Researchers at Oregon Health & Science University have created a molecule called SU212 that blocks a key enzyme in triple-negative breast cancer cells. In mouse models, the compound reduced tumor growth and metastasis. The findings offer potential new treatment options for this hard-to-treat form of the disease.
Researchers at Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) have developed an experimental molecule named SU212, which targets triple-negative breast cancer, an aggressive subtype that accounts for about 15% of all breast cancer cases and lacks effective treatments.
The study, published in Cell Reports Medicine in 2025, details how SU212 attaches to the enzyme enolase 1 (ENO1), which cancer cells overproduce to regulate glucose and fuel their growth. By binding to ENO1, the molecule causes the enzyme to break down, disrupting the cancer cells' metabolism and limiting their ability to survive and spread. Tests in a humanized mouse model showed that SU212 shrank tumors and slowed metastasis.
"It's an important step forward to treat triple-negative breast cancer," said senior author Sanjay V. Malhotra, Ph.D., co-director of the Center for Experimental Therapeutics at the OHSU Knight Cancer Institute. "Triple-negative breast cancer is an aggressive form of cancer and there are no effective drugs available right now."
Malhotra, who joined OHSU in 2020 after roles at Stanford University and the National Cancer Institute, noted that the approach could extend to other cancers influenced by ENO1, such as glioma, pancreatic cancer, and thyroid carcinoma. "A drug that targets enolase 1 could help improve the treatment of these cancers too," he added.
The next phase involves advancing SU212 toward human clinical trials, which requires Food and Drug Administration approval and substantial resources. This mechanism may also benefit patients with metabolic conditions like diabetes, as ENO1 plays a role in glucose metabolism. The research received support from the National Institutes of Health, the Department of Defense, and OHSU funds.