New drug raises hope of cancer treatment

A prototype cancer drug, which could help fight a range of cancers, has shown “promising results” in clinical trials.

Scientists from the Institute of Cancer Research found that the 17AAG drug selectively and potently blocked the growth of a wide range of common cancer cells.

The researchers say that the tests have “raised the prospect” of developing an effective new treatment against a range of cancers, including breast, prostate, bowel, kidney, ovarian and skin cancer.

The study, funded by Cancer Research UK, confirmed that the 17AAG drug works bio-chemically as intended in patients with a variety of cancer types.

The drug works by targeting and inactivating a crucial molecule called Hsp90, which helps to transmit messages around the cell, by helping to control the structure and function of a large number of other molecules, which are critical for cancer growth.

Cancer cells die without these molecules, but healthy cells are not affected by their loss, which makes the 17AAG highly targeted, and deadly, to cancer cells.

The drug acts like several treatments combined, scientists say, which reduces the chances that a tumour could develop resistance.

Lead researcher, Professor Paul Workman said: “The results of this research suggest that, by blocking the action of Hsp90, the drug has the potential to attack cancer by shutting down a range of systems that cancer cells use to grow and spread.”

The team gave different doses of the drug to 30 patients suffering from a range of common cancers and now plan further trials, looking at patients with a specific tumour type, to determine how effective the drug is at treating different kinds of cancer.

The UK team is already testing the drug in patients with malignant melanoma, while other teams in the US are examining patients with prostate, breast and kidney cancer.

Professor John Toy, Cancer Research UK’s Medical Director said: “What’s particularly exciting about this drug is that it targets so many different features of cancer’s machinery all at once, which should make it much more difficult for tumours to develop resistance to treatment.”

Professor Peter Rigby, Chief Executive of the Institute of Cancer Research, said: “Although further trials need to be conducted, early indications suggest that the multi-pronged attack by this drug shows promise in treating a range of cancers.”

(KMcA/SP)