12:00 – 12:30 Milagros Buffa

Targeting MCL-1 and BOK Interaction: Hit Compound Optimization and Mechanistic Insights for Cancer Therapy

Finding new cancer therapies is critical to improve treatment options and increasing patient survival. Dr. Mar Orzaez’s laboratory has discovered a hit compound for a new therapeutic target. In the outer mitochondrial membrane, induced myeloid leukemia cell differentiation protein (MCL1) and BCL2-related ovarian killer (BOK) interact through their transmembrane domains. Our hit compound, MBoIN 179, disrupts this interaction and releases BOK to induce cell death. To optimize the structure of our compound and learn more about its mechanism of action, we are performing several structural studies. Additionally, as a high overexpression of MCL-1 has been observed in lung tumours, we are performing functional experiments on 2D and 3D lung cancer models with our hit compound, to highlight the potential cell death effect of MBoIN 179.