Dr. Ruth O’Regan and Dr. Vincent Cryns have teamed up to translate their lab discovery of metabolic priming into a clinical trial in patients with metastatic triple-negative breast cancer. They use a diet low in an essential nutrient methionine to prime the tumor cells to respond better to drugs that activate cell death.
WON will enable the research team to recruit patients throughout the state of Wisconsin and increase impact beyond Madison.
Upcoming trials
Drs. O’Regan and Cryns have received funding from the V Foundation for Cancer Research and the Wisconsin Partnership Program for a phase II trial of a novel targeted agent (ONC201) that activates cell death in metastatic triple-negative breast cancer. ONC201 will be given alone or in combination with a low methionine diet. The diet will consist of a medical food that lacks methionine and fruits and vegetables that are low in methionine.
This funded WON trial is still under IRB review and has not opened to accrual yet.