USA Health Mitchell Cancer Institute discovers new target in ovarian cancer cells, published in Scientific Reports, a Nature subsidiary

By Jessica Jones
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Scientists at USA Health’s Mitchell Cancer Institute (MCI) have identified a vulnerability in ovarian cancer cells that could pave the way for new treatments. The research, recently published in Scientific Reports, uncovers the role of a little-known ion channel — called ASIC2 — in driving the growth of ovarian tumors.

The findings suggest that turning off this channel could help stop cancer cells from multiplying.

“This is an exciting step forward in understanding how ovarian cancer cells thrive in the acidic environments that tumors create,” said Kevin Lee, Ph.D., assistant professor of research for gynecologic oncology at MCI, and corresponding author of the study. “By targeting ASIC2, we may be able to disrupt a critical pathway that these cancer cells depend on to grow.”

Ovarian cancer is one of the most fatal cancers affecting women, often diagnosed at advanced stages. The study discovered that ASIC2, typically involved in sensing acidity, is unusually active in ovarian cancer cells. It appears to work together with another molecule, PDE10, to fuel a cancer-promoting signal called β-catenin.

When the research team blocked ASIC2 in lab models using a compound called Diminazene, cancer cells began to die.

This new connection between ASIC2, PDE10, and β-catenin signaling offers hope for developing drugs that cut off cancer growth at the source — by disrupting the internal chemistry of the tumor.

With this discovery, researchers plan to study how ASIC2 behaves in real tumor samples from patients, explore new drugs that specifically block ASIC2, and work toward translating these findings into clinical trials.

“Cancer research is often about connecting the dots, and this is a major connection,” Lee said. “Every new target gives us another chance to develop smarter, less toxic therapies — especially for diseases like ovarian cancer, where treatment options are limited.”

Learn more about the research study published in Scientific Reports, at nature.com.

In addition to Lee, authors for the research include Tanvi Joshi, M.D., Sagar Chokshi, M.D., Mary Howard Singleton, and Elizabeth Catranis of the MCI; Annelise Wilhite, M.D., of Virginia Tech School of Medicine in Roanoke, Virginia; and Jennifer Scalici, M.D., of Emory University School of Medicine in Atlanta.

Nature is one of the world’s leading scientific journals, known for publishing high-impact, peer-reviewed research across the full range of science and medicine.