New publications
Experimental drug that blocks lung cancer growth unveiled
Last reviewed: 01.07.2025
All iLive content is medically reviewed or fact checked to ensure as much factual accuracy as possible.
We have strict sourcing guidelines and only link to reputable media sites, academic research institutions and, whenever possible, medically peer reviewed studies. Note that the numbers in parentheses ([1], [2], etc.) are clickable links to these studies.
If you feel that any of our content is inaccurate, out-of-date, or otherwise questionable, please select it and press Ctrl + Enter.
Lung cancer is considered one of the most aggressive. However, the mechanism used by tumor cells to grow and spread throughout the body is still not fully understood. And hence the meager therapeutic arsenal and, on the contrary, an excessive number of unwanted side effects when using it.
But not everything is so bad. For example, scientists led by Manuel Serrano from the CNIO Cancer Center (Spain) managed to decipher one of the molecular pathways behind the development of malignant lung tumors. After which they proposed an experimental drug capable of blocking the growth of lung cancer in mice. The results of this work were presented by the Spaniards in the journal Cancer Cell.
The Notch protein was identified in 2004 as one of the important oncogenes that plays a key role in the development of leukemia. Since then, scientists have been struggling to identify the same role of the protein in other types of cancer. In the late 2000s, the efforts were crowned with success: it was shown that Notch is also involved in the development of lung and pancreatic cancer.
The current study identified a molecular pathway by which Notch regulates cell proliferation in malignant lung tumors. The protein appears to work in concert with another well-known oncogene, RAS, a key element in the formation of such tumors.
In addition, a useful therapeutic effect was found in a special experimental drug GSI (gamma-secretase inhibitor), which effectively blocks Notch. In the experiments, the Spaniards used GM mice predisposed to human lung cancer (and, of course, suffering from it). After 15 days of treatment with GSI, it was found that the tumor had stopped progressing. At the same time, no side effects were observed. In short, a real success at the very first stage.
GSI was developed 15 years ago to treat Alzheimer's disease. Very soon, however, it became clear that the drug was not able to stop the development of the neurodegenerative disease. But oncologists "fell in love" with it, since during clinical trials it turned out that GSI blocks the Notch protein. And then everything started spinning. The information accumulated around the world about the pharmacological and pharmakinetic properties of GSI allows us to begin clinical trials of this substance at any time. And this means that in the very near future we can expect more significant information obtained during testing of the drug on people.
[