Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most common cancer worldwide and a leading cause of oncological death, with more than 1.1 million new cases diagnosed in 2022. Surgery, chemotherapy and targeted therapies are the mainstay of treatment, but advanced cases are still difficult to treat and metastasis remains the leading cause of death.
Fascin1, an actin-bundling protein, is overexpressed in aggressive CRC and promotes tumor invasion and metastasis. It is a key biomarker of poor prognosis, particularly in serrated adenocarcinoma (SAC), a subtype associated with worse outcomes. Targeting Fascin1 could offer new therapeutic strategies, but more research is needed to develop effective inhibitors. For this reason, researchers from the Biomedical Research Institute of Murcia (IMIB), the Catholic University of San Antonio of Murcia (UCAM) and the University of Granada (UGR) have jointly identified a novel compound as a Fascin1 inhibitor for the treatment of solid tumors, with a particular focus on colorectal cancer.
The technology involves a novel chemically synthesized compound capable of inhibiting Fascin1, thereby acting as an inhibitor of cancer cell migration and invasion. The compound’s activity inhibits the cross-linking of actin filaments into tightly packed parallel bundles, a process that allows tumor cells to develop the protrusions required for cell invasion and metastasis.
The compound was tested in vitro in adenocarcinoma cell lines and showed a reduced Fascin bundling activity and impaired cancer cell viability. In addition, ex vivo assays were performed in metastatic colorectal cancer organoids and demonstrated high cytolytic activity. Feasibility was also tested by computational screening using molecular docking and MD simulation, which facilitated the ADME pharmacokinetic profiling
Benefits:
- Higher cytolytic and antitumoral activity.
- New therapeutic option for a subset of colorectal cancer patients (serrated adenocarcinoma) with poor prognosis and increased Fascin1 activity.
- Chemically synthesized.
The represented institution is looking for a collaboration that leads to a commercial exploitation of the presented invention.
Institution: Biomedical Research Institute of Murcia (IMIB), the Catholic University of San Antonio of Murcia (UCAM) and the University of Granada (UGR)
TRL: 2-3
Protection status: European Patent Application.
Contacto: Noelia Mas / noelia@viromii.com