Monday, March 2, 2015

Copper: The Newest Treatment in Cancer Research

A newly conducted study at the Bielefeld University suggests that a compound containing copper may be the new cancer treatment and preventive used in patients. The copper compound has recently been found to kill and stop the cancer cells from spreading faster then the common drug cisplatin used today. The cisplatin is used in chemotherapy to attack the DNA in the cancer cell but the drug also has many side effects. The newly formed copper compound however works by binding with the cancer cells phosphates and changes the DNA of the cell so it is no longer able to function as it did.

Overall, I believe this was a very interesting article. Cancer is a horrible disease and I believe that anything if something natural, like copper, can be used then it should instead of harsh chemicals used in chemotherapy. Although much more research needs to be conducted before patients are treated with the copper compound, I believe it is one step further in the right direction to combat the horrible disease that effects millions each year.

Found at: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/03/150302071134.htm

3 comments:

  1. It seems as if the cure for cancer is always in our reach; however, that is never the case. If this copper containing compound does in fact function better than cisplatin used in chemotherapy, which we all know has negative side effects, new doors can be open regarding cancer reasearch. Of course, more research and experiments should be conducted using this new compound--hopefully the findings shed light on a new ground-breaking discovery in cancer.

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  2. I am doing a research study this semester on cancer cells and mdr. The presence of this protein in cancer cells causes chemotherapy treatments to not work efficiently because the protein is pumping out the toxic chemo drug before it can kill the cancerous cells. If we can find a way to treat for cancer while inhibiting this protein we can kill the cancer cells and be a step closer to finding a cure for cancer. This article was very interesting and I am curious as to where further research will take us.

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  3. It is impressive to see the strives researchers have gone to find a natural substance could possible be used as a preventative measure. I also think that I believe that it is amazing that something natural can be used instead of harsh chemicals used in chemotherapy. Though it is clear that more research will need to be done it is nice to have a small glimpse of hope for the patients.

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