On April 15, 2021 Race Oncology Limited ("Race") reported to share details of a recent scientific publication in the prestigious journal Nature Communication, confirming Bisantrene is a highly effective inhibitor of the Fat Mass and Obesity associated protein (FTO)1 (Press release, Race Oncology, APR 15, 2021, View Source [SID1234578162]).

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This independent work was performed by a research team at the University of Chicago led by prominent Professors Chuan He and Yu-Ying He, and builds on the original identification of Bisantrene as a potent FTO inhibitor by Professor Chen and his team at the City of Hope Hospital in 20202. Prof. Chuan He’s team was the first to identify FTO as a m6A RNA demethylase3 and its involvement in many cancers.

In this new work, the University of Chicago team has identified that FTO plays a critical role in the development of skin cancers caused by low-level arsenic exposure (which promotes tumour growth) and that Bisantrene-targeted inhibition of FTO limits the growth of these skin cancers in both cell culture and mice.

The importance of this work is highlighted by the ongoing replication crisis in cancer research where many of the most exciting discoveries have not been able to be repeated in independent laboratories4. Independent confirmation of Bisantrene’s ability to target FTO further supports the clinical potential of Race’s Pillar 1 program (ASX announcements: 30 November 2020).