Furanyl Fatty Acid Inhibition of FABP5 as a Mechanism for Treatment and Prevention of Cancer
Abstract
Although cancer and cancer research have been held at paramount importance for a number of decades, cancer prevention through the use of small molecules (drugs) has not garnered significant attention. This stands in stark contrast to cardiovascular disease, where using small molecules in a preventive setting is a central tenet, where examples such as anti-hypertensives to reduce cardiovascular stress, statins to control serum cholesterol, and NSAIDs (nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) used to prevent initial or subsequent infarct. Interestingly, when investigating death rates for men and women 85 years and younger from heart disease, we see a striking 45% decrease since 1975. However, it is significant that cancer death rates from same demographic have not decreased appreciably over the same time period, a fact that pointedly demonstrates a need for effective approaches to cancer prevention. The field of cancer chemoprevention represents a unique opportunity for the fruitful cooperation of basic scientists and clinical researchers to tackle a problem of acute need. As the name indicates, a chemopreventive molecule is a small molecule (chemical/chemo) that is specifically taken for the purpose of preventing cancer. In this proposal, we aim to explore a class of molecules that are derived from normal dietary fatty acids, which contain a furan functional group. This functional group alters the biological activity of these molecules such that they become highly effective inhibitors of a protein termed fatty acid binding protein 5 (FABP5) that we have shown in previous studies to be important for the formation of breast cancer. We propose to evaluate these molecules in relevant models of breast cancer to investigate these molecules as a new class of diet-derived chemopreventive agents.
Document Details
- Document Type
- DoD Grant Award
- Publication Date
- Jan 31, 2017
- Source ID
- W81XWH1610700
Entities
People
- Noa Noy
Organizations
- Cleveland Clinic
- United States Army