Scientists find ‘Magic bullet’ to cure prostate cancer!
A revolutionary ‘magic bullet’ that kills prostate tumour cells has cured patients given just weeks to live. Six out of 10 patients with an advanced form of the disease are in remission one year after undergoing the treatment, a Cypriot study found. The therapy uses a molecule that attaches itself to prostate tumour cells before releasing energy that destroys the cancer. Researchers believe the ‘amazing’ treatment could have potential in others forms of cancer including brain, thyroid and kidney.
The disease kills approximately 19 men per 100,000 annually in the US. The new treatment use chemically-engineered molecules known as prostate specific membrane antigens. These molecules, described as a ‘trojan horse’, ‘trick’ their way inside cancer cells. Once in the cells, the molecule release nuclear energy, which destroys tumours. The researchers carried out the trial on 30 men with prostate cancer that had spread, giving them just weeks or months to live.
Lead author Professor Giovanni Paganelli, from the European Institute of Oncology, said: ‘This is a great achievement and the results are amazing. ‘This is true, targeted medicine, non-toxic and effective. ‘If it works in late-stage disease it is likely to work better at an earlier stage and this is the direction we now want to take.’ Speaking of the treatment’s lack of side effects, he added: ‘People have been afraid of the nuclear element of this form of treatment but we have shown it is safe. ‘It is a tiny amount of nuclear energy that is delivered to the cells and is not enough to cause severe side effects,’ he said. The findings were presented at the at the International Conference of Clinical Oncology in Paralimni, Cyprus, on Wednesday
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