UGR scientists patent an effective drug for treating breast, colon, and skin cancers

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2015-10/uog-usp102015.php

Public Release: 20-Oct-2015
UGR scientists patent an effective drug for treating breast, colon, and skin cancers
Reduced the tumor activity by 50 percent following 41 days of treatment
University of Granada

Scientists from the University of Granada (UGR) have patented an effective drug for treating cancer stem cells (CSCs) in breast, colon, and skin cancers. The researchers have proved the anti-tumor effects of the drug on immunodeficient mice.

The new compound and its derivatives enabled the researchers to reduce tumor activity by 50 percent after 41 days of treatment with the drug, administered twice a week, to mice with induced tumors. They have also managed to successfully describe the mechanisms by which the drug acts on the cancer stem cells (CSCs).

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One of the major advantages of the drug is that it is non-toxic. Despite being administered to the mice in high concentrations (150 milligrams per kilo), no adverse effects were observed in the healthy cells.

Moreover, from a pharmaceutical perspective this anti-tumor drug can be successfully produced in large quantities. The researchers were able to obtain the required amount of the synthesis in just five days.

In the initial phases of their research, the scientists had already managed to create an effective drug (called Bozepinib) for treating cancer stem cells, but the process involved in its chemical synthesis was lengthy and required a great deal of time to produce very small quantities of the drug.

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The two UGR groups behind this key scientific breakthrough have been working in this line of research since 1993.

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The drug directly targets CSCs without affecting the healthy cells, a huge advantagewhen compared to other cancer treatments such as chemotherapy. AlthoughCSCs are only found in small quantities in tumors, from a clinical perspective the ability to target them directly is of fundamental importance, given that they are responsible for originally causing the tumor, relapses and resistance to anticancer treatments.

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They must also complete further ADME-Tox ("absorption, distribution, metabolism, excretion and toxicity") studies of the compound's behavior within the organism, a necessary step before carrying out clinical trials.

In the last two months, the research project has received funding of over €124,930 from the public sector from the Ministry of Economy and Finance and the firm Canvax Biotech SL and €20,000 from the private sector.