NEWS A new cancer drug may be able to inhibit both tumour growth and the spread of aggressive prostate cancer. This is shown in a study conducted by researchers at Umeå University together with international collaborators, published in the scientific journal Signal Transduction and Targeted Therapy.
A new cancer drug may be able to inhibit both tumour growth and the spread of aggressive prostate cancer. The drug is carefully pipetted into test tubes to investigate its effects across a range of concentrations.
ImageUmeå UniversityThe new drug has been developed to prevent metastasis
“The new drug has been developed to prevent metastasis, and we are very pleased and proud that we have been able to identify the mechanisms that drive cancer cell growth, invasiveness, and metastatic spread,” says Maréne Landström, Professor of Pathology at the Department of Medical Biosciences, Umeå University, who led the study.
Prostate cancer is one of the most common cancers among men. In most cases, the tumour grows slowly and is not life-threatening. However, in some patients the disease develops into an aggressive form that spreads to other parts of the body, primarily the lymph nodes and bones.
The researchers, led by Maréne Landström, have developed a fully human antibody. This means that it is composed entirely of human proteins, making it suitable for use as a therapeutic drug. In preclinical studies, the antibody successfully halted both tumour growth and metastasis in an aggressive form of prostate cancer. The new treatment works through a novel mechanism of action, leading researchers to believe that the risk of side effects may also be reduced.
The results demonstrate that the treatment performs as intended, marking an important milestone in the development of a new drug for future patients.
Maréne Landström is senior consultant (attending) physician and Professor of Pathology at the Department of Medical Biosciences, Umeå University
ImageHans Karlsson“This is a promising step forward, but several important stages remain before the treatment can benefit patients. We still need to conduct additional safety studies, and the treatment must be approved by regulatory authorities in Europe or the United States,” says Maréne Landström.
The driving force behind this research is the ambition to improve the prognosis and quality of life for men with advanced prostate cancer. The current study has been ongoing for several years and, according to Maréne Landström, its success is the result of contributions from many individuals and organizations.
An important part of the project has been the collaboration with drug development experts at the SciLifeLab Drug Discovery and Development Platform, who contributed to the development of the antibody on which the study is based.
The project has also received support from the Umeå Biotech Incubator at Umeå University. In addition, funding from MetaCurUm Biotech AB, a biotechnology company based in Umeå, has been crucial for the development and testing of the new treatment.
“The next step is to investigate whether this treatment can also be used against other types of solid tumours. We hope that our work will ultimately contribute to the development of a new cancer drug that can benefit patients,” says Maréne Landström.
The study was funded by the Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation (KAW), the Erling Persson Foundation, the Kempe Foundations, the Swedish Research Council, the Swedish Cancer Society, ALF funding, the Swedish Prostate Cancer Federation, the Cancer Research Foundation in Northern Sweden, and the Faculty of Medicine at Umeå University.
Flodbring Larsson P, Schmidt A, Mu Y, Zang G, Song J, Gajavilli V, Tao J, Rakhimova O, Ericsson M, Aripaka K, Halin Bergström S, Yuan W, Bogdan D, Zhang AH, Welti J, Bergh A, de Bono J, Heldin CH, Landström M: Targeting oncogenic TβRI signaling inhibits androgen-independent prostate cancer growth and metastasis. Signal Transduction and Targeted Therapy. 2026 Jun 17;11(1):238. DOI: 10.1038/s41392-026-02737-x. PMID: 42303991. PMCID: PMC13272619
