University of Bath: Cancer Researchers Discover Promising Prostate Cancer Drug Candidates by Using High-Throughput Screening

Oncology researchers from the Department of Pharmacy and Pharmacology, University of Bath have discovered drugs by using high-throughput screening methods and techniques to test tens of thousands of bioavailable molecules. Scientists are studying about a protein called Aceto methylacyl-CoA racemase (AMACR), which acts as a potential target for tumor cell and can be used in cancer treatment. The protein is present in larger quantities in prostate cancer cells.

Scientists are now studying the protein and its activity throughout the body, and it is showing an increased activity on tumor cells. The protein activity is increased by ~10-fold and its behavior reverts more like that of the normal cells.

It turns that more than 20,000 drug molecules of AMACR for inhibition were used –by using a simple color-change technology which allows the rapid assessment of the compounds that are active and stable.

The researchers have identified certain drugs which can effectively inhibit or suppress the activity of AMACR. They have successfully developed a technique which will help to find this protein molecule and monitor the activity of the drugs within the cells as well as the tissues without affecting their normal activity.

Even though the research is still in its infancy stage and requires a certain time for clinical investigation, it’s certainly promising and will pave a new path in the field of cancer biology.