Ineffective Cancer Drugs Made Effective

Medical scientists at University of Oklahoma found a way to turn ineffective new cancer drugs into efficient cancer fighters. Researchers at the university's Health Sciences use their patented chemical compound SHetA2 to "trick" cancer cells into responding to new treatments and undergoing cell suicide.

This discovery means that we can use our non-toxic cancer prevention pill to improve treatment for people who already have cancer. The new chemotherapy drugs are antibodies that bind to cell surface receptors called 'death receptors. The binding of the antibodies activates the death receptors in cancer cells and causes cell suicide with little harm to normal cells. Many cancers, however, are resistant to the antibodies. SHetA2 treatment can make ovarian and kidney cancer cells sensitive to the death receptor antibodies and kill the cancer.

The research appears in the journal Gynecologic Oncology.