Cancer treatment could soon be more effective due to a new scientific discovery.
Researchers at the University of Oregon found that an existing drug can be
used to target further genetic material within a tumour.
Cisplatin, an anti cancer drug derived from platinum and used in
chemotherapy, has long been used to disrupt a cancer cell's DNA and was
observed to "bind like glue" to the RNA in cut inside tumours.
"We found that the platinum was retained on the RNA and also bound
quickly, being found on the RNA as fast as one hour after treatment," said
Victoria DeRose, a chemist who worked on the study.
She now believes the drug could be tailored to become more or less reactive
to certain types of RNA and thus help reduce tumour size.
According to Cancer Research UK, somebody is diagnosed with some form of the
disease every two minutes in the UK.
© Adfero Ltd
Cancer treatment news : 24 November 2011
