Two Greek scientists cited a team of researchers who found an active ingredient in eye drops that has great potential for treating aggressive forms of blood cancer.
Researchers from the University of Nottingham worked at the University of Nottingham. George directed research Vassilou and Dr. Konstantinos Tzelepis and other collaborators, who found that the compound that targets an essential cancer gene can kill leukemia cells without harming non-leukemic blood cells.
Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is a form of blood cancer that affects people of all ages, often months of intensive chemotherapy and prolonged hospital admissions. It develops in cells of the bone marrow, which displace the healthy cells, and leads to life-threatening infections and bleeding.
Mainstream AML treatments have remained unchanged for over 30 years, with the current treatment being chemotherapy Cancer cannot be cured. A subtype of AML driven by rearrangements in the MLLgene has a particularly poor prognosis.
In a recent study, researchers from the Sanger Institute and their collaborators explored how inhibiting SRPK1 can kill AML cells and whether it has therapeutic potential in this disease. The team found that the compound strongly inhibited the growth of multiple MLL rearranged AML cell lines but did not inhibit the growth of normal blood stem cells. They then transplanted a human-derived human
"We have discovered that inhibition of a key gene with a compound developed for an ocular condition can halt the growth of an aggressive form of acute myeloid leukemia without harming healthy cells. This shows promise as a potential approach to the treatment of this aggressive human leukemia, "said Drs. Vassiliou, joint research director of Wellcome Sanger Institute and Wellcome MRC Cambridge Stem Cell Institute
"Our study describes a novel mechanism required for the survival of leukemia cells and raises the therapeutic potential of SRPK1 inhibition in an aggressive manner from AML. The attack on this mechanism may be effective in other cancers in which BRD4 and SRPK1 play a role, for example in metastatic breast cancer, "added Tzelepis, co-author of the Wellcome Sanger Institute and the University of Cambridge.
"As Dr. Vassiliou told me that SRPK1 is required for the survival of some form of AML, so I wanted to work with him immediately to see if our inhibitors could actually stop the growth of leukemia cells. The fact that the drug was so effective is a good indication of its potential development as a new leukemia therapy. It will take some time, but there are promising prospects for a new treatment for patients with this aggressive cancer. "Added Professor David Bates of the University of Nottingham and co-founder of the biotech company Exonate, the eye drops developed retinal diseases.
Source: newsbeezer.com