Scientists have developed a cancer drug that kills all solid cancer tumors, while leaving other cells unharmed. The new molecule — AOH1996 — targets a protein present in most cancers that helps tumors grow and multiply in the body. It’s significant because this protein — the proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) — was previously thought to be “undruggable.” The drug was tested on 70 different cancer cells in the lab, including those derived from breast, prostate, brain, ovarian, cervical, skin, and lung cancer, and was effective against them all. The drug is the culmination of 20 years of research and development by the City of Hope Hospital in Los Angeles, one of the country’s largest cancer centers. The molecule selectively killed cancer cells by disrupting their normal reproductive cycle, preventing cells with damaged DNA from dividing, and stopping the replication of faulty DNA. This combination of factors caused the cancer cells to die without harming healthy cells in the process. The results will now need to be replicated in people. The drug is currently being tested on humans in a Phase 1 clinical trial at City of Hope.
