NZ-led team eye exciting new breast cancer drug

A Kiwi-led project could create a new generation of drugs to combat the biggest killer of breast cancer patients.

Each year in New Zealand about 3000 women and 20 men are told they have breast cancer, and the main cause of death is the spread of primary tumours through the body.

In the past 15 years, there have been nearly 40 phase-three clinical trials of drugs to counter this incurable process, called metastasis.

Yet, just a dozen of those drugs were approved, of which only four had been supported by results showing longer survival times.

Dr Olga Zubkova, of Victoria University of Wellington’s Ferrier Research Institute, suspects a breakthrough could lie in an enzyme that plays an influential role in metastasis.

Heparanase weakens the “glue” that holds cells together, enabling cancer cells to escape through tissue barriers. “This means the primary tumour can grow faster, enter the circulation and spread to remote parts of the body, becoming very difficult to treat,” Zubkova said.

“This tissue invasion makes heparanase a promising drug target.”

Zubkova has been investigating heparanase using funding from the Breast Cancer Foundation and the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment’s Endeavour Fund.

“Our research aims to combat heparanase by developing a new generation of anti-cancer drugs that inhibit the enzyme,” she explained.

“Standard anti-cancer drugs kill rapidly dividing cancer cells but also affect normal cells and have adverse toxic side effects.

“Our goal is to contribute an important new drug to the mix, but one with lower side effects.”

After seven years of groundwork, she is finally focusing on bringing her promising innovation to fruition.

The project brings together an impressive team of experts from across New Zealand, as well as Canada, Israel, Singapore and Britain.

One team led by Victoria University’s Emeritus Professor John Miller will test the compounds in human breast cancer cell lines.

Zubkova expects the project will also help those battling prostate, liver and brain cancers.