St. Jude Researchers Identify New Cancer Treatment Target

Scientists found that targeting the METTL13 enzyme may help overcome drug resistance in KRAS-driven cancers.

Updated on Oct. 29, 2026 in Cancer

St. Jude Researchers Identify New Cancer Treatment Target

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Do recent discoveries in cancer protein synthesis make you more optimistic about future medical treatments?

Researchers at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital have identified the enzyme METTL13 as a promising target for treating cancers resistant to KRAS inhibitors. The study demonstrates that inhibiting this enzyme can suppress tumor growth without causing toxicity in healthy models.

Why it matters

KRAS mutations drive many aggressive cancers, but tumors often develop resistance to existing treatments. This discovery provides a potential strategy to block translation in these tumors, offering a new pathway for future therapeutic development.

The study revealed that METTL13 modifies the eEF1A protein at lysine 55, promoting the translation of codons within KRAS oncogenes. Knocking out this enzyme inhibited the growth of resistant tumors in animal models without toxic effects on healthy cells.

The players

St. Jude Children's Research Hospital

This is a leading pediatric research institution based in Memphis that focuses on catastrophic diseases in children.

The details

By using proteomic profiling and single-molecule imaging, the team analyzed how the eEF1AK55me2-METTL13 axis influences translation elongation. Their analysis suggests that high levels of METTL13 activity are linked to worse prognoses in patients with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma and lung adenocarcinoma.

The St. Jude team published findings regarding ribosome structure in 2023.
Results identifying the role of METTL13 were published in Nature Cell Biology on October 29, 2026.

Health Landscape

This study follows a pattern set by the KRAS-inhibitor oncology landscape by identifying a secondary molecular mechanism that bypasses primary treatment blockers. The findings mark a critical step in overcoming the limitations of current targeted therapies for aggressive cancers.

While this discovery offers hope for more effective cancer therapies, it does not currently change existing treatment protocols. Future development of METTL13 inhibitors could eventually expand the range of effective options for patients with treatment-resistant cancers.

The takeaway

Targeting enzyme activity represents a sophisticated way to bypass the defense mechanisms that cancer cells use to resist standard drugs. This approach highlights how deep-level molecular research continues to be the primary engine for developing the next generation of cancer treatments.