In a historic step forward for Indian oncology, a group of scientists and doctors have done the country’s first-ever integrative genomic and phosphoproteomic analysis of cervical cancer. The groundbreaking study, which included patient samples from Bihar, sheds light on why certain patients don’t respond to routine therapies and offers suggestions for better, more tailored options.
The research is the first in the world to do whole-genome and global proteomics-phosphoproteomics mapping of cervical cancer. It was led by PhD students Janani Sambath and Irene A. George and supervised by Dr. Prashant Kumar. Dr. Richa Chauhan, a top oncologist at Mahavir Cancer Sansthan in Patna, played a key role in putting these results to use in the real world.
Genetic and protein discoveries that help us understand resistance
The researchers used sophisticated DNA sequencing to find two important genetic changes that make treatment less effective:
An increase in the number of copies of the EGFR gene speeds up the proliferation of cancer cells.
The deletion of the STK11 gene, which usually stops growth.
These findings hold clinical significance as EGFR can be targeted with current cancer therapeutics, presenting a novel treatment avenue for patients unresponsive to conventional therapies.
The proteomics research also showed that the CSNK2A1 protein is a “master switch” in cancers that don’t respond to treatment. Blocking this protein with the medicine silmitasertib and a small amount of cisplatin in the lab made cancer grow much less quickly.
The study also revealed a new protein biomarker called STX3 that is always present at high levels in cancers that don’t respond to treatment. The Government of India has given a patent to the discovery of STX3.
International Recognition and Hope for Women in India
At the ESMO Asia Congress 2024 in Singapore, Dr. Prashant Kumar gave a presentation on the work, which earned the Best Poster Award. This award proves the research is good and strengthens India’s place in the world of cancer research.
Cervical cancer is the second most frequent malignancy in Indian women. It affects 14.7 out of every 100,000 women and kills 60,000 to 67,000 people per year. Only 1–2% of women ever get screened, which is still very low. This shows how much we need new solutions right away. The study team is now going to bring the combination regimens based on silmitasertib into clinical trials, which gives thousands of women new hope.