Project title: PRMT5 inhibitor: next option for neuroendocrine tumors?
Thomas Walter, MD, PhD Cancer Research Center of Lyon
- Status: Active
- Year(s): 2025
- Grant Type: Pilot
- Research Type: Translational
- Primary Tumor Site: Multiple
- Area of Inquiry: Diagnostic, Biomarkers, Uncovering the molecular and genetic basis of NETs
What critical neuroendocrine cancer problem/question will researchers try to answer?
Current treatments for advanced neuroendocrine tumors are limited, making the search for new therapies urgent. Our project addresses a key therapeutic challenge: identifying effective, biomarker-guided treatments for neuroendocrine tumors (NETs). These researchers are focusing on two proteins, MTAP and PRMT5, that play key roles in cancer cell survival.
Why is this important?
Many NETs, especially those in the small intestine, lack MTAP, which may make them especially vulnerable to drugs that block PRMT5. We aim to evaluate the antitumor potential of a new therapeutic class, PRMT5 inhibitor, and investigate whether MTAP protein expression could serve as a predictive biomarker to guide patient selection. In simple terms, targeting PRMT5 could kill tumor cells while sparing healthy ones.
What will the researchers do?
This project will test PRMT5-blocking drugs in the lab, both alone and in combination with existing treatments, and study how they affect tumor growth and behavior. To ensure the findings are relevant for real patients, the team will analyze over 400 tumor samples to see how MTAP and PRMT5 levels vary across different NETs.
How might this improve the treatment of NETs?
Our study could pave the way for more personalized and effective treatments for NET patients, with real potential for clinical implementation in the near future.
Additional Details
- City: Lyon
- Country: France
- Grant Duration: 1 year
- Sponsor: The Family and Friends of Diamond Brown, In Loving Memory
DISCLAIMER
NETRF funds laboratory research to understand the development of neuroendocrine tumors and translational research to explore new concepts in treatment. Research grant descriptions and research updates from NETRF are not intended to serve as medical advice. It can take years for research discoveries to be fully validated and approved for patient care. Always consult your health care providers about your treatment options.