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Unlocking New Therapeutic Pathways: PRL1 and PRL3 in Tumour Growth and Cancer Immunotherapy
16 Jan 2025
Prof Qi ZENG, Senior Investigator, PRL-3 Phosphatase and Cancer Therapy
Researchers at IMCB, led by Senior Investigator Qi Zeng, have made a significant breakthrough in the role of PRL1 and PRL3 as lipid phosphatases in cancer progression. Published in Theranostics, this study sheds light on how these enzymes orchestrate macropinocytosis, a process that enables cancer cells to survive and grow in nutrient-scarce environments.
The Dual Role of PRL1 and PRL3
PRL1 and PRL3 (phosphatase of regenerating liver enzymes) were identified as key drivers of macropinocytosis, a cellular mechanism that allows tumours to uptake extracellular nutrients. This process is particularly critical for sustaining tumour growth in conditions where nutrient availability is limited. Beyond nutrient uptake, PRL1 and PRL3 also promote cell migration and invasion, highlighting their multifaceted role in cancer progression.
Therapeutic Potential: PRL3-zumab
A notable highlight of the study is the therapeutic potential of PRL3-zumab, a first-in-class humanized antibody that targets PRL3-expressing tumours. PRL3-zumab is currently undergoing multi-national (Singapore, USA, China, and Malaysia) Phase II clinical trials.
“PRL3-zumab has shown excellent drug safety in hundreds of cancer patients and shown promising drug efficacy in inhibiting tumour growth and improving patients’ quality of life,” said Prof. Zeng, who is also the founder of the A*STAR spin-off company Intra-ImmunSG: https://www.intra-immusg.com/.
PRL3-zumab offers hope for a new transformative solution in cancer immunotherapy.
Future Directions
This discovery opens new avenues for understanding how tumour cells exploit metabolic pathways to survive and proliferate. The identification of PRL1 and PRL3 as key players in macropinocytosis lays a strong foundation for developing targeted therapies against aggressive cancers while leveraging macropinocytosis as a potential vulnerability in cancer cells.
For more details, read the full publication in Theranostics:
https://www.thno.org/v14p3423.htm
https://www.thno.org/v14p3423.htm
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