluated against nonfamilial kidney cancer in multiple phase 3 clinical trials by Merck, which acquired Peloton.
However, studies inmice and subsequently inpatients have shown that kidney tumors develop resistance. Resistance arises as a result of mutations, including mutations that block the attachment of the drug to HIF2.
James Brugarolas, M.D., Ph.D.
For the last seven years, scientists in theBrugarolas lab at UTSW have partnered withArrowhead Pharmaceuticals to develop a second-generation inhibitor with activity not only against unmodified but also mutated HIF2. Using the sameplatform of patient tumors transplanted in mice that provided the first evidence ofanti-cancer activity by Pelotons HIF2 blocking drugs, the authors now showthat this second-generation drug is also active against kidney cancer. Proof of principle of activity is also provided in humans from thephase 1 trial led by James Brugarolas, M.D., Ph.D., Professor of Internal Medicine and Director of theKidney Cancer Program at theHarold C. Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center of UTSW.
Like the FDA-approved Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines, this second-generation HIF2 inhibitor (ARO-HIF2) is an RNA-based drug. ARO-HIF2 is a dsRNA drug that blocks the production of HIF2 in cancer cells. A particular advantage of ARO-HIF2 is the presence of a "homing device" that specifically targets it to cancer cells by interacting with a protein on their surface.
Downregulation of HIF2 by ARO-HIF2 in patient tumor biopsies. Courtesy of Dr. Payal Kapur
RNA-based medicines hold promise to treat many different diseases, as evidenced by a recent string of new FDA approvals. However, the unsolved challenge in cancer is delivery. Developing delivery systems to target tumor cells, something that was accomplished with ARO-HIF2, is an area of expanding research, said Daniel Siegwart, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Biochemistry at UTSW and a member of the Simmons Cancer Center.
These studies were supported by Arrowhead Pharmaceuticals as well as the National Cancer Institute through a Specialized Program of Research Excellence (SPORE) award. Dr. Brugarolas has previously served as a consultant for Arrowhead Pharmaceuticals and has several patent applications pertaining to HIF2.
Dr. Brugarolas holds The Sherry Wigley Crow Cancer Research Endowed Chair in Honor of Robert Lewis Kirby, M.D. Dr. Siegwart holds the W. Ray Wallace Distinguished Chair in Molecular Oncology Research.
About UTSouthwestern Medical Center
UTSouthwestern, one of the nations premier academic medical centers, integrates pioneering biomedical research with exceptional clinical care and education. The institutions faculty has received six Nobel Prizes, and includes 26 members of the National Academy of Sciences, 17 members of the National Academy of Medicine, and 14 Howard Hughes Medical Institute Investigators. The full-time faculty of more than 2,900 is responsible for groundbreaking medical advances and is committed to translating science-driven research quickly to new clinical treatments. UTSouthwestern physicians provide care in more than 80 specialtiesto more than 100,000 hospitalized patients, more than 360,000 emergency room cases, and oversee nearly 4 million outpatient visits a year.
Read more:
Tackling resistance to HIF2 drugs with an RNA-based therapy - UT Southwestern
- Living with Lupus: Hematopoietic Stem Cell Therapy for Lupus [Last Updated On: September 24th, 2011] [Originally Added On: September 24th, 2011]
- Unlocking the Secrets of Blod Cell Therapy - Video [Last Updated On: October 14th, 2011] [Originally Added On: October 14th, 2011]
- Alzheimers Neurons Created from Pluripotent Stem Cells [Last Updated On: January 28th, 2012] [Originally Added On: January 28th, 2012]
- Verastem to Present at Molecular Medicine Tri-Conference Symposium “Targeting Cancer Stem Cells in Oncology” [Last Updated On: February 16th, 2012] [Originally Added On: February 16th, 2012]
- Plethora of New Products to be Showcased at 2012 Molecular Medicine Tri-Conference [Last Updated On: February 18th, 2012] [Originally Added On: February 18th, 2012]
- Leukaemia cells have a remembrance of things past [Last Updated On: April 26th, 2012] [Originally Added On: April 26th, 2012]
- Science Translational Medicine and the DMM Global Foundation Announce Days of Molecular Medicine 2012 "The ... [Last Updated On: July 13th, 2012] [Originally Added On: July 13th, 2012]
- Common RNA pathway found in ALS and dementia [Last Updated On: October 1st, 2012] [Originally Added On: October 1st, 2012]
- Culprits behind ALS and dementia share common pathway [Last Updated On: October 2nd, 2012] [Originally Added On: October 2nd, 2012]
- 22 Molecular Medicine—Cloning and Stem Cells - Video [Last Updated On: November 1st, 2012] [Originally Added On: November 1st, 2012]
- Stem Cells and the Future of Medicine - Larry Goldstein, Ph.D. at TEDxAmericasFinestCity - Video [Last Updated On: November 1st, 2012] [Originally Added On: November 1st, 2012]
- Program in Molecular Medicine - UMass Medical School ... [Last Updated On: September 26th, 2016] [Originally Added On: September 26th, 2016]
- Molecular medicine - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia [Last Updated On: September 26th, 2016] [Originally Added On: September 26th, 2016]
- Department of Molecular Medicine - College of Veterinary ... [Last Updated On: September 26th, 2016] [Originally Added On: September 26th, 2016]
- Molecular Medicine - Graduate School of Biomedical ... [Last Updated On: September 26th, 2016] [Originally Added On: September 26th, 2016]
- Home - Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine [Last Updated On: October 20th, 2016] [Originally Added On: October 20th, 2016]
- Molecular Medicine - Wake Forest Baptist Health [Last Updated On: October 20th, 2016] [Originally Added On: October 20th, 2016]
- Cellular and Molecular Medicine Graduate Program [Last Updated On: October 20th, 2016] [Originally Added On: October 20th, 2016]
- International Masters Program Molecular Medicine ... [Last Updated On: October 20th, 2016] [Originally Added On: October 20th, 2016]
- LSUHSC School of Medicine - Biochemistry and Molecular Biology [Last Updated On: November 20th, 2016] [Originally Added On: November 20th, 2016]
- Molecular Medicine | Molecular Medicine Reports ... [Last Updated On: November 20th, 2016] [Originally Added On: November 20th, 2016]
- Precision medicine opens the door to scientific wellness preventive approaches to suicide - Medical Xpress [Last Updated On: August 15th, 2017] [Originally Added On: August 15th, 2017]
- New Hampshire biologist reacts to gene-editing discovery - The Union Leader [Last Updated On: August 15th, 2017] [Originally Added On: August 15th, 2017]
- The Human Heart May Have a Natural 'Backup Battery' - Healthline [Last Updated On: August 15th, 2017] [Originally Added On: August 15th, 2017]
- Georgia colleges gear up for new semester - AJC.com - Atlanta Journal Constitution [Last Updated On: August 15th, 2017] [Originally Added On: August 15th, 2017]
- Change in protein production essential to muscle function - Baylor College of Medicine News (press release) [Last Updated On: August 15th, 2017] [Originally Added On: August 15th, 2017]
- Clinical trial uses a genetically engineered virus to fight cancer - Medical Xpress [Last Updated On: August 15th, 2017] [Originally Added On: August 15th, 2017]
- A New Gene Editing Technique Could Finally Allow Us to Treat ALS - Futurism [Last Updated On: August 15th, 2017] [Originally Added On: August 15th, 2017]
- New Version of CRISPR Corrects RNA Defects Linked to ... - Technology Networks [Last Updated On: August 16th, 2017] [Originally Added On: August 16th, 2017]
- Circular RNA Linked to Brain Function - Technology Networks [Last Updated On: August 16th, 2017] [Originally Added On: August 16th, 2017]
- Yenepoya University to offer biotech skill enhancement programme - Hindu Business Line [Last Updated On: August 16th, 2017] [Originally Added On: August 16th, 2017]
- Spotlight Innovation Enters into Sponsored Research Agreement with Indiana University to Develop New Therapies for ... - PR Newswire (press release) [Last Updated On: August 16th, 2017] [Originally Added On: August 16th, 2017]
- Using barcodes to trace cell development - Medical Xpress [Last Updated On: August 16th, 2017] [Originally Added On: August 16th, 2017]
- What can genetic testing really tell you? - Popular Science [Last Updated On: August 17th, 2017] [Originally Added On: August 17th, 2017]
- Cancer Treatment Centers of America and Foundation Medicine Join Forces to Advance Precision Cancer Treatment - Markets Insider [Last Updated On: August 17th, 2017] [Originally Added On: August 17th, 2017]
- A New Method of 3D Printing Living Tissues - Technology Networks [Last Updated On: August 17th, 2017] [Originally Added On: August 17th, 2017]
- Spotlight Innovation Enters into Sponsored Research Agreement with Indiana University to Develop New Therapies for ... - Markets Insider [Last Updated On: August 17th, 2017] [Originally Added On: August 17th, 2017]
- MS in Molecular Medicine - Drexel University College of ... [Last Updated On: August 17th, 2017] [Originally Added On: August 17th, 2017]
- Master of Science (MSc) in Molecular Medicine - NTNU [Last Updated On: August 17th, 2017] [Originally Added On: August 17th, 2017]
- Molecular Medicine Research - Wake Forest School of Medicine [Last Updated On: August 17th, 2017] [Originally Added On: August 17th, 2017]
- New method for the 3D printing of living tissues - Scientist Live [Last Updated On: August 22nd, 2017] [Originally Added On: August 22nd, 2017]
- Bio-inspired Materials Give Boost to Regenerative Medicine - Bioscience Technology [Last Updated On: August 22nd, 2017] [Originally Added On: August 22nd, 2017]
- MSU Expanding Medical Research In Grand Rapids | WKAR - WKAR [Last Updated On: August 30th, 2017] [Originally Added On: August 30th, 2017]
- Stabilizing TREM2 a potential strategy to combat Alzheimer's disease - Medical Xpress [Last Updated On: August 30th, 2017] [Originally Added On: August 30th, 2017]
- TCI woman fell 31 floors, due to work in molecular medicine in Malaysia - Magnetic Media (press release) [Last Updated On: August 30th, 2017] [Originally Added On: August 30th, 2017]
- Molecular Medicine | University of Maryland School of Medicine [Last Updated On: August 30th, 2017] [Originally Added On: August 30th, 2017]
- Reconstructing life at its beginning, cell by cell - Phys.Org [Last Updated On: August 31st, 2017] [Originally Added On: August 31st, 2017]
- Dr. Pawel Muranski to Head New Cellular Immunotherapy Laboratory at NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia University ... - Newswise (press release) [Last Updated On: August 31st, 2017] [Originally Added On: August 31st, 2017]
- Hofstra and Northwell rename medical school following $61 million donation - The Island Now [Last Updated On: August 31st, 2017] [Originally Added On: August 31st, 2017]
- TREM2 Cleavage Site Pinpointed: A Gateway to New Therapies? - Alzforum [Last Updated On: August 31st, 2017] [Originally Added On: August 31st, 2017]
- The Secret Ingredient That Stops Honeybees From Becoming Queens - New York Times [Last Updated On: August 31st, 2017] [Originally Added On: August 31st, 2017]
- What happened to precision medicine? - Phoenix Business Journal [Last Updated On: September 4th, 2017] [Originally Added On: September 4th, 2017]
- Fetal genes can increase the risk of illness during pregnancy - Medical Xpress [Last Updated On: September 4th, 2017] [Originally Added On: September 4th, 2017]
- Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging (SNMMI) [Last Updated On: October 1st, 2017] [Originally Added On: October 1st, 2017]
- For Authors - Molecular Medicine [Last Updated On: October 1st, 2017] [Originally Added On: October 1st, 2017]
- Center for Applied Proteomics and Molecular Medicine [Last Updated On: October 15th, 2017] [Originally Added On: October 15th, 2017]
- Nuclear Medicine - Molecular Imaging - Nuclear Medicine ... [Last Updated On: August 3rd, 2018] [Originally Added On: August 3rd, 2018]
- Proteomics Conferences 2018 | Molecular Medicine Congress ... [Last Updated On: August 21st, 2018] [Originally Added On: August 21st, 2018]
- Section of Molecular Medicine | Wake Forest School of Medicine [Last Updated On: November 9th, 2018] [Originally Added On: November 9th, 2018]
- Faculty Research - Department of Molecular Medicine ... [Last Updated On: February 14th, 2019] [Originally Added On: February 14th, 2019]
- Goethe-Universitt Molecular Medicine (Master of Science) [Last Updated On: March 5th, 2019] [Originally Added On: March 5th, 2019]
- Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at Miller School of ... [Last Updated On: March 30th, 2019] [Originally Added On: March 30th, 2019]
- Molecular Medicine Research - Mayo Clinic Research [Last Updated On: April 27th, 2019] [Originally Added On: April 27th, 2019]
- Molecular Medicine (MolMed) | Duke School of Medicine [Last Updated On: April 27th, 2019] [Originally Added On: April 27th, 2019]
- Molecular Medicine | Molecular, Cellular and Developmental ... [Last Updated On: April 27th, 2019] [Originally Added On: April 27th, 2019]
- Home | EMBO Molecular Medicine [Last Updated On: May 5th, 2019] [Originally Added On: May 5th, 2019]
- Molecular Medicine (formerly Molecular & Cellular Biology) [Last Updated On: June 3rd, 2019] [Originally Added On: June 3rd, 2019]
- The world's first psilocybin research center is opening in Jamaica - Big Think [Last Updated On: October 3rd, 2019] [Originally Added On: October 3rd, 2019]
- Synthetic networks with tunable responsiveness, biodegradation, and molecular recognition for precision medicine applications - Science Advances [Last Updated On: October 3rd, 2019] [Originally Added On: October 3rd, 2019]
- No place for racism: an open letter from University of Auckland staff - The Spinoff [Last Updated On: October 3rd, 2019] [Originally Added On: October 3rd, 2019]
- XIST-Promoter Demethylation as Tissue Biomarker for Testicular Germ Cell Tumors and Spermatogenesis Quality - Beyond the Abstract - UroToday [Last Updated On: October 3rd, 2019] [Originally Added On: October 3rd, 2019]
- Tulane researcher is editor of journal issue honoring 40th anniversary of key cancer discovery - News from Tulane [Last Updated On: October 3rd, 2019] [Originally Added On: October 3rd, 2019]
- New insights into heart's healing capacity - Baylor College of Medicine News [Last Updated On: October 3rd, 2019] [Originally Added On: October 3rd, 2019]
- Giving a Speed Boost to Nerve Regrowth - Technology Networks [Last Updated On: October 3rd, 2019] [Originally Added On: October 3rd, 2019]
- Exploring the stress-mood-appetite connection - Baylor College of Medicine News [Last Updated On: October 3rd, 2019] [Originally Added On: October 3rd, 2019]
- What's in the cards for this year's Nobel Prizes? - STAT [Last Updated On: October 3rd, 2019] [Originally Added On: October 3rd, 2019]
- Treatment for Incurable Breast Cancer, Melanoma Improved by Adding Local Anesthetics - Newswise [Last Updated On: October 3rd, 2019] [Originally Added On: October 3rd, 2019]
- DNA Nanomachines Are Opening Medicine to the World of Physics - Singularity Hub [Last Updated On: October 3rd, 2019] [Originally Added On: October 3rd, 2019]
- Institute of Human Virology Hosts 21st Annual International Meeting of Top Scientists on Ending the HIV/AIDS Epidemic in America and the Intersection... [Last Updated On: October 5th, 2019] [Originally Added On: October 5th, 2019]
- Digital Biopsies: Radiomics and Pathomics Are Important Stops on the Path to Precision Medicine - Cancer Therapy Advisor [Last Updated On: October 5th, 2019] [Originally Added On: October 5th, 2019]