New drug stops tumour growth
February 15th, 2010 - 12:37 pm ICT by IANSWashington, Feb 15 (IANS) A novel and rapid anti-cancer drug development strategy has resulted in a new drug that stops kidney and pancreatic tumours from growing in mice.
Researchers at the Moores Cancer Centre, University of California, San Diego (UCSD), have found a drug that binds to a molecular ’switch’ found in cancer cells and cancer-associated blood vessels to keep it ‘off’.
“We locked the kinase switch in the off position in cancer and in tumour-associated blood vessels,” which differs from the way current inhibitors attempt to block active kinases, said David Cheresh, professor of pathology at UCSD School, who led the study.
The new approach employs scaffold-based chemistry combined with supercomputer technology, allowing rapid screening and development of drugs that are more selective for the tumour.
The development and screening processes were used to identify potential drug candidates able to halt a growth signalling enzyme, or kinase, which can foster tumour blood vessel and tumour growth.
The novel approach may become a useful strategy in cancer drug development, said a UCSD release.
The study appeared online in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
- Boffins identify 'gas pedal', 'brake' for uncontrolled cell growth - Aug 02, 2010
- Novel method might help block for tumour growth - Mar 15, 2011
- Molecular signature may tell which cancer patients will respond to therapy - Sep 07, 2009
- Scientists identify four anti-cancer compounds - Nov 30, 2011
- Adopting 'synthetic lethality' could boost molecularly targeted cancer therapy - Sep 22, 2010
- Scientists find new way to 'starve' cancer cells - Apr 05, 2011
- Drug that reverses resistance to chemotherapy identified - Sep 25, 2009
- Molecular switch that helps pancreatic cancer beat drugs identified - Jan 29, 2010
- Wonder drug could kill all types of cancer - Jun 27, 2011
- Cancer drugs offer new hope for Crohn's disease and sarcoidosis - Dec 01, 2010
- Anti-cancer drugs help in building, not destroying blood vessels - Nov 10, 2008
- Novel immune therapy for pancreatic cancer discovered - Mar 25, 2011
- Tumours capable of making their own blood vessels: Study - Nov 22, 2010
- Drugs checkmating cancer may combat resistant bugs - Dec 23, 2011
- 'Low oxygen levels drive cancer growth' - May 06, 2012
Tags: blood vessel, california san diego, cancer cells, cancer centre, cancer drug development, david cheresh, development strategy, drug candidates, kinases, molecular switch, moores, national academy of sciences, novel approach, proceedings of the national academy, proceedings of the national academy of sciences, rapid screening, scaffold, screening processes, ucsd school, university of california san diego