Hormone Dependent Cancer

Scientific focus

Our research focuses on the histone methyltransferase KMT9 that plays a role in regulating gene activity and cell proliferation and is a potential therapeutic target for new treatments in prostate and bladder cancers, particularly in therapy-resistant forms like castration-resistant prostate cancer.
We have developed a selective inhibitor, KMI169, that blocks KMT9’s activity, inhibiting cancer cell growth in vitro and in vivo in animal models and suggesting that KMT9 inhibitors could offer a new treatment approach. Our methodology uses molecular analyses, transgenic mice, and knockout mouse models to investigate KMT9’s role in human diseases.