Seongjin Kim, CEO of MedPacto, defined the MOA of the chemoresistance-associated protein and potential predictive biomarker
Feb 25, 2022
Through collaborative study with the SNU research team, defined the co-relation between the DRAK1 protein and chemoresistance
Published the thesis in Cell Death & Disease, sister journal of Nature which is the leading international weekly journal of science
[2022-02-24] Seongjin Kim Ph.D. Chief Executive Officer of MedPacto, defined the mechanism of action of the protein that is associated with chemoresistance in cervical cancer cells.
According to the MedPacto, Inc (KOSDAQ: 235980), a genome-based drug discovery and clinical-stage biotechnology company, on February 24th, through collaborative study, Seongjin Kim and Yongsang Song Ph.D., defined that the degradation of DRAK1 protein promotes the chemoresistance in cervical cancer. The regarding thesis was published in the online February issue of Cell Death and Disease, a sister journal of Nature—the leading international academic journal of science,
In this study, a research team confirmed the Paclitaxel’s inducing of the degradation of DRAK1 protein and activation of inflammatory response mediator, TRAF6, has a strong correlation with chemoresistance in cervical cancer cells. Prior to this, Sungjin Kim’s research team has recently determined that the DRAK1 protein suppresses inflammation by enhancing the protein expression levels of TRAF6. The result this time, further demonstrates that once paclitaxel promotes degradation of DRAK1 protein, there is an inflammatory response caused by an increase in TRAF6 expression resulting in cancer cells’ resistance to Paclitaxel.
According to this thesis, the research team confirmed that DRAK1 protein level was markedly decreased in the tested paclitaxel-resistant cervical cancer patients’ tissue.
The research team also elucidated that DRAK1 protein was destabilized through the process of K48-linked polyubiquitination when promoted by the Cullin scaffold protine3(CUL3)/Speckle-type POZ(poxvirus and zinc finger protein) protein(SPOP) E3 ubiquitin ligase in paclitaxel-resistant cells.
These findings suggest that DRAK1 protein is proven to be critical in controlling proliferation and metastasis of cancer cells, while opening up the possibility of DRAK1 being used to serve as a potential predictive biomarker for overcoming cervical cancer.
The loss of DRAK1 expression and its activating TRAF6 has a strong correlation with chemoresistance in cervical cancer. “This suggests that DRAK1 may serve as a novel biomarker for paclitaxel-resistant cervical cancer cells” stated Seongjin KIM, CEO of MedPacto.
He also added that “Developing small-molecules that are inhibiting interactions between proteins and controlling signaling pathways will be the foundation for the new drug development for overcoming various cancer indications including refractory malignant female cancers, such as cervical cancer.
This collaborative study between Gilo and Yongsang Song’s research team in SNU was sponsored by the National Cancer Center; National Cancer Control Planning Board of the Ministry of Health and Welfare.