FKBPL is a naturally secreted protein which inhibits blood vessel development in tumours, preventing growth, by essentially starving tumours of oxygen and nutrients. A biological drug, based on the active region of FKBPL, has been developed and is now in phase I/II clinical trial in ovarian cancer patients. Based on what we know about the biology of FKBPL, it is proposed that patients who have low levels of tumour FKBPL might respond better to this drug, as this drug could correct the deficiency in the levels of FKBPL and this could be a useful criterion for pre-selection of patients, in later stage trials, who are most likely to respond to this drug. Previous studies have established that tumour levels of FKBPL are prognostic in breast cancer; patients with low levels have a poorer survival than patients with high levels of this marker. Preliminary data also suggests that it might be prognostic in ovarian cancer. This research project aims to expand this study to assess the levels of FKBPL in tumours and serum samples from patients with ovarian cancer in order to establish whether FKBPL could be used as a biomarker in this tumour type.
