Sarki A. Abdulkadir, MD, PhD, John T. Grayhack, MD, Professor of Urologic Research, vice chair for research, professor of urology and pathology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, discusses the challenges of targeting MYC in prostate cancer. 

Historically, MYC was thought to be an undruggable protein, says Abdulkadir. Currently, no MYC-targeting agents have been approved.

MYC was thought to be undruggable because it is a disordered protein, meaning that it doesn’t have a fixed structure, Abdulkadir explains. As such, it is difficult to develop a compound that can target any pocket of the protein, adds Abdulkadir. 

Additionally, it was thought that even if a MYC inhibitor was developed and administered, patients would not tolerate it because MYC is expressed on normal tissue cells, as well as cancer cells, concludes Abdulkadir.

Videos

Sarki A. Abdulkadir, MD, PhD, discusses the challenges of targeting MYC in prostate cancer.  



Dr. Abdulkadir on the Challenges of Targeting MYC in Prostate Cancer 

Sarki A. Abdulkadir, MD, PhD, John T. Grayhack Professor of Urologic Research, vice chair for research, professor of urology and pathology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, discusses the rationale to target MYC in prostate cancer.

The MYC protein is one of the earliest oncogenes to have been discovered, says Abdulkadir. Moreover, it’s cancer-causing potential has been observed across multiple different tumor types.

It is estimated that MYC has some involvement in over half of all human cancer types, Abdulkadir says.

When expressed at high levels, MYC has a role in the initiation and progression of cancer, Abdulkadir explains.

In prostate cancer specifically, MYC is involved in the initiation of cancer growth, as well as in the development of resistance, Abdulkadir says. Moreover, the gene can become upregulated to aid in the survival and growth of cancer cells.

As such, developing MYC inhibitors is an important ongoing research effort in prostate cancer, concludes Abdulkadir.

Sarki A. Abdulkadir, MD, PhD, discusses the rationale to target MYC in prostate cancer.  



Sarki A. Abdulkadir, MD, PhD

Articles

Dr. Abdulkadir on the Challenges of Targeting MYC in Prostate Cancer

Dr. Abdulkadir on the Rationale to Target MYC in Prostate Cancer