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Breast Cancer and Hyperthermia
This is from Johns Hopkins medical research. While they are talking about preventing cancer here, it may also have efficacy treating existing cancers.
Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health
Office of Communications and Public Affairs
Media Contact: Tim Parsons or Kenna Lowe
410-955-6878
February 15, 2006
Scientists have identified a new compound called CDDO-Im that protects
against the development of liver cancer in laboratory animals.
Experiments, led by researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of
Public Health, show CDDO-Im to be effective at doses 100 times lower than
other compounds known to prevent cancer in people. Because of its makeup,
the researchers believe CDDO-Im could be particularly effective in
preventing cancers with a strong link to inflammation, such as liver,
colon, prostate and gastric cancers. It could also play a role in
preventing diseases such as neurodegeneration, asthma and emphysema. The
findings are featured in the Feb. 15, 2006, issue of the journal Cancer
Research.
CDDO-Im is a synthetic compound that belongs to a class of cancer-fighting
compounds called triterpenoids under development by Dr. Michael Sporn and
other study co-authors at Dartmouth Medical School. It is derived from
oleanolic acid, a naturally occurring substance found in many plants. Other
oleanolic derivatives are known to reduce tumor growth in animals and humans.
Researchers believe CDDO-Im works by activating Nrf2, a master switch known
to direct certain enzymes to stimulate the cell's defense mechanisms and
remove harmful chemicals from cells. "Activation of the Nrf2 pathway with
CDDO-Im could provide protection against a number of diseases triggered by
environmental agents," said Thomas Kensler, PhD, a professor with the
Bloomberg School's Department of Environmental Health Sciences and lead
author of the study.
In their research, Kensler and his colleagues treated laboratory rats with
varying doses of CDDO-Im. Two days after treatment with CDDO-Im, the rats
were given aflatoxin, a naturally occurring cancer-causing toxin. CDDO-Im
treatment led to an 85 percent reduction in pre-cancerous lesions at the
lowest dose of 50 micrograms per rat and a 99 percent reduction at the
highest dose of 5 milligrams.
Like other compounds derived from oleanolic acid, CDDO-Im also has strong
anti-inflammatory properties, which the researchers say makes it ideally
suited to the prevention of certain cancers. "When cells become inflamed,
they can produce reactive molecules, called free radicals, that can damage
DNA and promote cancer development," explained Kensler. "CDDO-Im can also
inhibit cancer formation by interfering with this inflammatory process."
Because it can stimulate the body's defense mechanisms at such low doses,
Kensler believes that CDDO-Im is an excellent candidate for cancer
prevention in humans. "If this compound can produce such a potent and
dramatic reduction in the number of pre-cancerous growths, it should have
an equally dramatic impact on the development of actual cancers. This study
suggests that we may be on the right track in terms of chemoprevention. It
may open the door for a new class of compounds that could prevent a number
of diseases," said Kensler.
The opinion above is expressed by a lay individual for information purposes only
and is not to be used to diagnose or treat any disease. Any and all treatment
decisions should be made with the full cooperation of a qualified physician.
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