had researchers from Scottsdale Healthcare announce their new findings from their study conducted with a RNA interface drug. The study was the first in-human study of this drug and the effects of the drug were silencing the PLK1 gene, known as polo-like kinase 1, which is involved in tumor growth. The patients who took the drug had a good tolerance with it and showed therapeutic benefit. The medical director of the study team, Ramanathan, explained that RNAi therapies were a different way to treat cancer and help decrease the PLK1 levels to stop tumor growths and kill the cancer cells. The drug behind all of this is TKM-080301 and is being made by Tekmira Pharmaceuticals Corporation. The drug is delivered to a cancer cell and targets PLK1. The drug was given to 23 patients as of date with doses within the range of 0.15mg/kg per week to 0.9mg/kg per week. The drug’s common side effects has been mild to moderate with fevers, nausea, chills, vomiting, and fatigue. There have been two patients who have been on this drug for more than six months and have not showed evidence of cumulative toxicity. Ramanathan also mentioned that the RNAi treatments can make an impact on how cancer is treated since the ability to address proteins associated with the disease.http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/258887.php
This sounds like an a drug that could have positive effects on the future of cancer treatment. I did not know that cancer treatments focused on RNA, so I definitely learned something by reading this article. It would be interesting to read a follow up article in the next year to see the effects of this drug at that time.
ReplyDeleteI hope this drug will be very successful, my mother went through cancer treatments and they were definitely terrible. It is hard enough fighting for your life with cancer and the treatments making you even more sick definitely do not help the process. If this drug helps patients without the harsh side effects it will make the process easier.
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