Jeonbuk National University (JBNU) graduate students in the School of Dentistry have identified that a specific protein plays a decisive role in cancer development. They also provided foundational data for cancer prevention and anticancer drug development.

The protagonists are second-year PhD candidates Shin Ji-ae and Choi Eun-sun in the Department of Oral Pathology, School of Dentistry. They elucidated the role of the protein Mcl-1 in tumorigenesis in oral cancer and prostate cancer, respectively, and clarified the anticancer mechanism targeting it.

Through this research, Shin Ji-ae published a paper titled 'Study on the Anticancer Efficacy of Mithramycin A Targeting Myeloid Cell Leukemia-1 in Oral Cancer and the Molecular Mechanism Related to Bax Activation' in the January issue of the international journal Molecular Pharmacology (impact factor 4.9).

Similarly, Choi Eun-sun published a paper titled 'Study on the Potential of Myeloid Cell Leukemia-1 as a Molecular Target for Mithramycin A Inducing Cell Death in Androgen-Independent Prostate Cancer' in the January 2013 issue of Cancer Letters (impact factor 4.3).

The study confirmed that overexpression of the Mcl-1 protein is closely associated with tumorigenesis.

The research team used the anticancer agent Mithramycin A and siRNA technology to suppress Mcl-1 expression, and observed anticancer efficacy in oral and prostate cancer cell lines and animal models.

This suggests that Mcl-1 could serve as a therapeutic target in oral and prostate cancer, and the findings are evaluated as providing foundational data for the development of anticancer drugs through inhibition of this protein.

Shin Ji-ae and Choi Eun-sun stated, "By revealing a new molecular signaling mechanism related to Mcl-1 regulated by Mithramycin A, this study is expected to contribute to the future prevention and treatment of oral and prostate cancer. We will continue advanced research to contribute to cancer prevention and therapeutic development."

Meanwhile, Shin Ji-ae has authored 17 SCI(E) papers (9 as first author, 8 as co-author), and Choi Eun-sun has authored 16 SCI(E) papers (5 as first author, 11 as co-author). Both have distinguished themselves in research, receiving multiple outstanding paper awards while enrolled in graduate school.