Rae Lab Research
Learn more about the Rae Lab's work and impact.
Progress Thus Far
Mutations in the Estrogen Receptor 1 (ESR1) gene are present in over 30% of metastatic breast cancers (MBC) and drive resistance to all current anti-estrogen therapies. Protein degradation has emerged as a promising alternative drug strategy, particularly for cancer treatment. A class of these therapies, known as PROTACs, not only targets specific proteins but also eliminates them through degradation.
Dr. Rae and his team hypothesize that PROTACs designed to degrade both wild-type and ESR1-mutant estrogen receptors (ER) will outperform existing estrogen-targeted treatments and transform breast cancer therapy. In collaboration with fellow BCRF Investigator Dr. Shaomeng Wang, they have used state-of-the-art chemistry to develop several ER-targeting PROTACs and have identified promising lead compounds for evaluation in preclinical breast cancer models.
What's Next
The team will test the efficacy of their lead compounds both as single agents and in combination with CDK4/6 inhibitors, the standard of care in metastatic ER-positive breast cancers.
Successful completion of this project will lead to clinical trials aimed at expanding treatment options for patients with anti-estrogen resistant ER-positive metastatic breast cancer.
