Award Details:
Award Type: Accelerator
Award #: A-013
Proposal Title: RAS Processing as a Strategy to Reduce RAS-Driven Tumors
PI(s): Karla Satchell (NU)
Award Amount: $100,000.00
Application Cycle: Round 3 (Spring 2019)
Award Start Date: November 1, 2019
Award End Date: October 31, 2020
Abstract:
More than 30% of all cancers have a genetic mutation in a gene called RAS. When this gene is modified, it becomes active all the time and sends a constant signal to cells to grow without control. The rapid growing cells become a tumor. Of particular concern, 52% of colon and 98% of pancreatic cancers have RAS mutations. Despite intensive exploration in the academic and private sector, no effective therapy that targets Ras is in use in the clinic and the only molecule in clinical trials specifically targets the G12C mutant of KRas. We discovered a protein that can cleave all forms of Ras in cells, resulting in loss of cell growth. We will test if this protein can be an effective therapy against the most untreatable cancers. Our ultimate goal is to advance therapeutic development and provide proof-of-principle pre-clinical evidence that this protein can block tumor growth.