New drug 'could target harmful radiation effects'
The new drug could protect the body from radiation
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Friday, 11, Apr 2008 11:30
A new drug has been developed which may protect the body from radiation without reducing radiation's effectiveness against tumour cells.
The researchers behind the drug, named CBLB502, say it could one day be used to help cancer patients or in radiation emergency situations.
Radiation is an important part of treatment against cancers, but it also affects some of the normal cells near cancer cells.
Side effects can include feeling tired, sore skin and hair loss.
In tests on mice, a single injection of the new drug before radiation protected the animals' bone marrow and gastrointestinal cells.
It also enhanced survival when injected after the radiation.
Writing in the journal Science, researchers from Cleveland Biolabs say the drug works by activating a well-known molecular pathway that some cancer cells use to stave off cell death.
Cleveland Biolabs chief scientific officer Dr Andrei Gudkov said: "We consider this paper a breakthrough for the study of radioprotection, since it provides a long awaited example of single agent anti-radiation therapy with significant survival benefits at a single dose."
The company is now planning phase one trials of the drug in humans.
Commenting on the study, Cancer Research UK's Dr Joanna Owens said: "These are interesting results and we look forward to following the progress of CBLB502 through planned clinical trials.
"If the protective properties seen in this laboratory study can be reproduced in people with cancer, this could be an important step towards reducing side effects for people having radiotherapy in the future."