A drug developed by Hungarian researchers showed promising results in animal experiments, inhibiting the growth of skin and lung cancers and even achieving full recovery in breast cancer models. The joint development by the HUN-REN Natural Science Research Center (TTK) and Eötvös Loránd University (ELTE) could mark a new era in antitumor therapies, the HUN-REN Hungarian Research Network announced on Tuesday.
The results were recently published in the journal Molecular Cancer. In their study, the researchers explained how they “tamed” a highly toxic anti-cancer compound, pyrrolino-daunorubicin, by encapsulating it in a liposomal nanocarrier. The compound, named LiPyDau (liposomal pyrrolino-daunorubicin), demonstrated extraordinary efficacy, surprising even the research team.
In animal experiments, the compound successfully inhibited tumor growth in six different cancer models, including melanoma and lung cancer. In a hereditary breast carcinoma model, it induced full recovery.
“A particularly remarkable finding is that LiPyDau proved effective even against drug-resistant tumors, where currently used clinical agents show little to no response,” the researchers wrote.
Kristóf Hegedüs (HUN-REN TTK), who worked on the synthesis of the compound under the leadership of Gábor Mező (ELTE), explained that once they recognized the molecule’s potential, they developed techniques to produce it in sufficient quality and quantity, paving the way for animal testing.
The pyrrolino-daunorubicin molecule is a thousand times more toxic to cancer cells than conventional agents, but the challenge was administering it to experimental animals without harming healthy tissues. “That’s when the idea of liposomal encapsulation came up, protecting healthy cells while allowing targeted accumulation in the tumor. That’s how LiPyDau was born,” said Szilárd Tóth (HUN-REN TTK), who led the compound’s testing on cell lines.
According to one of the study’s first authors, András Füredi (HUN-REN TTK), this is not only an effective drug but, based on their experience and literature data, one of the most potent antitumor compounds ever tested in mice. “We have been developing cancer therapies for fifteen years, but we have never seen such a significant effect. A single dose of LiPyDau cured the experimental animals,” he emphasized.
The research is the result of extensive collaboration among multiple groups within HUN-REN TTK. Besides Gergely Szakács’ team, the work of Zoltán Varga, Pál Szabó, and Dávid Szüts’ research units was essential for the development and testing of LiPyDau, while Csaba Magyar performed in silico modeling of the molecule. The collaborating teams worked closely on the project for nearly a decade.
Gergely Szakács (TTK), lead researcher of the project, highlighted the exemplary domestic collaboration. Partners included the National Laboratory of Drug Development, the HUN-REN Energy Science Research Center, Óbuda University, the University of Pécs, the National Institute of Oncology, and the Medical and Veterinary Universities of Vienna. The research was also supported by Kineto Lab Ltd., one of Hungary’s leading oncology development companies, with whom clinical trials of LiPyDau are already being planned.
Further studies are still needed to determine whether these promising results can be translated into clinical use.
When asked about when patients might benefit from LiPyDau and the possibility of the experimental drug reaching clinical practice, Attila Kigyós, founder and CEO of Kineto Lab Ltd., said: “LiPyDau is by far the most effective antitumor compound we have tested in the company’s history. We must do everything to develop it to a level suitable for clinical trials or to attract the interest of a major pharmaceutical company to acquire and develop it as an oncology product.” He believes LiPyDau has strong potential to become one of Hungary’s homegrown cancer drugs.
