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.
From left to right: Geoffrey Shapiro, Leif Ellisen and Nancy Lin. Sitting below them is Kornelia Polyak.The Dana-Farber/Harvard Cancer Center, a cancer research consortium comprised of five of Boston’s academic medical centers, including Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Massachusetts General Hospital, has been awarded an NCI grant to continue its Specialized Program of Research Excellence in Breast Cancer.
