A research team including UNT biology professor Ron Mittler and adjunct professor Rachel Nechushtai made a major discovery that could help fight many deadly forms of cancer. The team determined a way to suppress a protein found frequently in five lethal cancers, therefore halting tumor growth. They discovered that Pioglitazone, a drug approved for the treatment of diabetes, can mimic a lab mutation that stalls future development of tumors. Clinical trials are the next step in the research. The team also hopes this new knowledge will be used to design a drug that exclusively fights cancers involving this protein, with few side effects.