Researchers have discovered a new therapeutic target, PHIP, for cancers driven by SWI/SNF mutations, including aggressive pediatric rhabdoid tumors. These cancers are hard to treat because the mutations remove tumor-suppressor proteins, leaving no direct target.
The team found that PHIP is essential for cancer cell survival when SWI/SNF is lost. Normally, SWI/SNF activates genes while the NuRD complex silences them. PHIP helps balance these forces, preventing NuRD from shutting down genes needed for growth. In SWI/SNF-mutant cancers, PHIP becomes critical, making it a potential drug target.
Although no PHIP-targeting drugs exist yet, chemical inhibitors could be developed based on this research. Because PHIP is often overexpressed in other cancers and linked to poor outcomes, targeting it could benefit a wide range of patients, offering a promising new strategy for cancers that currently lack effective treatments.