Journal of Clinical Investigation

Center Director David Brautigan led one team of a multi-institutional project developing small molecule activators of protein phosphatase-2A , called SMAPs. The results were published on May 15, 2017 in the Journal of Clinical Investigation. (PMID 28504649) with an accompanying Commentary. These SMAPs are first-in-class drugs that activate PP2A, an enzyme tumor suppressor and inhibit the in vivo growth of tumor xenografts with mutated Ras. Another application of these SMAPs is for prostate cancer, causing reduction of the levels of the androgen receptor, and a separate article has been accepted for publication in Cancer Research.