An Addiction Drug May Treat Cancer Patients Too: New Study

An Addiction Drug May Treat Cancer Patients Too: New Study

Overview

  • Post By : Kumar Jeetendra

  • Source: University of St George's London

  • Date: 01 Jul,2016

Researcher from University of St George's London found that The drug naltrexone (LDN) used in treatment of addiction may also used in treatment of Cancer patients too.

Dr Liu said: "We have shown that the genetic fingerprint of naltrexone differs according to the different doses used, which identifies new ways of using it as an anti-cancer treatment."Rather than stopping the cancer cells from growing, patients want to be rid of them. We saw that by giving the drug for two days, then withdrawing it, cancer cells would stop cycling and undergo cell death."

Dr Wai Liu and Professor Angus Dalgleish and working with the company LDN Pharma informed that when these drug used in small doses then able to alter gene that regulates cancer cell.

reformulated a new use for it; this has only been possible by understanding the dynamics of a drug. How many other drugs can be improved in this way?

"We have shown a similar 'repackaging' benefit with the antimalarial drug artesunate and the cannabinoids. In both cases, drugs that are not classically cancer therapies are being trialled as such.

Story source: University of St George's London

Journal references:

Wai Liu, Katherine Scott, Jayne Dennis, Elwira Kaminska, Alan Levett, Angus Dalgleish. Naltrexone at low doses upregulates a unique gene expression not seen with normal doses: Implications for its use in cancer therapy. International Journal of Oncology, 2016; DOI: 10.3892/ijo.2016.3567

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