KRAS is a gene mutation in cancer cells, attributed to a protein found in around 20% of all cancers. Initially discovered in 1982, it was among the first cancer genes found by researchers. It is able to mutate and reproduce in a rapid fashion.
Having cancer cells with the KRAS mutation often provided an unfavourable prognosis, as medical scientists searched unsuccessfully for a treatment that could neutralise the protein. A solution eluded researchers for nearly 40 years, as the protein’s smooth surface prevented medication from effectively attaching itself.
This was the case for Karen, a mother of two and grandmother of one in the United States. Her diagnosis with lung cancer, and the KRAS mutation, was followed by treatments including chemotherapy, radiotherapy and immunology. However despite the best endeavours of her medical team, Karen’s cancer continued to grow.
Having explored all options, the launch of the trial for the new sotorasib gene therapy was her last hope.
The trial sotorasib therapy was based on early molecule research into compounds that inhibit the KRAS mutation in lung cancer.
Within a matter of months Karen’s cancer began to recede, with practitioners delighted as they watched it “melt away”.
The Lumakras tablet, which she takes on a daily basis, has been her lifeline. Now Karen can look forward to a happy future with her growing family.
As the American Food and Drug Authority has approved the treatment in the United States, there is also hope for many other lung cancer sufferers to access this life-saving therapy.
Read more about Karen’s story at https://www.abc27.com/news/health/how-a-new-drug-targets-lung-cancer-cells-once-considered-untreatable/. Photos courtesy of the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center.