Study: Protein Shows Promise as Treatment for Colorectal Cancer

A protein related to epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) may be an effective treatment for colorectal cancer, according to Wayne State University researchers.

The protein, ERRP, stands for epidermal growth factor receptor related protein. It regulates and stops cancer cell proliferation targeting epithelial cancer cells, and as a natural inhibitor, is believed less likely to face rejection by the body.

Reporting in the journal Gastroenterology, the researchers said they tested ERRP against colon cancer cells both in the laboratory and in mice.

They said ERRP resulted in an inhibition of cancer cell proliferation in the lab experiments, and injection of the protein into the tumor or subcutaneously produced a regression of tumors in the mice.

"We propose that epidermal growth factor receptor-related protein inhibits cellular growth by attenuating epidermal growth factor receptor signaling processes and is an effective therapeutic agent for colorectal cancer," the researchers concluded.

They said treatment with ERRP has the potential to lower the dose of standard chemotherapeutic agents, and that a phase I trial of ERRP could begin next year.

Other Sources: Gastroenterology