US study uncovers powerful anti-cancer compound

[Kadie]

US study uncovers powerful anti-cancer compound
Fri Aug 14, 9:55 am ET

WASHINGTON (AFP) – A new study conducted on mice has uncovered a chemical compound that effectively targets cancer stem cells -- the key cells that spread malignant tumors and are usually resistant to treatment.

In a study published in Thursday's edition of the journal Cell, a group of medical researchers said they had discovered that a compound called salinomycin directly targeted cancer stem cells.

"Evidence is accumulating rapidly that cancer stem cells are responsible for the aggressive powers of many tumors," said Robert Weinberg, a member of the Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, and one of the study's authors.

Cancer stem cells are rare but aggressive parts of tumors and their ability to seed new tumors while proving largely resistant to chemotherapy and radiotherapy makes them a key component in treating cancer patients.

"Many therapies kill the bulk of a tumor only to see it regrow," said Eric Lander, director of the Broad Institute of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard University, another author of the Cell paper.

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