Cheap in the production of a chemical molecule can be a panacea for various types of cancer, according to Canadian scientists.

Dichloroacetate has for years been considered a cure for certain types of metabolic diseases in children. Now researchers suggest that it is capable of causing cell death in many types of cancer cells.

A research team from the city of Alberta has shown in its works that a cheap medicine can cause cancer cells to commit suicide.

According to experts, their data are far from clinical, so before developing a molecule based on a specific drug for cancer treatment, more research will be needed.

The main feature of cancer cells is their ability to "deceive" the normal processes of cell death and survive when the normal cell dies.

Many scientists work in this direction and their purpose is a mechanism, how exactly cancer cells manage to bypass the natural conditions of death and reverse this mechanism.

Dichloroacetate is known to medicine for many years, but all this time it had very limited application. Researchers from Canada showed its ability to influence mitochondria - cellular energy stations, which helps to limit tumor growth.

In laboratory conditions, upon contact with tumor tissue, the drug killed cancer cells and did not affect healthy. Also, the drug showed its effectiveness in animals.

However, despite the prospects of such a project, a company that wants to organize clinical trials involving people may experience registration problems. Since the substance is known for a long time, it does not have a patent and its registration as a cure for cancer will be difficult.

Medicinform. Net.

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