Scientists from the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have hit upon a drug that will help contain the spread of a deadly type of eye cancer to other parts of the body. It was a surprise find to see that this drug is usually used to treat victims of seizures.
The particularly lethal type of eye cancer is known as uveal melanoma which is known to be rather very aggressive and metastasizes from the eye to other organs, especially the liver. As with most cancer once the spreading begins it makes the chances of survival rather slim. (1)
According to the first author and principal researcher J. William Harbour, MD, “We previously identified an aggressive class 2 molecular type of uveal melanoma that, in most cases, already has metastasized by the time the eye cancer is diagnosed, even though imaging the body can't detect it yet. This microscopic amount of cancer can remain dormant in the liver and elsewhere for several years before it begins to grow and becomes lethal.” (2)
The drug in question is known as histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitors. It’s main function is to change the way genes in the DNA material are expressed and this inturn makes the cancer cells less aggressive.
The HDAC was able to reverse the aggressive molecular structure of the tumor cells to the extent that when seen under a microscope, the cancerous cells treated with HDAC looked like normal cells and not tumor cells. (3)
The good news is that because it is a drug usually prescribed by doctors to those who suffer from seizures, it is already something that is available in the market and can be used for testing on patients with aggressive form of uveal melanoma.
Another good thing is that the drug has rather mild side effects with the most severe being drowsiness. In fact, an HDAC class compound called SAHA (suberoylanilide hydroxic acid) has already been applied for funding to begin testing.
Harbour, along with his colleagues, have already developed a detection test that has the ability to forecast whether the particular uveal melanoma is likely to metastase and spread to the liver and other parts of the body.
This technique may prove to be very beneficial as it is common knowledge among cancer-treating doctors that although less than 4 percent of uveal melanoma patients actually show any sign of metastase, half of all the patients die of metastasis even after surgery, radiation, chemotherapy.
SOURCES:
1. Drug May Slow Spread of Deadly Eye Cancer; Science Daily; December, 2011; http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/11/111128171222.htm
2. Drug may slow spread of deadly eye cancer; washington University in St. Louis - Newsroom; December, 2011; http://news.wustl.edu/news/Pages/23032.aspx
3. Histone deacetylase inhibitors induce growth arrest and differentiation in uveal melanoma; AACR: Clinical Cancer Research; December, 2011; http://clincancerres.aacrjournals.org/content/early/2011/10/27/1078-0432.CCR-11-0946
INFORMATION IN THIS ARTICLE IS NOT MEDICAL ADVICE. ALL INFORMATION GIVEN IS TO BE CHECKED WITH YOUR DOCTOR BEFORE IMPLEMENTING OR TAKING THEM AS STANDARD OR VERIFIED.
Mamta Singh is a published author of the books Migraines for the Informed Woman – Tips From A Sufferer: ISBN: 978-81-291-1517-1 (Publisher: Rupa & Co. URL: http://www.amazon.com/Migraines-Informed-Woman-Tips-Sufferer/dp/8129115174/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1298990756&sr=1-2), Mentor Your Mind – Tested Mantras For The Busy Woman: ISBN: 978-81-207-5973-2 (Publisher: Sterling Publishers; URL: http://www.sterlingpublishers.com/search_result.asp) and the upcoming The Urban Woman’s Integrated Fitness Guide (Publisher: Hay House India).
She is also a seasoned business, creative and academic writer. She is a certified fitness instructor, personal trainer & sports nutritionist through IFA, Florida USA. Mamta is an NCFE-certified Holistic Health Therapist SAC Dip U.K. She is the lead writer and holds Expert Author status in many well-received health, fitness and nutrition sites.
She runs her own popular blogs on migraines in women and holistic health. Mamta holds a double Master's Degree in Commerce and Business. She is a registered practitioner with the UN recognised Art of Living Foundation. Please visit www.mamtasingh.com
Reviewed January 11, 2012
by Michele Blacksberg RN
Edited by Jody Smith