Painkillers Can Make The Cancer Cells Kill Themselves

June 21st, 2010 - 7:35 pm ICT by GD  

By Meena Kar
xiao_kun_zhangJune 21, (THAINDIAN NEWS) A recent research in the US claims that pain killers may help in triggering the process of cancer cells killing themselves. The researches found a link between the anti-inflammatory drug Sulindac to the initiation of cell death in cancer cells or apoptosis. The study was published in a journal called Cancer Cell and shows how Sulindac binds itself to RXRa which is a protein that carries a signal to the nucleus and turns genes on or off.

Xiao-kun Zhang, a senior author stated that the nuclear receptors are the best targets for the development of drugs. He added that 13 percent of the present drugs target nuclear receptors. However he said that some of their mechanism is not very clear.

Sulindac is a drug that targets the RXRa. In cancer cells the RXRa is modified into a truncated form and proteins are stimulated that help in the survival of the cancer cells. The action of Sulindac will therefore directly affect the cancer cells as now the distorted RXRa will be attacked by Sulindac. Sulindac’s quality of triggering apoptosis may help in killing off the cancer cells.

Dr.Xiao-kun Zhang had earlier found that a gene called RARb binds Vitamin A acts as a tumor suppressor and also studied how RARb prevents tumor development. Dr.Xiao-kun Zhang recent discoveries include a paradigm for destroying cancer cells with the help of a protein called TR3 or Nur77. The present research will open many new avenues in the field of Cancer research that is focused on the effect of the painkillers.

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