PROMISING CANCER RESEARCH.

A new class of compounds developed by two university of Kentucky researchers shows promise as a nontoxic treatment of some cancers previously treated with toxic chemotherapy.

In a study published in the academic journal Chemistry and Biology, researchers describe a compound that acts directly on LMP2, a component of the immune proteasome variant that has been identified as abundantly expressed in certain types of tumours, including some prostate cancers.

The compound dubbed UK-101, inhibits LMP2 while not attacking normal cells, indicating that it could be an effective cancer treatment that does not produce the kinds of unpleasant side effects repoted by many patients currently treated with broadly acting proteasome inhibitors and chemotherapeutics.