Research Breakthrough: At The University of Chicago, researchers systematically tested existing therapies to find an effective drug combination that shows promise as a treatment for ovarian cancer.
Scientists are looking for better ways to treat high-grade serous ovarian cancer, especially the cancer cells that survive standard chemotherapy (carboplatin) and lead to recurrence. In this study, researchers used a screening method that mimics the ovarian cancer environment and tested FDA-approved drugs to find combinations that work better together. They found that two drugs, when used together, were very good at stopping cancer cell growth in lab models, including in “sphere” cultures that often represent more resistant cells: navitoclax (which blocks certain proteins that help cancer cells avoid death) and YM155 (which inhibits a protein called survivin that also helps cancer cells survive).
When they combined navitoclax and YM155 with carboplatin and tested this trio in mouse models, they saw less tumor spread, fewer of the drug-resistant cells in the tumors, and longer survival than with carboplatin alone. This suggests that this drug combination may be effective for the treatment of chemoresistant tumors and improve outcomes for ovarian cancer.
Read more:
Navitoclax, a Bcl-2/xL Inhibitor, and YM155, a Survivin Inhibitor, in Combination with Carboplatin, Effectively Inhibit Ovarian Cancer Tumor Growth, published in AACR journals – Molecular Cancer Therapeutics, on August 1, 2025.
Ovarian Cancer Research Alliance (OCRA) Support
- This study was supported by OCRA’s 2019 Collaborative Research Development Grant.
- OCRA Grantee Co-Authors include Ugo Cavallaro, PhD, Fondazione Istituto Europeo di Oncologia e Centro Cardiologico Fondazione Monzino; Hilary Kenny, PhD, The University of Chicago; Ernst Lengyel, MD, PhD, The University of Chicago, and former member of OCRA’s Scientific Advisory Committee; and Wolf Ruprecht Wiedemeyer, PhD, Revolution Medicines.
