Researchers at the University of Michigan Rogel Cancer Center have identified a new subtype of aggressive prostate cancer driven by alterations in the CDK12 gene. They have discovered that loss of this gene leads to DNA damage and activates other cancer driver genes, causing rapid DNA replication and tumor growth. The team developed a promising degrader that targets CDK12 and a related gene, CDK13, to destroy tumors. When combined with existing therapies targeting the AKT pathway, the degrader showed a synergistic effect in destroying cancer cells. The goal is to move this degrader to a clinical trial for potential treatment of prostate cancer.
Source link
Researchers reveal mechanisms of how CDK12 alterations drive prostate cancer development
