Ineffective cancer drugs made effective

OKLAHOMA CITY, Dec. 2 (UPI) -- University of Oklahoma medical scientists say they've found a way to turn ineffective new cancer drugs into efficient cancer fighters.

Researchers at the university's Health Sciences Center said they 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," said Professor Doris Mangiaracina Benbrook, who led the research.

The latest study involved an upcoming class of cancer treatment drugs that worked well in experimental models, but proved ineffective against many human tumors. Benbrook and her team decided to test their compound's ability to "fix" the problem. It worked.

"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," Benbrook said. "We've shown that SHetA2 treatment can make ovarian and kidney cancer cells sensitive to the death receptor antibodies and kill the cancer."

Benbrook said the compound will work with several cancers, including lung, kidney, ovarian, colon and pancreatic cancer.

The research appears in the journal Gynecologic Oncology.