A new inhibitor targeting the oncoprotein MYC – implications for cancer drug development
A new promising MYC inhibitor, MYCMI-6, that blocks the binding between MYC and its necessary partner protein MAX has been discovered.
The molecule inhibits tumor cell proliferation driven by MYC, which is a characteristic of more than half of all tumors. This research has been presented in an article published in Scientific Reports by Alina Castell, Qinzi Yan, Karin Fawkner and other researchers in the Lars-Gunnar Larsson group at the Department of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology (MTC). MYCMI-6 binds directly and selectively to MYC and can therefore be used as a molecular tool in cancer biology, and it also has good potential for cancer drug development. The in-depth story behind the discovery will be featured in a podcast by RadioScience, which will be released in July.
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Alina Castell, Qinzi Yan, Karin F awkner, Per Hydbring, Fan Zhang, Vasiliki Verschut, Marcela Franco, Siti Mariam Zakaria, Wesam Bazzar, Jacob Goodwin, Giovanna Zinzalla, Lars-Gunnar Larsson. A selective high affinity MYCbinding
compound inhibits MYC:MAX interaction and MYCdependent tumor cell proliferation. Scientific Reports June 2018 DOI:10.1038/s41598-018-28107-4