Tyrosyl-DNA phosphodiesterase 1 as a target in the treatment of non-small cell lung cancer

2021.10.26 | Graduate School of Health

On Friday 12 November at 15:00, Ann-Katrine Jakobsen defends her dissertation entitled "DNA phosphodiesterase 1 as a target in the treatment of non-small cell lung cancer".

Topoisomerase 1 (TOP1) is an enzyme used as a target in different types of anti-cancer treatment. TOP1 will be trapped on the DNA and thereby induce damages in the DNA. Such DNA damages can eventually kill cancer cells. However, the enzyme tyrosyl-DNA phosphodiesterase 1 (TDP1) has the ability to remove TOP1 trapped on DNA and thereby counteract this type of anti-cancer treatment. Increased activity of TDP1 might be the reason why some types of cancer respond poorely upon treatment with TOP1 drugs. This might be the case for non-small cell lung cancer.

The PhD project investigated the relevanse of using targeted treatment against TDP1 for patients with non-small cell lung cancer in combination with TOP1 drugs. This was investigated by measuring changes in TDP1 and TOP1 activity and protein between normal and cancer tissue in 150 patients with non-small cell lung cancer. These data were subsequently correlated to relevant clinical information. To be able to perform targeted treatment against TDP1, different newly-designed small molecular compounds were investigated for their ability to inhibit TDP1. The molecular compounds with the ability to inhibit TDP1 was then investigated for their ability to kill cancer cell when co-treating with an already clinical applied TOP1 drug.

The summary is written by the PhD student.     

The defence is public and takes place in Meeting Room 2, Konferencecenteret, Studenternes Hus, Fredrik Nielsens Vej 2-4, 8000 Aarhus C and online via Zoom. Please read full press release for more information. 

Contact:

PhD student Ann-Katrine Jakobsen

Mail: akj@clin.au.dk

Phone: (+45) 23356461

Read full press release