FCF has recently awarded John Gordan, MD, PhD of University of California San Francisco (UCSF) a one-year grant to study “Selective translational inhibition as a treatment strategy for fibrolamellar liver cancer.”This proof-of-concept proposal will focus on testing for activity of an investigational drug zotatifin (eFT226) against human FLC tumors grown in mice. Previously, Gordan’s work found that zotatifin can inhibit the growth and may cause the death of human FLC cancer cells grown in laboratory culture.

This drug is being developed by eFFECTOR Therapeutics (Solana Beach, CA) and is currently in Phase I/II clinical studies as a potential therapy for a variety of cancers.  Zotatifin is designed to block a gene eIF4A. When this gene is blocked, the genes that cause cancer cells to grow and divide are not able to function.