Adrenocortical carcinoma also known as adrenal cancer is a rare and aggressive cancer which spreads rapidly, recurs after surgical treatment and carries an overall poor prognosis for affected patients. Treatment options are limited to surgery, combniation chemotherapy and supporting therapy with a drug called mitotane. Even so, these treatments are limited by poor overall effectiveness and severe side effects, which limit quality of life. Therefore there is a pressing need for improved therapies to cure or even halt progression of these tumours.
We have shown that when heat >55 C is applied to individual cells from ACC tumours, they die. However, this type of heat cannot be easily applied to humans on a whole body (systemic capacity). Following heat application, cancer cells effect a protective mechanism by inducing proteins called heat shock proteins, in order to resist cell death. We hypothesise that by using drugs which stop heat shock proteins from functioning, we can lower the temperature effective in causing cancer cell death for adrenocortical carcinoma.
In this study we will treat individual cancer cells, grown in the laboratory with heat shock protein inhibitors, followed by heat application at temperatures between 37C (body temperature) and 55C. We will evaluate the response of these cells to the combined heat and heat shock protein inhibitor therapy. Our overall aim is to identify novel therapeutic approaches to treat this malignancy.