Scientists have identified a drug that eliminated small cell lung cancer tumours in 50% of mice and blocked the cells’ ability to resist standard chemotherapy treatment:
A growth hormone called FGF-2 appears to speed division of the cancer cells, and to trigger a survival mechanism which makes them resistant to chemotherapy.PD173074 blocks FGF-2 from attaching to tumour cells. The researchers say it could potentially be taken as a pill, rather than fed into the body via a drip.
It was originally developed in 1998 to stop blood vessels from forming around tumours.