Jen Watson
5/24/2012
A team of McMaster scientists have discovered a drug that can kill cancer stem cells in humans.
Researchers say the exciting aspect of their study is that thioridazine destroys the cells while avoiding the toxic side-effects of conventional cancer treatments.
Unlike chemotherapy and radiation, thioridazine appears to have no effect on normal stem cells.
Scientists say the research holds the promise of a new strategy and discovery pipeline for the development of anti-cancer drugs.
The team has identified another dozen drugs that have potential for the same response. Their next step is to test thioridazine in clinical trials, focusing on patients with acute myeloid leukemia whose disease has relapsed after chemotherapy.
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