Dr. Bendell on Hsp90 Inhibition in Advanced Solid Tumors

Johanna Bendell, MD, Director of GI Cancer Research Program, Associate Director, Drug Development Program, Sarah Cannon Research Institute, discusses the inhibition of heat shock protein 90 (Hsp90) in advanced solid tumors.

Hsp90 is a valuable target for anti-cancer therapies, as it allows for growth factors to live and cancer cells to not undergo apoptosis. Bendell says that by blocking Hsp90, the growth mechanism of action can be stopped and, in combination with cytotoxic chemotherapy, could produce even greater beneficial outcomes.

A phase I study analyzed the Hsp90 inhibitor AUY922 in combination with capecitabine in all patient populations with advanced solid tumors who could see benefit from capecitabine. Among the four patients that saw partial response (pancreatic cancer, breast cancer, and two with colon cancer), two of those patients were previously refractory to fluorouracil. This suggests that Hsp90 inhibition may reverse the effect of chemotherapy resistance. Though the data is preliminary, Bendell views it as a promising outlook.