Molecules Found to Shrink Solid Tumors

Researchers have developed innovative anti-cancer agents to treat solid tumors. These "small molecules” belong to a class of pharmaceutical agents called anti-angiogenics. The new compounds are an engineered form of drugs that have been found to successfully decrease blood flow to the tumor, thereby suppressing tumor growth.

The findings of the study were published in the July 5, 2006, issue of the Journal of the [U.S.] National Cancer Institute. "This is a novel class of drugs that increases the potential for good, effective treatment for cancer patients with tumors,” said Kevin Mayo, Ph.D., lead investigator and professor of biochemistry, molecular biology and biophysics at the University of Minnesota Medical School (Minneapolis, USA).

There is currently a protein anti-angiogenic agent approved by the U.S Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for clinical use. These new tumor-targeting agents were developed to mimic the functional part of an anti-angiogenic protein. However, because the compounds are not proteins themselves, they have the advantage of potentially being taken in pill form and being less costly to manufacture.

In animal studies with mice, the compounds suppressed tumor growth by up to 80%, and when used in combination with chemotherapy, the tumors basically disappeared. Even though the compounds proved effective against solid tumors, scientists believe they also have potential to treat liquid tumors, such as the kind found in leukemia and other blood cancers. "Our next step is to treat people with the drug in FDA-approved clinical trials,” stated Dr. Mayo.



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