New publication in "NAR Cancer"

New publication in "NAR Cancer"

Platinum-based chemotherapy remains the cornerstone of first-line treatment for patients with advanced epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC). However, treatment resistance is a major obstacle for long-term success.

In a new study published in NAR Cancer, the team of Philipp Rathert in collaboration with clinicians at the LMU Munich identifies FLYWCH1, a zinc finger protein, as a critical regulator in the development of platinum resistance. We show that loss of FLYWCH1 not only promotes resistance in EOC cells but also correlates with poorer outcomes in patients.

The study reveals that FLYWCH1 is closely associated with chromatin regulation and gene silencing via H3K9me3. Its loss leads to widespread changes in gene expression and the derepression of repeat elements such as LTRs and Alu sequences, ultimately increasing transcriptional plasticity and enabling cancer cells to escape treatment.

These findings highlight the potential of FLYWCH1 as a biomarker for predicting treatment responses and as a new avenue for therapeutic intervention.