MethylX

Gene therapy for undruggable transcription factors in cancer

Problem

Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men and one of the leading causes of cancer-related deaths worldwide. While existing therapies are effective in the early stages, about 10% of patients progress to metastatic, highly malignant disease that becomes resistant to current treatments. Therefore, developing innovative and effective therapies for prostate cancer remains a critical priority.

Solution

The transcription factor ERG, deemed as undruggable, plays a key role in prostate cancer progression. We discovered that ERG is methylated at lysine 362, endowing it with a unique signature that can be exploited therapeutically. Leveraging this finding, we designed a mini-antibody specific for methylated ERG that when delivered via DNA, effectively inhibits ERG activity and prostate cancer growth.

Core technology

Our platform seamlessly integrates advanced computational methods and innovative lab techniques to uncover post-translational modifications that transform undruggable proteins into therapeutic targets. This enables the design of mini-antibody therapeutics that selectively target these modifications, paving the way for a novel precision medicine strategy in cancer treatment.