Press Releases 2006
German Cancer Award 2006 for Martin Göttlicher
Prof. Dr. Martin Göttlicher, Director of the Institute of Toxicology at the GSF – Research Center for Environment and Health. Photo: U. Baumgart
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Prof. Dr. Martin Göttlicher, Director of the Institute of Toxicology at the GSF – Research Center for Environment and Health, is awarded the German Cancer Award for “important contributions to the study of the development, diagnosis or treatment of cancer” by the Deutsche Krebsgesellschaft (German Cancer Society).
The Cancer Award 2006 will be awarded on the occasion of the German Cancer Congress in Berlin on March 22. Göttlicher and his colleague Thorsten Heinzel, Professor for Biochemistry at the University of Jena, will be awarded the prize for joint studies which led to a better understanding of a fundamental mechanism of the development of cancer. Based on this insight a new drug will be approved in the foreseeable future.
The knowledge that a drug used as an antilepileptic agent, valproic acid, has teratogenic side effect, i.e. it damages embryos in their development, was the starting point of their studies at the research centre in Karlsruhe and at the Georg-Speyer-Haus, where the two scientists had worked before. They were searching for the reason why a substance causes malformations during embryonal development, but did not cause any severe damage at later times of life.
“Our studies have shown that valproic acid in its function as a histone deacetylase inhibitor changes the 'packing density' of the genetic information, the DNA, thereby making the elevated activity of a multitude of genes possible, says Martin Göttlicher. "In the embryonal development this elevated expression of many genes results in the known malformations, the adult organism can apparently compensate better for them than the embryo", Göttlicher explains.
The fact that they decrypted the mode of action of valproic acid as a histone deacetylase inhibitor on the molecular level, however, was not the only merit of the scientists, but then continued their research by establishing a link with cancer.
In the field of tumor research it is established that many genes are apparantly up or down regulated in many types of cancer cells. "In some of them, inhibition of histone deacetylase, for example by valproic acid, causes the activation of genes – also by inhibiting the histone deacetylase – and can decelerate cell growth or kill cancer cells," Göttlicher explains.
Many histone deacetylase inhibitors are currently developed with the hope to obtain new compounds for the treatment of cancer. With valproic acid a compound is available now that has been used for long time in patients suffering on epilepsy. Based on this experience, the compound is available for studies with cancer patients to find out which forms of cancer can be treated in which compination of valproic acid with other entire cancer drugs.
Meanwhile clinical partners, for example at the Nordwest Hospital in Frankfurt and in Ulm, have already brought studies with valproic acid as an antitumor drug on their way. In Frankfurt a phase I/II study on dosage and tolerability is being conducted. In Ulm a group of scientists is studying patients with acute myeloic leucaemia in a phase II and phase III study to investigate the effect of valproic acid in combination with conventional and other innovative antitumour drugs. The results of the studies are looking encouraging at the present point in time and give rise to hopes that valproic acid will soon be established as a component in the combination therapy of cancer.
Further information:
GSF - National Research Center for Environment and Health
Department of Public Relations
Ph.: 089/3187-2460
Fax 089/3187-3324
Email: oea@gsf.de
Neuherberg, March 22., 2006