Research Focus

We discovered a new chemotherapy strategy using an inhibitor of the common protein cyclophilin in combination with proteasome inhibitors. Our data in prostate and hepatocellular cancer cells supports this strategy by amplifying proteotoxic stress, overwhelming pro-survival pathways, and forcing cancer cells towards apoptotic cell death without harming normal cells. A separate project is to identify FDA-approved drugs that when combined with growth hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH) peptide antagonist (discovered in the Andrew Schally laboratory) will improve therapeutic efficacy in prostate cancer. Initial results suggest the combination of PI3K inhibitors + GHRH peptide antagonists works best.