Developing new anti-cancer drugs that target abnormal signaling networks in cancer

A defining characteristic of cancer cells is their ability to grow and replicate in an uncontrolled manner. Cancer cells have altered signaling pathways that allow them to bypass checkpoints that would normally prevent their rapid growth. STAT3 protein is a master regulator of cancer cell signaling and is found to be overactive in 70 % of cancers. While healthy cells can survive without STAT3, cancer cells become addicted to overactive STAT3 and are sensitive to disruptions in this pathway.

As a result, several drug-like molecules have been explored for their ability to inhibit STAT3 signaling in cancer cells. While some have shown promising anti-cancer effects, issues with selectivity and toxicity have prevented their clinical use. With the goal of identifying better STAT3 inhibitors, my research program uses cutting-edge techniques to determine how STAT3 inhibitors function in cells. We investigate what exactly the inhibitor binds to inside a cancer cell and how that affects STAT3 signaling. We also use these techniques to develop our own STAT3 inhibitors which we then explore as novel anti-cancer agents. Our ultimate goal is to produce new medicines that can help patients win their battle against cancer.