New experimental pill shows promising results in killing many types of cancer

[Alfonso Maruccia]

Bottom line: A drug capable of effectively treating multiple cancer types would be one of the greatest medical innovations in history. Scientists at City of Hope have been working for years on something that could bring us very close to such a revolutionary breakthrough.

Professor Linda Malkas and other researchers at the California-based cancer center City of Hope have dedicated two decades to developing AOH1996, a potentially revolutionary drug that targets a crucial proliferation mechanism found in many types of solid tumors. Currently undergoing human clinical trials, this drug could prove to be a highly effective therapy against one of the most formidable diseases humanity has ever faced. It shows promise both as a standalone treatment and in combination with other chemotherapy drugs.

Malkas said that most therapies target a single pathway, enabling 'wily' cancer forms to mutate and eventually become drug-resistant. AOH1996 has been designed to target a cancerous variant of the proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA), a protein that, in its mutated form, aids DNA replication and repair operations in all expanding tumors.

Professor Malkas likened PCNA to a "major airline terminal hub containing multiple plane gates," and data suggests that cancers rely on a "uniquely" mutated form of the protein. Armed with this knowledge, researchers at City of Hope – a network of US research centers focused on life-threatening illnesses – have developed a therapy to specifically target that particular type of mutation.

AOH1996 is a small molecule PCNA inhibitor that prevents cells with damaged DNA from dividing and multiplying. During lab tests, the drug was effective in inducing apoptosis (cellular death) in cancer cells while avoiding interruption of the reproductive cycle in healthy stem cells.

The researchers tested AOH1996 in more than 70 cancer cell lines and several normal control cells, obtaining very promising results against cells derived from breast, prostate, brain, ovarian, cervical, skin, and lung cancers. In addition to influencing the PCNA mechanism, AOH1996 was also found to increase the susceptibility of cancer cells to chemical agents that cause DNA or chromosome damage.

In other words, AOH1996 could theoretically be used as a monotherapy or in combination with other potent chemotherapeutic drugs like cisplatin. According to Long Gu, the lead author of the study and City of Hope's associate research professor, now that we have identified the problem area (damaged PCNA variant), we can further attempt to inhibit it and 'dig deeper' to gain a better understanding of the process.

Currently, AOH1996 is undergoing phase 1 clinical trials to study its safety and efficacy in human patients.

Permalink to story.

https://www.techspot.com/news/99638-new-experimental-pill-shows-promising-results-killing-many.html

 

[passwordistaco]

Phase 1 is not for efficacy. It looks at dosing and adverse effects. Efficacy is examined in Phase 3.

 

[p51d007]

As much as I would love to see a "cure" for cancer, I just can't see it happening.
The "big pharma/hospitals" make much more money TREATING cancer, than curing it.

 

[Linoleum77]

As much as I would love to see a "cure" for cancer, I just can't see it happening.
The "big pharma/hospitals" make much more money TREATING cancer, than curing it.

In the USA, yeah probably... Anywhere else in the world is another story.

 

[RudyBob]

As much as I would love to see a "cure" for cancer, I just can't see it happening.
The "big pharma/hospitals" make much more money TREATING cancer, than curing it.

You have bought into it. Without a cure treatment is the option. The treatments are billed as cures if they cause remission for X years. What I am writing is future cures (treatments) will be the same as past treatments (cures) and what they charge is fair. BIG Pharma has given me hundreds of thousands of dollars of cures and treatments over the years. The product of research has saved my life. Imagine what the research costs. Get off the treadmill

 

[kiwigraeme]

As much as I would love to see a "cure" for cancer, I just can't see it happening.
The "big pharma/hospitals" make much more money TREATING cancer, than curing it.

Lots of cancers have been cured - many haven't - cancer is just a catch all - some can be sampled and have a vaccine made just for you - so your body can now target that cancer - some you can not just do this

Gold standards are coming for simple important tests like for pancreatic cancer - with hopefully just a blood and/or urine test
I do think most cancers will be cured for our grandkids if not our kids

Add in DNA tests for drugs - to know if this drug we be good or bad for you - plus more machine learning to know doses , way to administer , when to administer - morning, evening , sleeping etc - how to best administer

For us boomers - most hope is better initiatives to pick up cancer early before stage 3 or 4 - Countries with the best scanning - have the best outcomes by far - though this must be countered by false positives - or yes you have like prostate cancer - let's do nothing - but regular PSA testing and finger probes - as why get ED, hormonal issues or incontinence as a risk

 

[Godel]

Phase 1 is not for efficacy. It looks at dosing and adverse effects. Efficacy is examined in Phase 3.

Phase I is mostly for safety testing on healthy, paid volunteers, although an ailment like cancer complicates this a lot because all the treatments may be toxic.

Phase 2 is mainly for dosing and checking efficacy. If a drug isn't showing efficacy in phase 2 then the the drug company won't go on to spend the 100s of millions of dollars that might be needed for stage 3.

 

[JamesBlond]

As much as I would love to see a "cure" for cancer, I just can't see it happening.
The "big pharma/hospitals" make much more money TREATING cancer, than curing it.

The cure is available, they just don't want the population to increase, so they say its not.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alfredo_Bowman
Research this guy, he is 1 of maybe around 4 others who are no longer here after finding the cure

 

[3volv3d]

The cure is available, they just don't want the population to increase, so they say its not.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alfredo_Bowman
Research this guy, he is 1 of maybe around 4 others who are no longer here after finding the cure

The population shouldn't increase.

 

[godrilla]

As much as I would love to see a "cure" for cancer, I just can't see it happening.
The "big pharma/hospitals" make much more money TREATING cancer, than curing it.

read between the lines they said you need a multi drug approach. This will just be added to the bill. Although monotherapy may work in theory as per article.

You have bought into it. Without a cure treatment is the option. The treatments are billed as cures if they cause remission for X years. What I am writing is future cures (treatments) will be the same as past treatments (cures) and what they charge is fair. BIG Pharma has given me hundreds of thousands of dollars of cures and treatments over the years. The product of research has saved my life. Imagine what the research costs. Get off the treadmill

I bet that humanity donates and contributes more to research and development. Daily reminder there is a whole month for Breast Cancer awareness. Simple Google search.

The event started as National Breast Cancer Awareness Month (NBCAM) in October of 1985. This was a partnership between the American Cancer Society and the pharmaceutical division of Imperial Chemical Industries to promote mammograms as the most effective tool to fight breast cancer. Let that sink in!
Big pharma is using the people's money they are just cronies. They will never release a real cure!

 

[WhoCaresAnymore]

Even though I am very pessimistic about this, I can't help but be hopeful. There are a lot of suffering people, and this is a slither of hope.

Just have to go to Canada to get it affordably. Nothing in the US is affordable.

 

[Ryan Barrett]

Don't be surprised, if some of these researchers mysteriously disappear or commit "suicide" The number one rule in life pretty much anywhere is "don't **** with the money."

 

[Theinsanegamer]

In the USA, yeah probably... Anywhere else in the world is another story.

See, people ALWAYS forget this part when climbing on the "the cure will never come out its a conspiracy" train. The US is the only for profit healthcare system out there, and it does fund a huge percentage of research, this is true, but the rest of the world still contributes and isnt under the same for profit system. Does one really think that the likes of china, russia, or north korea would comply with US demands to "hide" a cure?

Cancer is just one of those diseases that is a royal ***** to treat. Since it's DNA based and relies on hiding itself using your own immune system to feed it. As they stated in the article, even effective treatment can lessen as the tumor mutates to avoid them. The sheer difficulty in creating something resembling a universal treatment is incomparable to just about anything else.

Even though I am very pessimistic about this, I can't help but be hopeful. There are a lot of suffering people, and this is a slither of hope.

Just have to go to Canada to get it affordably. Nothing in the US is affordable.

And then you will come right back here because its better to be in debt then to die waiting 3 years for treatment. Medical tourism to the US is absolutely a thing.

 

[WhoCaresAnymore]

And then you will come right back here because its better to be in debt then to die waiting 3 years for treatment. Medical tourism to the US is absolutely a thing.

Of course, I have my Dr. here in the us. But I buy my prescription from Canada because my health insurance won't cover it. In the US it would cost me $1k a month. Through Canada I get for 200 a month.