Health and Wellness

Wonder pill that cancer patients take at home could help them respond to chemotherapy better, study finds

A pill that cancer patients take at home could help them respond to treatment better, a study has found.

Many sufferers have chemotherapy – which works by disrupting the way cancer cells grow and divide – to fight the disease.

But, in some patients, it is not as effective because the body’s own immune system acts as a barrier to protect the tumours.

Now scientists at King’s College London (KCL) have created a drug, known as KCL-HO-1i, which can disarm this defence mechanism. 

The researchers looked into the body’s immune system – white blood cells – which produce a protein called heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1). 

This can shield the tumour and block the effects of chemotherapy.

But the new drug KCL-HO-1i targets this protein and tests on mice showed it made breast cancer tumours more responsive to different types of chemotherapy.

The drug is designed to be taken at home as a tablet between chemotherapy sessions. 

Scientists (pictured) at King’s College London (KCL) have created a new drug KCL-HO-1i. Testing on mice showed it made breast cancer tumours more responsive to different types of chemotherapy. Pictured: James Spicer, professor of experimental cancer medicine, Miraz Rahman, professor of medicinal chemistry, and James Arnold, head of tumour immunology group

The researchers looked into the body’s immune system – white blood cells – which produce a protein called heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1). This can shield the tumour and block the effects of chemotherapy. But the new drug KCL-HO-1i targets this protein (file image)

The researchers looked into the body’s immune system – white blood cells – which produce a protein called heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1). This can shield the tumour and block the effects of chemotherapy. But the new drug KCL-HO-1i targets this protein (file image)

Professor Miraz Rahman, from KCL, said: ‘[This] could become a valuable companion drug to existing cancer therapies, helping more patients to benefit from the treatments that are already available and reduce the need for more aggressive cancer therapies in the future'

Professor Miraz Rahman, from KCL, said: ‘[This] could become a valuable companion drug to existing cancer therapies, helping more patients to benefit from the treatments that are already available and reduce the need for more aggressive cancer therapies in the future’

Scientists, who published their findings in journal Science Translational Medicine, hope trials on patients can begin within two years.

Professor Miraz Rahman, from KCL, said: ‘[This] could become a valuable companion drug to existing cancer therapies, helping more patients to benefit from the treatments that are already available and reduce the need for more aggressive cancer therapies in the future.’

The charity Cancer Research UK supported the study alongside funding from the Medical Research Council.

Tanya Hollands, from the charity, said: ‘Researchers are increasingly learning how to make better use of existing cancer treatments – whether it’s using them differently or in combination with new medicines. 

‘It’s exciting to see this potential new way to disarm cancer’s ability to avoid detection, while also boosting the effectiveness of chemotherapy.’

  • For more: Elrisala website and for social networking, you can follow us on Facebook
  • Source of information and images “dailymail

Related Articles

Leave a Reply

Back to top button

Discover more from Elrisala

Subscribe now to keep reading and get access to the full archive.

Continue reading