An innovative new drug being trialled to tackle certain cancers could also benefit patients with advanced prostate cancer whose treatment has stopped working, according to scientists.
Experts hailed the discovery as an “exciting step” towards tackling treatment resistance for patients with the disease.
The drug, known as NXP800, works by targeting the heat shock factor 1 (HSF1) pathway, a cellular protective mechanism that is hijacked to support the growth of cancer.
The pathway controls the production of heat shock factor proteins, which are overexpressed in many cancer cells, helping them to cope with stressful conditions as tumours develop.
A team from the Institute of Cancer Research, London, found NXP800 slowed the growth of prostate cancer cells, including those that had developed a resistance to the…