Become a member
Quick Registration
Full Registration Benefits -
Free Homepages for Doctors
Free Homepages for Hospitals
Free Homepages for Medical Conference
Free Homepages for NGO's
Personal Health Record Creation
Access to all Medical Slides
Access to all Jobs & Products Sale
Potency of Anticancer Drug Increased by Carboranes | |
|
| |
Researchers at the University of Missouri (MU)
have created a new drug that is ten times more potent than the current cancer
-treating drugs.
In a new effort, MU medicinal chemists added a special structure to an anticancer drug and developed a more potent medicine to treat the serious disease.
According to Mark W. Lee Jr., assistant professor of chemistry in College of Arts and Science, there has been an increasing interest in using carboranes in drug design.
Carboranes consists of three elements — boron, carbon and hydrogen—that exist as a cluster. Carboranes work by aiding the drug to bind to the target, thus creating a more efficient mechanism that can destroy the cancer cells.
All cells in the body produce energy through multi-step, complex processes. Cancer cells, which multiply uncontrollably, are more dependent on energy for survival. Therefore, one of the key features of a cancer drug is to target the energy that the malignant cell uses for its growth and survival. Lee and his fellow researchers used carboranes to create novel drugs that were designed to shut off energy production within the cancer cell.
By increasing the binding strength of a drug, only a smaller dose is required. Besides, side effects are minimized while the effectiveness of the therapy increases. Lee said that this discovery also would lead to further uses for the drug.
Another unique feature of the new drug is that it prevents the cancer cells from repairing themselves and reinvading the body like they do very often after radiation therapy or chemotherapy.
According to Lee, carborane-based drugs are extremely potent and were found to be very effective in treating breast, lung and colon cancer.
The study is the first of its kind to demonstrate how carboranes can effectively improve drug functioning and it hopes to find other ways for improving drugs for treating not just cancer but other diseases as well.
Clinical trials are to begin in the next two years and it would be several years before the drug finds its way to the market.
The present study was published in the Journal of Medicinal Chemistry, which is a publication of the American Chemical Society.
Source-Medindia
| |
|
|
 Comment & Contribute
|
Related Links
Surviving cancer with Naturopathy
Cancer survivors may hope to find relief with Naturopathy, a complimentary branch of medicine, that makes use of natural and safe ...
Quiz on Cancer
As the second most leading cause of death worldwide, Cancer is a global burden. But did you know that cancer could be cured, and that too completely? ...
Anticancer Drugs can be Developed from Chinese Medicinal Plant Extract
Scientists have suggested that a natural product isolated from a traditional Chinese medicinal plant commonly known as thunder god vine and used for ...
Health Watch News
Self-Reported Dietary Fibs Distort Survey Results
Do you get the urge to fib about your eating style or your diet behavior even if it happens to be on the survey form? If yes, then you are not ...
Reasons to Drink More Water
We all are constantly reminded of how important water is for our bodies, and that's for a good reason. Something that makes up for more than 70% ...
Women With Low BMI are More Prone to Endometriosis
Women who have a slim body are at a greater risk of developing endometriosis than women who are obese, suggests a recent study published in the ...
Eat Small Breakfast and Lose Weight Quickly!
Recently the scientists have contested the famous adage, "Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a pauper." ...
Micronutrient Enriched Wheat Steamed Bread is Beneficial for Diabetes Patients
Steamed bread made from a new purple grain wheat variety developed by Chinese scientists may help lower blood sugar, according to a study ...
Stroke Survivors Need Emotional Support
Stroke is a condition characterized by death of brain cells due to inadequate supply of oxygen to brain cells. It can be of two types-hemorrhagic ...
- Health News Index
- News Quick Links
 | News Central | | Health Watch | |
| Latest Health News | | Health In Focus | |
| News Category (500+) | | Breaking Health News | |
| Popular News | | Celebrating Life | |
| Health News and Press Release | | Medindia - Exclusive | |
| News Photo Gallery | | India Special | |
| News Video Gallery | | Lifestyle and Wellness | |
| News From Other Resources | |||
| News Categories: |
| » | Study Underlines Benefits of Linking Multiple Health Record Sources |
| » | $100 Monthly can Actually Pay for Health Insurance |
| » | Health Care Costs can be Reduced by ER Docs |
| » | Hospital Use and Costs Not Increased by Massachusetts' Health Care Reform |
| » | Preparation on for Health Care Revamping |
| More Insurance News | |
|
Ask an Expert
