Paul Workman has researched untreatable chordoma for years. Now new technology points towards to a potential drug to beat itProfessor Paul Workman was 37 and already well established as a medical researcher when his mother, Ena, died of a rare bone cancer known as chordoma. About one in a million people are affected by the condition, which is untreatable.“It was utterly frustrating,” said Workman, who later became head of the Centre for Cancer Drug Discovery and then chief executive of the Institute of Cancer Research, London. “Thirty-six years ago, there was little we could do to treat chordoma. There was little understanding of the disease and no drugs were available to help my mother.” Continue reading...
Professor Paul Workman, a leading cancer researcher, has made a significant breakthrough in treating chordoma, a rare bone cancer that claimed his mother's life. Workman, who felt frustrated by the lack of understanding and treatments for chordoma, led a team that identified brachyury, a protein crucial for chordoma's survival. Using the Diamond Light Source synchrotron, they discovered that blocking brachyury could damage cancer cells, offering hope for new treatments. This breakthrough could also benefit other cancers, particularly those involving metastasis. Workman's personal connection to cancer extends to his father, who died of bowel cancer, and himself, diagnosed with prostate cancer. His research not only targets chordoma but has potential applications in improving treatments for more common cancers.
