UIC researchers develop aurB peptide that cuts prostate tumour growth
Updated
Updated · SciTechDaily · May 8
UIC researchers develop aurB peptide that cuts prostate tumour growth
4 articles · Updated · SciTechDaily · May 8
In prostate cancer cell and mouse models, the lab-made peptide worked best with radiation, shrinking tumours without clear toxicity and targeting ATP synthase in mitochondria.
The University of Illinois Chicago team designed aurB from auracyanin, a bacterial cupredoxin found through DNA sequencing of breast tumour samples, to bypass limits of earlier p53-dependent therapies.
Published in Signal Transduction and Targeted Therapy, the preclinical study has led to a patent, and researchers are exploring human trials and other tumour-dwelling bacterial proteins as drug candidates.
A new therapy wiped out 99% of tumors in mice. Can this bacterial-inspired drug overcome cancer's notorious ability to develop resistance?
Scientists are now mining tumor bacteria for cancer cures. What other medical breakthroughs might be hiding within our body's secret microbiome?
AurB Peptide Nears Clinical Trials: A Novel Mitochondria-Targeted Therapy for Prostate Cancer (2026 Update)
Overview
Researchers are developing AurB peptide therapy for prostate cancer by targeting the mitochondria, which are the energy factories of cells. Cancer cells have altered mitochondria, making them an ideal target for new treatments. This approach is based on a strong scientific rationale: by disrupting the mitochondria, AurB aims to selectively starve cancer cells of energy without harming healthy cells. The therapy is nearing clinical trials as of 2026, showing promise as a novel way to fight cancer by exploiting the unique vulnerabilities of malignant cells.