Identifying the molecular drivers of colorectal cancer so that targeted therapies can be developed
Background
Colorectal cancer is a major health burden, with over 17,000 Australians diagnosed each year and around 4,000 deaths. Despite the introduction of new therapies, metastatic colorectal (colorectal cancer that has spread) is hard to treat successfully. This research team has discovered that the lack of a certain protein, called MCC (‘mutated in colorectal cancer), causes a disruption in the function of other key proteins in the colon, which promotes the development of an invasive type of colorectal cancer.
The research
The outcomes of this new study will be the identification of key players involved in the function of MCC and how they could be targeted in cancer treatment. Potential therapies may include small molecular drugs that block the signalling pathways that promote cancer spread, or molecules that restore the key protein interactions that are lost when MCC is absent.