Cancer

Patient sample, cell culture and mouse studies suggest inhibiting USP7 could help treat cervical cancer. In cervical samples from 20 patients, levels of USP7 mRNA were higher than in samples from healthy volunteers, and high tumor levels of USP7 mRNA were associated with poor survival. In two human cervical cancer cell lines, three shRNAs targeting USP7 decreased viability compared with a non-specific shRNA. In one of the cell lines, two USP7 inhibitor tool compounds decreased viability compared with no treatment. In a xenograft mouse model of cervical cancer, a USP7-targeting shRNA encoded in a lentiviral vector decreased tumor growth compared with a lentiviral vector encoding a non-specific shRNA. Next steps could include testing additional USP7 inhibitors in models of cervical cancer.

Progenra Inc. has the small molecule USP7 inhibitor P5091 in preclinical testing for multiple myeloma (MM)...