Researchers and UF Innovate | Accelerate startup founders find Highly Effective Therapeutic Strategy for Small-Cell Lung Cancer

Researchers and founders of UF startup company Dialectic Therapeutics have discovered a new way to treat small-cell lung cancer (SCLC). Medicinal Chemistry professor Guangrong Zheng, Ph.D. and former UF professor of Pharmacodynamics Daohong Zhou co-founded the company, which is finding innovative new ways to treat cancer.

Alongside other researchers, they found the proteins BCL-XL and BCL-2 can be targeted to help treat SCLC. Previous treatments targeted these proteins using navitoclax, an anti-cancer drug, which resulted in platelet toxicity.

This new treatment degrades these proteins over time, prohibiting them from contributing to tumor growth and reducing potential side-effects.

Dialectic Therapeutics is based in Dallas, TX and develops BCL-XL/2 PROTACs to treat cancer.

Read more about: Protac-Mediated Dual Degradation of Bcl-XL and Bcl-2 Is a Highly Effective Therapeutic Strategy in Small-Cell Lung Cancer.