Approximately 70% of breast cancer cases are estrogen receptor-positive (ER+), making targeted treatments for this subtype particularly crucial.

In experiments, ErSO-TFPy not only shrank transplanted human breast tumors in mice but also showed no significant adverse effects during treatment.

Professor Paul Hergenrother, the study's lead, noted the rarity of such effective results from a single dose, highlighting that it's unusual for a compound to completely eliminate tumors in this manner.

The study, funded by the National Cancer Institute and the Cancer Center at Illinois, was published on January 22, 2025, in ACS Central Science.

Researchers at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign have developed a new drug, ErSO-TFPy, which specifically targets ER+ breast cancer cells.

Breast cancer remains a significant health challenge, being the most prevalent cancer among women worldwide, with 2.3 million diagnoses and 670,000 deaths reported in 2022.

The team previously synthesized derivatives of an earlier compound, ErSO, in 2022, which demonstrated improved potency and selectivity for ER+ cancer cells.

While the original ErSO compound effectively killed ER+ breast cancer cells, it was associated with undesirable side effects.

This novel treatment approach could potentially reduce the risk of long-term side effects associated with conventional therapies.

Despite advancements in treatment, breast cancer continues to be a leading cause of cancer-related deaths among women.

The new drug, ErSO-TFPy, is designed to minimize side effects by reducing circulation time in the body, although further testing is needed for safety and efficacy.

The research team believes that a treatment regimen involving just one or a few doses of ErSO-TFPy could revolutionize breast cancer care and significantly enhance patient quality of life.