Approaches for Cancer Therapy
The myelocytomatosis oncogene (MYC) is a key transcriptional regulator involved in cellular proliferation and has established roles in apoptosis, transcription of DNA, microRNA regulation and pluripotency. More importantly, deregulation of MYC has been directly implicated in over 50% of human cancers and is recognized as a general hallmark of cancer initiation and maintenance. Despite this prevalence, there are few functional chemical probes for MYC and no therapeutics that target it, as its disordered nature and complex biology make it difficult to study. Our overall goal is to find and characterize novel, small-molecule inhibitory modulators that bind specifically to MYC. We will produce a set of precisely characterized chemical leads with a strong correlation between in vitro and in vivo efficacy. Not only will these compounds be beneficial in the study of MYC functions, but they may also lead to a therapeutic strategy for MYC-driven cancers.