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By Jean Monday, November 05, 2007

I'm always on the lookout for promising new drugs. Especially drugs that address my one particular fear: Recurrence. Here's good news I got today from the Mayo Clinic. A drug called "2ME2 could benefit patients because this single drug essentially combines the effects of chemotherapy (which destroys cancer cells) and antiangiogenesis drugs (which destroy blood vessels that feed tumors)," states Muzaffer Cicek, Ph.D., a Mayo Clinic cell biologist in endocrine research and the corresponding author of the study. 


A key part of the study is in 2ME2's ability to induce cancer cells to self-destruct, a process called apoptosis. Cells have the ability to self-destruct when damaged or infected with a virus, for example. But if a damaged cell is unable to self-destruct, it can develop into a tumor. Other studies of 2ME2 tested in other cancers, show that 2ME2 could induce cancer cells to self-destruct. 

 

It hasn't been tested on humans but the people of Mayo think there's reason to hope the drug will do well, specially against mets to the bone. Here's the link to the full article. http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/87513.php 

PJ Hamel, Health Guide
11/ 5/07 6:49pm
Cutting edge, Jean. Thanks for sharing. Doesn't it feel like they're just getting SO SO close to figuring all this out and putting an end to it? - PJ

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By Jean— Last Modified: 09/21/10, First Published: 11/05/07