Novel drug confirms NSD2 protein as therapeutic target in lung and pancreatic cancers
MD Anderson Research Highlight August 07, 2025
Studies have shown that the NSD2 protein fuels cancer growth, particularly in difficult-to-treat cancers with KRAS mutations, suggesting it has potential as a therapeutic target. A new multi-institutional study led by , confirmed that NSD2 can be targeted with a new drug. Blocking NSD2 effectively reprogrammed the DNA structure, which reversed and prevented new cancer growth in preclinical models of KRAS-mutant lung and pancreatic cancers. The NSD2 inhibitor alone improved survival and, when combined with the KRAS inhibitor sotorasib, resulted in tumor regression and complete elimination. These results provide insights into NSD2¡¯s role in driving cancers and support further evaluation of the novel NSD2 inhibitor drug used in this study. Formerly known as IACS-17817, the new drug was developed with collaboration between Mazur¡¯s lab and the at MD Anderson. Learn more in .
Targeting NSD2 offers a promising new approach to disrupt the mechanisms driving lung and pancreatic cancers, two of the most intractable malignancies.