Pharmacy students at a university right here in Ohio, believe they have found a drug to target the most aggressive form of the life threatening disease, cancer. Nearly 40 percent of all Americans will be diagnosed with cancer at some point during their lifetimes.
Glioblastoma is cancer that develops in the brain or spinal cord and is nearly impossible to remove. Experts have said the five-year survival rate is less than 10 percent.
Researchers at the University of Findlay may have created a drug to improve that looming statistic.
It is made up of a compound found in Indian curry called Chalcone. Researchers say it selectivity targets only the brain cancer cells while sparing the healthy cells.
“Selectivity is the holy grail of cancer therapy because we know that chemotherapy has a lot of side effects, so how do we achieve that selectivity where our compounds can only kill brain cancer, glioblastoma, and spare the normal brain,” said Dr. Rahul Khupse, a medicinal chemist at the College of Pharmacy with the University of Findlay.
Experts say it typically takes 10 to 15 years for a new drug to get from the lab to the patient.
Students At An Ohio College May Have Found Cancer-Fighting Drug! was originally published on mycolumbuspower.com