ANTI-CANCER DRUG HAILED AS MAJOR BREAKTHROUGH

A NEW anti-cancer drug developed by scientists from the University of Ulster is being described as a major breakthrough in the race to find an effective treatment for the disease.

The novel drug, called AQ4N, works by destroying ‘hypoxic’ cancer cells, which are often unaffected by conventional treatments such as chemotherapy or radiation therapy. Tumours develop hypoxic cells when blood supply to the growing malignancy is compromised, leading to certain cancer cells becoming starved of oxygen. The development of such compounds, which can specifically target these cells, is currently receiving great interest from the medical community.

Dr Stephanie McKeown of the Radiation Science Research team at the University’s Jordanstown, described the treatment as “potentially a major breakthrough”, following ten years of work by the University of Ulster team in tandem with experts from the University of London.

Funded by the Ulster Cancer Foundation and the UK Cancer Research Campaign, the drug has been developed and implemented at the University of Ulster, and will now enter clinical trials at Leicester Royal Infirmary and the Churchill Hospital in Oxford. (CL)