Validating RSK as a molecular target for the treatment of cancer

Relapses in cancer usually result in the tumour becoming resistant to chemotherapy. This leaves a treatment gap that needs to be filled for these patients. One such cancer is triple negative breast cancer, this type of breast cancer is very aggressive with a high death rate. Dr. Sandra Dunn’s research group want to find new drug targets which we can then find drug inhibitors to use in cancer treatment. One such drug target is the protein RSK, this protein has been implicated in causing drug resistance and giving patients expressing this protein in their tumours a poor prognosis. We currently want to test the concept that inhibiting RSK2 in triple negative breast cancer cells will reduce growth and make previously drug resistant cells sensitive to chemotherapy again.

Faculty Supervisor:

Dr. Sandra Dunn

Student:

Nicole Couto

Partner:

Centre for Drug Research and Development

Discipline:

Medicine

Sector:

Pharmaceuticals

University:

University of British Columbia