There is a new ally against colorectal cancer and glioblastoma, a form of brain tumor that is very aggressive and still difficult to cure also due to the numerous relapses: a team of researchers belonging to different departments of the University Hospital and of the 'University of Cagliari has patented a new natural-based and selective anticancer that gives hope against disease.
The discovery, which has yet to pass to the experimental phase and needs new validations, was conducted by Germano Orrù, head of the Molecular Biology laboratory of the Aou in Cagliari, Daniela Fanni (Pathological Anatomy), Joanna lzabela Lachowicz (Medicine of the Lavoro), Terenzio Congiu, Monica Piras, Giuseppina Pichiri, Pierpaolo Coni (Surgical Sciences), Marco Piludu (Biomedical Sciences), Clelia Madeddu (Oncologist) and Massimo Claudio Fantini (Gastroenterologist).
Germano Orru explains the new step in science: "We have developed a new molecule that shows a significant antitumor activity and selectivity of two very important pathologies: colorectal cancer represents glioblastoma in third by incidence after breast cancer. it represents 15% of all primary brain tumors ”.
The cancer therapies currently in use, he continues, “require hospitalization and high costs, which are borne by the increasingly overburdened health system. In addition, the toxicity of the chemotherapeutic agents that cause side effects (due to the high efficacy of the drug, but not sufficient selectivity towards tumor cells) relevant to the patient's quality of life must be considered ”.
The new molecule, continues the scholar, "shows a promising antitumor activity and very high selectivity, in laboratory experiments in which these tumor forms have been reproduced".
The molecule called L1 is a derivative of kojic acid, a natural substance produced by different species of fungi, also obtainable from the fermentation of rice. Compound already used in the food and cosmetic industry, the researchers from Cagliari explain, "it does not present a significant degree of toxicity, so the derivative could assist in anticancer therapy with a low impact on the patient's well-being. Moreover, given the high solubility, it could be taken orally, facilitating the times and methods of taking any drug and reducing the high costs of hospitalization. In particular, the L1 molecule discovered within this collaboration, works by selectively inhibiting the replication of cancer cells ".
The research, funded by Sardegna Ricerche, was granted the patent (WO202258970_A1) from the Ministry of Economic Development. Thanks to the CLab plus initiative of the Crea offices of the University of Cagliari, the birth of a new Victorious start-up is expected, which will make it possible to finance further developments of the invention towards the preclinical phases.
(Unioneonline / E.Fr.)