New drug for inherited breast and ovarian cancers shows promise in early trials
07. 07. 2010 | Cancer Research UK
Olaparib, a new type of experimental drug called a PARP inhibitor, has shown promising results against inherited forms of breast and ovarian cancer in two small clinical trials led by scientists at the Breakthrough Breast Cancer Research Unit at King's College London [1, 2].
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The drug specifically targets cancers caused by faulty BRCA1 or BRCA2 genes. Women carrying these inherited genetic faults have a greatly increased risk of breast and ovarian cancers, and the mutations are thought to cause about two to five per cent of all breast cancers and about five to 15 per cent of ovarian cancers.
The new drug blocks a protein called 'poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase' (PARP), causing cancer cells with a BRCA fault to lose the ability to repair damage to their DNA. Because the cancer cells are already faulty, this extra problem kills them.
Reference
- Audeh MW, Carmichael J, et al. Oral poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase inhibitor olaparib in patients with BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutations and recurrent ovarian cancer: a proof-of-concept trial. The Lancet 2010; 376(9737):245–251. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(10)60893-8.
- Tutt A, Robson M, et al. Oral poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase inhibitor olaparib in patients with BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutations and advanced breast cancer: a proof-of-concept trial. The Lancet 2010; 376(9737):235–244. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(10)60892-6.
Keywords: olaparib, breast cancer, ovarian cancer
