Beating cancer by increasing radiotherapy effectiveness

[2 March 2009 - 10h07]
[mis à jour le 3 March 2009 à 11h07]

Researchers at the Curie Institute in France are a cunning lot! They have developed some clever little molecules that lead cancer cells to self-destruct rather than divide and feed tumours.

When combined with radiotherapy, this strategy can lead to a decrease in tumour volume … and in 20% of cases to the complete elimination of the tumour itself.

Radiotherapy – like chemotherapy in fact – works by attacking tumour cells and destroying them. But the fact is that a large number of the tumours identified find ways of repairing themselves and are able to resist radiotherapy.

The brainchild of Marie Dutreix, head of the Recombination and Genomic Instability team at the Curie Institute, the idea was to develop snares or falsifiers as she put it. These molecules, known as Dbait, are aimed at discouraging cancer cells by convincing them that they will never succeed in repairing themselves… and, when confronted with the fact that repair is impossible, will instead choose to self destruct.

According to Marie Dutreix, clinical trials should begin in late 2010 or early 2011. These molecules can be combined with radiotherapy in the treatment of melanomas, glioblastomas and tumours of the head and neck. As Sergio Roman-Roman, head of the Curie Institute Transfer Department, explains, eventually they could make it possible to reduce radiotherapy doses, and certain forms of chemotherapy too could see their effectiveness increased. In short, Dbait molecules are not only clever, they are also extremely promising.

Source : Institut Curie, 12 février 2009 – Clinical Cancer Research, 15 February 2009, vol.15 (4)

>> Cet article est aussi disponible en français

>> Cet article est aussi disponible en arabe

© 1996-2012 Destination Santé SAS - All Rights Reserved. No information contained on this server can be reproduced or retransmitted without prior written consent of Destination Santé. Offenders will be prosecuted in consideration of articles L 122-4 and L 335-3 of the Code of Intellectual Property, allowing up to two years' imprisonment and a 150,000 euros fine.