Highly Specific L-Type Amino Acid Transporter 1 Inhibition by JPH203 as a Potential Pan-Cancer Treatment

Abstract

Accelerated cancer cell growth requires a massive intake of amino acids. Overexpression of L-type (large) amino acid transporter 1 (LAT1) on the cancer cell membrane facilitates such a demand, which is limited in normal organs. Therefore, LAT1 overexpression is ideal as a molecular cancer therapeutic target. JPH203, a LAT1-selective non-transportable blocker, had demonstrated LAT1 inhibition in <10 µM IC50 values and effectively suppressed cancer cell growth in studies involving several types of cancer cell lines and tumor xenograft models. A limited phase I clinical trial was performed on five different solid tumors and showed that JPH203 is well-tolerated and has a promising activity for the treatment of bile duct cancer. This review details the development and prospect of JPH203 as a LAT1-targeting cancer therapy.