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Canadian researchers have understood that a drug originally intended for heart failure could be effective in treating cancer. These efforts have borne fruit, as evidenced by their work published in the Journal of Experimental and Clinical Research on Cancer.
Some drugs designed for certain therapeutic indications may be used for other diseases; this is what is called repositioning drugs. Since these drugs have already pbaded the critical approval stages in toxicology, preclinical safety, pharmacokinetics, etc., they represent a real benefit for the faster launch of new clinical trials. "
Elodie M. Da Costa, doctoral student at the Université de Montréal and first author of the study
"Here, we observed for the first time the anticancer and epigenetic properties of proscillaridine A – a cardiotonic used in the treatment of heart failure or cardiac arrhythmia – in leukemias in children expressing MYC gene, a cell proliferation that promotes the development of cancer, "explains Elodie M. Da Costa.
Currently, no effective treatment is approved to target this type of alteration in leukemias. This approach represents a promising avenue for developing strategies to inhibit the MYC gene and its oncogenic partners.
To achieve these results, the research team used a variety of advanced techniques in molecular biology, next-generation sequencing and pharmacology to evaluate the efficacy and mechanism of action of this drug in the treatment of cancer. leukemia. The team observed that the molecule preferentially attacks leukemic stem cells, which promote the spread of the disease.
"Every cancer is unique and to increase the chances of survival, precision medicine is a promising avenue in developing therapeutic strategies specific to the patient," said Noël JM Raynal, a researcher at CHU Sainte-Justine and a professor at the University Hospital. Montreal university. "It is therefore essential to badyze the different characteristics of each cancer in terms of genomics, epigenetics and proteomics in order to identify the optimal therapies." Research on the repositioning of drugs opens a new path to innovative therapeutic options in cancer treatment. "
Leukemia, a relentless battle
In recent decades, the survival rate of patients with pediatric leukemia has improved considerably. However, some patients remain resistant to current treatments and two-thirds of patients have significant long-term side effects related to the toxicity of treatments (metabolic and neurological disorders and sometimes secondary cancers).
"In the medium term, we hope to complete the preclinical characterization of this drug to eventually launch clinical trials.Our ultimate goal is to identify more specific and less toxic therapeutic strategies for children with leukemia characterized by the MYC gene so to improve survival rates and quality of life, "notes Elodie M. Da Costa. "CHU Sainte-Justine is a leader in cancer research and treatment in North America and we are proud to contribute to the advancement of knowledge in this field," said Noël J.M. Raynal.
According to statistics from the Canadian Cancer Society, leukemias are the most commonly diagnosed cancers among children aged 0 to 14 and account for about 32% of childhood cancers in Canada. Leukemia is the second leading cause of cancer death among Canadian children. Myc proto-oncogene is deregulated in nearly 80% of leukemias.
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