Researchers have discovered a possible new treatment for adenoid cystic carcinoma (ACC), a rare type of salivary gland cancer with limited treatment options. Scientists from the University of Chicago Medicine, in collaboration with InSilico Medicine and Prelude Therapeutics, found that blocking a protein called PRMT5 could help fight ACC.
ACC is very rare, making up only 1-5% of head and neck cancers. Because of this, it is difficult to study and diagnose early. Patients often do not show symptoms until the cancer has advanced.
Since there are no targeted treatments for ACC, the researchers used artificial intelligence (AI) to find potential drug targets. AI analyzed genetic data from ACC tumor samples and identified PRMT5 as a key protein involved in cancer growth.
To test this, the team worked with Prelude Therapeutics, which developed a drug called PRT543 to block PRMT5. The drug was tested in lab-grown cancer cells, 3D tumor models, and human tumor samples implanted in mice. The results showed that blocking PRMT5 slowed cancer growth.
Although the drug worked, it was not a complete cure. To improve results, researchers tested it with another drug called Lenvatinib. The combination treatment showed even stronger effects against the cancer.
The study suggests that patients with high PRMT5 levels may benefit from this new approach. It also highlights the importance of using AI to find better treatments for rare cancers.
This research was supported by the National Institutes of Health and the ACC Research Foundation.
Source: uchicagomedicine
