Through a genomic screening method known as CRISPR/CAS9 screening, Massey scientists—led by Anthony Faber and Jennifer Koblinski—identified a specific enzyme called UBA1 that revealed itself as an ideal therapeutic target in triple negative breast cancer. Using a novel UBA-inhibiting drug called TAK-243, they blocked the cellular function of UBA1 and effectively killed cancer cells in patient-derived breast tumors in mice.
Venkata Lokesh BattulaClinton YamA multidisciplinary team of researchers at VCU Massey Comprehensive Cancer Center and MD Anderson Cancer Center has been awarded a $7.3 million grant from the U.S. Department of Defense to fund a novel clinical trial targeting one of the most aggressive and hard-to-treat forms of breast cancer: metastatic triple-negative breast cancer.
