Hanyang University Research Team Targets and Eliminates Only Cancer Cells... "Provides a Starting Point for New Drug Development"

Hanyang University announced on the 21st that the research team led by Professor Emeritus Kim Cheol-geun of the Department of Life Sciences has presented the possibility of developing an excellent anticancer drug that can control all cancer cells without side effects on normal cells.

Schematic diagram of the research results. [Photo by Hanyang University]

Currently, even the most advanced anticancer drugs only show a response in 15-40% of patient groups and can cause serious side effects to normal cells. Professor Kim's team has been studying the transcription factor CP2c, which acts as an oncogene. CP2c is highly expressed in various types of cancer but shows low expression in normal cells.

The team developed an anticancer peptide (ACP52C) that binds to and acts on the CP2c protein complex. The anticancer peptide induced cell death in more than 85% of cells derived from actual patients (liver cancer and breast cancer). It is expected to provide a significant clue for the development of new drugs such as cancer prevention agents or prognosis management agents in the future.

Professor Kim said, "Unlike existing treatments, this is a novel peptide-based cancer therapy that can be expected to cure without harming normal cells," adding, "If it succeeds in commercialization after clinical trials, it will give hope to many patients with intractable cancers."