WEST LAFAYETTE – Purdue University researcher Andrea Kasinski is developing a new class of cancer drugs using microRNAs, which are small, noncoding segments of RNA. Unlike traditional medicines that target a single gene, a single microRNA can downregulate seven or eight different genes that cancer cells depend on to grow and spread. This multitarget approach is designed to prevent cancer from evolving and finding new pathways to resist treatment.
Kasinski, the Walther Professor of Cancer Biology, has created a modified version of microRNA-34a that suppresses three specific genes—MET, CD44, and AXL—known to drive therapy resistance. This modified RNA is designed to last longer within cells and utilizes a delivery system specifically targeting cancer cells. The research is currently being advanced through LigamiR Therapeutics, a company founded by Kasinski to move these RNA therapeutics through the development pipeline.
The lab is also investigating other methods cancer cells use to thrive, including the study of extracellular vesicles. These membrane bundles are often hijacked by cancer cells to dump genetic material or communicate with other cells to drive disease progression. Additionally, the team is exploring how the protein KMT5C affects gene activation and drug resistance in non-small cell lung cancer. This research is a component of Purdue’s One Health initiative, which examines the intersections of human, animal, and plant health.
