A study by the Vall d’Hebron Institute of Oncology (VHIO) demonstrates that by combining drugs which had already been used previously, but became ineffective, they boost each other’s efficacy and at the same time overcome the resistance developed by the patient to each individual drug. This strategy could offer an unprecedented key to multiplying treatment options.

Barcelona, 19th February 2012.- After years studying the molecular bases of glioblastoma – the most common brain tumor and one of the most aggressive of all cancers, the group led by Dr. Joan Seoane , Director of Translational Research at the Vall d’Hebron Institute of Oncology (VHIO) and ICREA Research Professor has today published a study in Nature Medicine identifying USP15 as a critical protein in cancer which, thanks to its molecular characteristics, shows enormous therapeutic promise.

USP15 promotes tumor progression by activating the TGFβ pathway. Playing a highly significant oncogenic role in glioblastoma, TGFß is a powerful immunosuppressant allowing the tumor to escape the host immune system. It also acts as an angiogenic factor inducing blood vessels, promotes tumoral invasion, activates cancer stem cells, and in some tumors, induces metastases.

Co-author Javier Cortés, Principle Investigator of VHIO´s Breast Cancer and Melanoma Group, describes the CLEOPATRA (CLinical Evaluation Of Pertuzumab And TRAstuzumab) randomized trial, the importance and implications of the findings, as well as signposts future directions.