A US cancer institute is developing a drug that would help patients complete their treatment for non-small cell lung cancer.

Doctors at the University of Pittsburg Medical Center (UPMC) Cancer Institute reported that they are developing JP4039, which is based on the protein MNSOD-PL. It enables patients to prevent esophagitis, a side effect of treating non-small cell lung cancer with chemotherapy and radiation. The condition causes the inflammation of the esophagus, sometimes making it difficult for patients to swallow their own saliva. This prevents patients from completing their treatment and even cause dehydration. With JP4039, patients no longer suffer from the debilitating effects of esophagitis and thus could continue with their treatment. Aside from that, patients experience no side effects after taking JP4039.
Read the rest of this entry »

The University of Miami has begun the development of a cancer treatment that showed no side effects found in other treatments.

Called SGN30, the experimental treatment targets only cancer cells with the marker called CD30, leaving healthy cells alone. This is unlike chemotherapy that destroys not only cancer cells but also neighboring cells, including healthy ones.
Read the rest of this entry »

An article by the BBC reported that for the first time ever, stem cell technology and precision gene therapy, “have been united for the first time in humans.”

Such a development could eventually create treatment for patients using their own cells. Currently, stems cells created from a patient cannot be used to treat that patient’s genetic illness. The reason for this is that the stem cells also inherit the genetic error that causes the illness. Scientists, however, have been able to overcome this obstacle, although they also admitted they still needed to conduct safety tests.
Read the rest of this entry »