New experimental drug may help curb nerve cancer in children
Posted on: 06/Nov/2015 10:09:56 AM
Scientists in Australia have found a molecular feedback loop that supports neuroblastoma. A paper about the findings were published in the journal Science Translational Medicine. The loop accelerates cancer development at an alarming rate. Neuroblastoma is a cancer of the nervous system, mostly prevalent in children. Unfortunately, this cancer is normally detected in the advanced stage. The discovery is critical to the understanding and curbing of the disease. Even after intensive treatment, only half the patients survive the cancer.
The Children`s Cancer Institute in Australia has identified an experimental drug that may interrupt the loop and stop the progression of tumours. Currently, the drug is being used in adult clinical trials. According to the scientists, the drug may have the potential to stop the cancer at the embryonal stage itself. The drug is called CBL01371.
According to the researchers, Our laboratory tests tell us that CBL0137 is likely to be very effective against the most aggressive neuroblastomas, and indeed the most aggressive forms of other childhood cancers, and that is very exciting. But what is particularly exciting is that, in contrast to many other chemotherapeutic agents, CBL0137 does not damage DNA, and it is DNA damage that is responsible for the many unpleasant and serious side-effects that frequently affect children after they are cured of their cancer... We showed that maintenance of high MYCN protein levels is a key issue for this MYCN driven cancer.
