According to a new study published in the journal Blood, researchers working at the University of Leicester in the United Kingdom have successfully developed a drug capable of treating deadly blood cancers.
Used in clinical trials, the drug has changed patients’ lives, and some have gone from being desperate and tired to leading a normal and active life, the study team said in a statement.
The study included 90 chronic lymphocytic leukemia and non-Hodgkin lymphoma patients not responding to existing chemotherapies.
“These patients were confronted with a cruel reality: they had failed multiple chemotherapy lines and there were no other treatment options available for them,” said study author Harriet Walter, an expert cancer researcher from the University of Leicester. “This drug has changed their lives; from desperate and tired they are now leading a normal and really active life. This is hugely rewarding and encouraging.”
Exciting progress in cancer research
Scientists looked at the effectiveness of an inhibitor called ONO/GS-4059, which targets a protein essential for the survival and spread of tumor cells. The researchers said the success of this study should lead to the successful development of more combination therapies that can effectively target cancer cells.
“After just 48 hours of taking this tablet is was like turning the lights on,” one of the study participants said about the novel therapy.
“We are dedicated to offer the best treatment options to our patients and the development of targeted therapies that increase the chance of therapeutic success and at the same time avoid toxicities generally observed in chemotherapies, is the most exciting progress in cancer research,” said Martin Dyer, an oncology professor at the university.
“We are delighted that these results are due to the establishment of our Hope Clinical Trials Facility,” said Nigel Rose, chief executive of the Leicestershire research charity Hope Against Cancer. “Improved, life-saving treatment for the people of Leicestershire is why our charity was set up here locally and is exactly what we are aiming to achieve.”
The study team said their future work will focus on improving their results by using their drug in combination with other anti-cancer agents. Another team of researchers is working to see if cancer cells will build up a resistance to the drug and how to overcome that resistance.
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Feature Image: Thinkstock
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