Jennifer Grandis and colleagues have reported a Phase 0, first-in-human trial of a signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) decoy oligonucleotide. The decoy was injected directly into head and neck squamous cell carcinomas (HNSCCs) while patients were under anaesthesia ahead of resection of the tumour. Levels of STAT3-target genes were reduced in the injected tumours compared with saline controls. A chemically modified cyclic STAT3 decoy, which is more stable and can be injected intravenously, showed anticancer activity and inhibition of STAT3-target genes in mice.
ORIGINAL RESEARCH PAPER
Sen, M. et al. First-in-human trial of a STAT3 decoy oligonucleotide abrogates target gene expression in head and neck tumors: implications for cancer therapy. Cancer Discov. 20 Jun 2012 (doi:10.1158/2159-8290.CD-12-0191)
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McCarthy, N. First STAT forward. Nat Rev Cancer 12, 511 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1038/nrc3335
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/nrc3335