>> However, the cancer-killing pill Malkas has been developing over the past two decades, AOH1996, targets a cancerous variant of PCNA, a protein that in its mutated form is critical in DNA replication and repair of all expanding tumors
But it's still a single pathway. Cancer has abilities to circumvent most pathways, after a time.
Targeting multiple pathways will be the answer, but FDA is so slow at allowing multiple-target clinical trials. Keytruda thus far, has been the best to believe in combining with many other products, and get clinical trials going. Sure, they have to partner with competitors, but this (multi-pathways) is the true path to stopping cancer.
According to the article, this pathway is the same for all "expanding tumors":
"PCNA is like a major airline terminal hub containing multiple plane gates. Data suggests PCNA is uniquely altered in cancer cells, and this fact allowed us to design a drug that targeted only the form of PCNA in cancer cells. Our cancer-killing pill is like a snowstorm that closes a key airline hub, shutting down all flights in and out only in planes carrying cancer cells..."
This may be one pathway that cancers can't circumvent.
Consider taxol resistance. Taxols prevent microtubule formation, but yet, somehow, cells find a way to overcome this.
They have only tested this in mice.
>> We tested the anticancer activity of AOH1996 in mice bearing xenograft tumors derived from either neuroblastoma, breast cancer, or small cell lung cancer cells
There is a new cancer cure every year for more than a decade now but still nothing really substantiates in terms of saving people's lives at scale. This research is promising but authors of such news should feel morally obligated to also mention realistically how far away in future will be the medicine based on this research given that there are people out there with limited time on their hands who might start getting their hopes up by reading these.
It's understandable to be frustrated by our lack of a magic bullet to cure cancer, but unfortunately it's not one disease but a whole range of different diseases. That said, I would offer Checkpoint Inhibitors[1] as an example of a whole new class of meds from recent years that have helped save many, many people.
Metastatic melanoma was a death sentence as little as 10 years ago. Now, five year survival rates are improving thanks to checkpoint inhibitors and improved radiosurgery.
With one of the checkmate trials, the median 5 year survival rate for patients taking nivolumab and ipilimumab is 5 years. The patients in this study trended older and had inoperable brain mets.
The survival rate previously was something like 9-12 months.
Please don't spread false hope or impossible suggestions. This molecule is still investigatory and proprietary, so there's no documentation on its structure for replication by anyone outside of original authors. Furthermore, it is highly unlikely any researcher would jeopardize their reputation and livelihood by randomly manufacturing experimental, unproven compounds for clinical use.
For better or for worse, there are services available internationally which will manufacture experimental, unproven, compounds for unspecified uses.
Additionally, proprietary investigational compounds typically have their structure published in patents.
It's still a terribly bad idea to use experimental compounds no matter how bad when they haven't even finished safety trials - you wouldn't even be able to figure out what dosage is going to be effective without killing you. It's very easy to do far more harm than good. And typically past Phase 1 trials when this is characterized, compassionate use becomes a possibility.
I'm not spreading false hope. This is a choice that can only be made by an individual person. If your life were on the line, you would probably start looking at anything that had even a small chance of helping, including new and unproven therapies. Your attitude would change significantly.
And it's a small molecule so it wouldn't be terribly difficult to have someone in China make you a batch. I've purchased obscure pharms from labs in China and haven't been scammed yet
Exactly. It's phase I testing. All they know is it doesn't seem to kill mice or some healthy cells in a Petri dish. Despite this being apparently a highly-targeted molecule, there is always the potential for it to cause side-effects, injuries, or fatalities in whole humans. It shows promise but wake me up when it passes phase III.
But it's still a single pathway. Cancer has abilities to circumvent most pathways, after a time.
Targeting multiple pathways will be the answer, but FDA is so slow at allowing multiple-target clinical trials. Keytruda thus far, has been the best to believe in combining with many other products, and get clinical trials going. Sure, they have to partner with competitors, but this (multi-pathways) is the true path to stopping cancer.