When experienced researcher Renato Aguilera stumbled upon the chemical structure of a well-known antimalarial drug, he believed it could be effectively used to combat cancer. His belief proved to be true, and he has the research, patent, and pharmaceutical company to back it up.
Coming to the United States from Mexico at the age of 15 with little English proficiency, Aguilera persevered and not only earned a bachelor’s and master’s degree in microbiology from the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) but also a PhD from the University of California at Berkeley. He is now known as Dr. Renato Aguilera, with his own Wikipedia page.
Building on his vast knowledge and experience, particularly in immunology, molecular and cell biology, and cancer research, Aguilera’s fortuitous encounter with the antimalarial drug pyronaridine (PND) at a UTEP seminar in 2017 led to a groundbreaking discovery.
“Louis Pasteur said, ‘Chance favors the prepared mind,’” Aguilera commented on this pivotal moment in his career. “When I examined the drug’s structure closely, I recognized its potential to target cancer cells. Years later, the granting of the patent brings us closer to utilizing this drug for patient care.”
Following Aguilera’s realization of pyronaridine’s potential, he collaborated with then-doctoral student, now PhD holder, Paulina Villaneuva, and other researchers to study the drug’s impact on cancer cells. Their research revealed that in laboratory tests, pyronaridine impeded cancer growth and initiated the programmed death (apoptosis) pathway in various cancer cells, including lung, breast, ovarian, lymphoma, melanoma, and multiple myeloma, while sparing non-cancerous cells. Their findings were published in PLOS One in 2018.
“With pyronaridine, we have the trifecta: slowed growth of cells, programmed cell death, and minimal impact to healthy cells,” Aguilera stated. “In the future, this drug could potentially be used in combination with immunotherapy to expedite the process of eradicating cancer cells.”
As the Director of the Border Biomedical Research Center’s (BBRC) Cellular Characterization and Biorepository (CCB), part of UTEP’s College of Science, Aguilera facilitated high-throughput screening for drugs that target cancer cells. Why the focus on cancer? In a 2023 interview with Dr. Keith Pannell and Miguel Morales on KTEP, UTEP’s radio station, Aguilera openly shared his motivations:
“And the question that people ask me, ‘Why would you want to do that?,’” he stated. “And I go, ‘Because I think that’s probably what I’m going to die from, and I would like to at least contribute to finding drugs that can cure me or cure my friends.’”
To achieve this goal, Aguilera applied for and obtained a patent for the repurposed pyronaridine in collaboration with Armaceutica, Inc., a company dedicated to developing cancer drugs, where Aguilera serves as the Chief Scientific Officer. Villaneuva, his former research partner and now a postdoctoral scholar at the NanoScience Technology Center at the University of Central Florida, takes pride in her contribution to the research and in helping Aguilera reach this milestone.
“Witnessing the dedication invested in this research pay off is incredible,” Villanueva expressed. “Research opens doors to countless opportunities, and while personalized medicine isn’t universally applicable, the drug pyronaridine could be a breakthrough for some. The journey is far from over – there’s still much work to be done – but securing the patent for the drug marks a significant achievement that will drive future advancements.”
Source: UTEP
