London Researchers Unveil SYLVER Algorithm to Target Cancer’s Hidden Vulnerabilities

London Researchers Unveil SYLVER Algorithm to Target Cancer’s Hidden Vulnerabilities

(IN BRIEF) Scientists at the Institute of Cancer Research in London have developed an innovative algorithm named SYLVER, which analyzes data from over 9,300 patients to identify synthetic lethal gene pairs that cancer cells depend on for survival. Unlike previous approaches that focused on BRCA-mutated cancers, this new tool uncovers how various tumour-suppressor gene losses force cancer cells to rely on alternate, “backup” pathways, revealing hundreds of potential targets for drug development. Funded by Cancer Research UK, Breast Cancer Now, and Walk the Walk, the study paves the way for more precise cancer treatments that specifically target these vulnerabilities, potentially sparing healthy tissue and offering new hope for patients with treatment-resistant cancers.

(PRESS RELEASE) LONDON, 5-Mar-2025 — /EuropaWire/ — Researchers at The Institute of Cancer Research in London have unveiled a breakthrough algorithm, SYLVER, that could pave the way for novel treatments across a broader range of cancers. Building on the concept of synthetic lethality—where cancer cells are vulnerable when two gene pathways are simultaneously disrupted—this tool analyzes data from over 9,300 patients to identify new pairs of “synthetic-lethal partner genes.” While inhibitor drugs have traditionally targeted cancers with BRCA mutations, this study suggests that many cancers become dependent on backup genes when key tumour-suppressor genes are lost. Funded by Cancer Research UK, Breast Cancer Now, and Walk the Walk, the research not only deepens understanding of cancer’s survival tactics but also pinpoints hundreds of potential protein targets for drug development. Dr Syed Haider, Head of the Breast Cancer Data Science Team, explained that this extensive analysis reveals a widespread buffering mechanism, where cancer cells upregulate alternate pathways to survive, depending on which tumour-suppressor gene is compromised. Professor Chris Lord and other experts believe that these insights could lead to more precise, targeted therapies that attack cancer cells while sparing healthy tissue, offering new hope for patients with difficult-to-treat cancers. Support for the study also came from The Cancer Genome Atlas Research Network and the NIHR Biomedical Research Centre at The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust.

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SOURCE: The Institute of Cancer Research