New drugs can prevent metastatic cancer

Scientists have discovered compounds that can 'freeze' cancer cells along the way and prevent them from metastasizing, which could make them more easily destroyed, according to research published in Nature. Communications.

While treating the disease needs to destroy cancer cells, but preventing their spread throughout the body - a process called metastasis - is equally important. However, the majority of current cancer therapies are designed to be simple to destroy cells, according to Raymond Bergan, professor of medicine at Oregon University of Science & Health (OHSU), who led the study.

The lack of treatments designed to prevent the movement of cancer is a problem that researchers at OHSU - collaborate with colleagues from Northwestern University, University of Chicago, University of Washington and Greater learn Xiamen, China is trying to solve.

Preventing spreading cancer is essential to save lives.

"For the vast majority of cancers - breast, prostate, lung, colon and others - if detected early as a small tumor in the organ and not spread, you will live, "In general, if detected late, after the disease has spread throughout the body, the patient will not survive."

" Movement is the key : the difference is black and white, night and day. If cancer cells spread throughout the body, they will take your life. We can treat them, but they will take your life. "

Since 2011, researchers have been trying to develop a drug that controls the spread of cancer. In experiments, they identified a special compound - called KBU2046 - that inhibits cell movement of four different types of cancer (breast, colon, lung, prostate).

This compound works by binding to specific proteins to clean the cells. By attaching these proteins, their mobility inhibitors do not cause any side effects - an unusual mechanism that scientists have spent years trying to understand.

The goal of the study is ultimately to develop a therapy that can be applied to patients in the early stages of the disease to prevent metastatic cancer, when it becomes much more difficult to treat.

"Our ultimate goal is to be able to tell a woman with breast cancer: here, take this pill and the cancer will not spread throughout your body , " Bergan said. "The same thing for patients with prostate, lung and colon cancer".

So far, the compound has only been tested on cultured cells and therefore an approved drug based on this compound is still a long way. The team is currently raising funds to fund further studies and has established a company, Third Coast Therapeutics, to help realize their vision.