Researchers at University of Georgia have developed a new formulation for the chemotherapy drug cisplatin that improves its ability to target and destroy cancerous cells.
Cisplatin is usually prescribed for cancers related to the bladder, ovaries, cervix, testicles and lung. This drug is one of the few effective ones . However, some cancerous cells develop resistance to the treatment.
Platin-M, the new formulation, has been developed by the UGA researchers that aims to overcome the resistance by attacking the mitochondria within cancerous cells.
"You can think of mitochondria as a kind of powerhouse for the cell, generating the energy it needs to grow and reproduce," Shanta Dhar, assistant professor of chemistry in the UGA Franklin College of Arts and Sciences and principal investigator for the project, said in a press release. "This prodrug delivers cisplatin directly to the mitochondria in cancerous cells. Without that essential powerhouse, the cell cannot survive."
"This technique could become a treatment for a number of cancers, but it may prove most useful for more aggressive forms of cancer that are resistant to current therapies," said Rakesh Pathak, a postdoctoral researcher in Dhar's lab.
However, both Dhar and Pathak warned that the results are preliminary and they must do more work before Platin-M can enter any clinical trials.
The initial results in mouse models are promising, and they are currently developing safety trials in larger animals.
The study describing the newly developed drug, Platin-M has been published in theProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
