This study presents a synthetic, peptide-based drug candidate derived from alpha-lactalbumin, which reproduces the tumoricidal properties of an oleic acid complex, named HAMLET, that has potent tumoricidal activity and allows for a full translation of these findings into the clinic. Through complementary nuclear magnetic resonance analysis and computational modeling, the molecular basis for this "gain-of-function" is defined, including the 3-dimensional structural motifs that determine fatty acid-binding efficiency and tumoricidal activity.
The therapeutic efficacy of the complex is demonstrated in patients with nonmuscle-invasive bladder cancer in a controlled clinical trial.