Korean researchers find candidate material for innovative cancer treatment

Korean researchers have identified a new mechanism of how cancer metastasizes and discovered a candidate material for new anti-cancer drug.

The research team has been comprised of the Medicinal Bioconvergence Research Center under the Science, ICT and Future Planning Ministry, Yuhan Corp., Samsung Medical Center’s hard-to-cure cancer research group, and Prof. Jeon Yeong-ho at College of Pharmacy of Korea University. The team identified a new mechanism of cancer metastasis and discovered a candidate material for new anti-cancer drug, according to the research team. If the material is approved as a new drug after clinical trials over the next several years, it will likely be the first “innovative new drug” in the anti-cancer drug field.

The research team discovered in July last year that when an enzyme called “KRS” is excessively secreted in cancer cells, a portion of the enzyme moves to cell membrane and expedites metastasis of cancer cells. In order to suppress the cancer metastasis process caused by KRS, the team has since been focusing on the development of a new cancer treatment that preemptively blocks KRS secretion.

After taking over study findings from the research team, Yuhan enhanced the performance of the material inhibiting KRS secretion. The material was applied to various cancer metastasis models in order to suggest its efficacy in suppression of cancer metastasis.

“We have discovered a candidate material for new drug through a unique study by domestic researchers,” said Kim Seong-hoon, chief of the Medicinal Bioconvergence Research Center and pharmacology professor at Seoul National University. “If the material is verified through clinical trials, it will be the nation’s first innovative new drug.” The study has been published in Monday’s issue of Nature Chemical Biology.