Skin And Lung Cancer - New Therapy Discovered

Researchers working on the development of new therapies to be used in the treatment of skin and lung cancer recently announced the development of a new therapy that involves the use of a suicide coliphage-gene (gene E), which is able to induce death to cells that are transfected with it. The efficacy of this newly developed technique has been demonstrated in vitro, through the use of tumor cell cultures, and in vivo, through the use of experimental animals in which tumors were induced.

This research in this study was conducted by Raúl Ortiz Quesada from the Department of Human Anatomy and Embryology, at the University of Granada, who highlights the fact that the antitumor effects of gene E have already been observed when employed separately, but also opined that the combination of gene E and chemotherapy could reap significant benefits. “It can reduce the effects of chemotherapy agents, which would allow the reduction of the dose required, as well as the reduction of side effects of chemotherapy,” said Quesada. The study was lead by Professors Antonia Aránega Jiménez, José Carlos Prados Salazar y Consolación Melguizo Alonso, of the University of Granada.