Drug resistance is a critical reason for cancer treatment failure. Led by Prof. Larry Chow and Prof. Bill Chan at the Department of Applied Biology and Chemical Technology, a cross-disciplinary research team has developed a new inhibitor from Apigenin - a natural nutrient found in many fruits and vegetables, to prevent drug efflux. This Apigenin Flavonoid Dimer can prevent cancer cells from pumping out cancer drugs, developing multidrug resistance and lowering the efficacy of chemotherapy. This novel inhibitor was proved 10 times more potent with 10 times less dosage and three times safer than the best inhibitor available in the market.
This invention is supported by a global oncology specialist company, Kinex Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Kinex). PolyU and Kinex entered into a license agreement to develop oral versions of cancer drugs currently administered through intravenous injection so as to relieve patients from chemotherapy and reduce associated risks. The research team is also exploring a new strategy to increase dimer structural diversity so that a large pool of flavonoid dimers can be easily produced to match different cancer drugs. Details>>