Tropes

futurity_medicine 00305.txt

#2 drugs work better than 1 to stop cancer A new combination drug dramatically slows tumor growth in mice with few side effects. Researchers combined two drugs: a COX-2 inhibitor, similar to the one in Celebrex, and another drug that stops blood vessels from forming. The combined effect is much more potent than using either drug individually at higher doses, according to a recent study. ee been studying the effects of COX and seh inhibitors, both by themselves and in combination, for several years, says Bruce Hammock, professor at University of California, Davis, and senior author of a study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. e were surprised to find that the dual inhibitor was more active than higher doses of each compound, either individually or together. y combining the two molecules into one we got much greater potency against several diseases and completely unique effects in terms of blocking tumor growth and metastasis. LUNG AND BREAST TUMORS Both COX and seh enzymes control lipid signaling, which has long been associated with inflammation, cell migration, proliferation, hypertension, and other processes. COX inhibitors block production of inflammatory and pain-inducing lipids, while seh inhibitors preserve antihypertensive, anti-inflammatory and analgesic compounds. Separate COX and seh inhibitors were previously found to work together in reducing inflammation and neuropathic pain. After testing individual COX-2 and seh inhibitors the team synthesized the drug (PTUTB), the first combined COX-2/seh inhibitor. They then tested it against human lung and breast tumors, both in vitro and in mice. They found that the new drug blocked the growth of endothelial cells, which help blood vessels form. This reduced lung and breast tumor growth by 70 to 83 percent. MINIMAL SIDE EFFECTS his represents a new mechanism to control blood vessel and tumor growth, Hammock says, who notes that there were minimal side effects, including no cardiovascular or gastrointestinal effects. his is particularly important when administering COX-2 inhibitors, which have well-known cardiovascular risks. However, the added seh inhibitor appears to block COX-2 side effects. Though the research was focused exclusively on cancer, the dual compound could benefit other conditions, such as macular degeneration, Hammock says. f we move beyond cancer, this drug combination could block a number of pathologies, ranging from cardiac hypertrophy to neuropathic pain. The compound looks quite powerful for a number of conditions. Other researchers from UC Davis and UC San diego contributed to the study

< Back - Next >